Huma Yusuf

2 months ago | dawn.com | Huma Yusuf

WHEN I first started working as a journalist, my senior colleagues and field-hardened editors introduced me to the concept of the release valve. I was often surprised that we were able to investigate a sensitive issue or publish strong criticism of the state, those being the years of the Musharraf dictatorship, and Pakistan not exactly known for its press freedom.

Jan 19, 2025 | dawn.com | Huma Yusuf |Muhammad Amir Rana

AS I write this, 170 million Americans are wondering whether their TikTok apps will go dark, with many scrambling to retain access through VPNs. It is easy to dismiss news of the US TikTok ban as another example of US vs China macho posturing, particularly as many expect Donald Trump to find a way to circumvent the ban (on Sunday, he said he would delay its enforcement). But the ban is the latest threat to a global human rights agenda, and so must be taken seriously.

Dec 8, 2024 | dawn.com | Huma Yusuf

TODAY is day 15 of the UN’s 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign. Before you stop reading, bored by the prospect of a feminist diatribe, consider that 28 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 have experienced physical violence, and more than half of them will never utter a word about their abuse or seek help. That means women in your wider network have likely been subject to physical or sexual assault, even if you are unaware of it.

Nov 24, 2024 | dawn.com | Huma Yusuf |Abbas Nasir

IT’S not easy being a child in Pakistan. Just this past week, children across the country have endured the following: some caught polio; some were targeted in sectarian violence; millions were exposed to toxic levels of air pollution; some were dragged out of their school vans at gunpoint and kidnapped; millions had to stay away from their schools due to environmental degradation and political instability. And that’s aside from the systemic issues.

Nov 10, 2024 | dawn.com | Huma Yusuf

OVER 140,000 people displaced by flooding in Sindh this August are living in unbearable conditions. They sleep in tents, scrape by on one meal a day, and die from waterborne diseases. They fear more hunger as, according to Amnesty International, 500,000 acres of the province’s farmland lies flooded. Most are steeped in crushing debt, having taken fertiliser on credit to sow fields that remain waterlogged. This is the long tail of climate catastrophe.