Category: Forums

Mushtaq Chhapra: The Game Changer

By Deneb Sumbul A successful industrialist, Mushtaq Chhapra also epitomises the spirit of social welfare. As the Panama Papers scandal reverberated around the globe, it exposed in its wake the stashed millions of hundreds of Pakistan’s leading business/political figures and of their offspring in an offshore tax haven. That is one end of the spectrum. … Continue reading Mushtaq Chhapra: The Game Changer

Women of Fire

By Deneb Sumbul To celebrate International Women’s Day, Tehrik-e-Niswan’s conference themed, ‘No More Violence – Women Rising,’ at the Karachi Arts Council on March 8 was attended by a 700-strong, mostly female audience. The women – teachers, students, nurses, midwives, politicians and social activists – came from various parts of the city, dressed in orange. … Continue reading Women of Fire

Keeping the Flame Alight

  April 24 of 2016 will bring us to Sabeen Mehmood’s first death anniversary. The brutal murder of the creator/director of T2F – a prominent personality at many forums – left a loss felt deeply by civil society. Uncertainty prevailed after her passing and there was talk of having to close down T2F – one … Continue reading Keeping the Flame Alight

WOW-ed Festival Karachi

WOW-ed Festival Karachi By Deneb Sumbul On May 1 this year, Karachi had the distinction of being the first South Asian city to host the Women of the World (WOW) festival, celebrating women. Held at the Beach Luxury Hotel with the support of The British Council and London’s Southbank Centre, the one-day event with free … Continue reading WOW-ed Festival Karachi

Death and Dignity

  This article was originally published in Newsline’s September 2015 issue. Text and photographs by Deneb Sumbul When entering the premises one is immediately struck by the whiteness of the Rahat Kada’s floors and walls and the immaculate uniforms of its nursing staff. Regardless of which locality it has been situated in, its facilities have always maintained the same … Continue reading Death and Dignity

City of Dreams

Text and Photographs by Deneb Sumbul This article was originally published in Newsline’s September 2015 issue. The brainchild behind painting the public walls around Karachi with vibrant, vivid art deserves major kudos. So do all those involved in trying to inject colour into Karachi’s dreary, often dark cityscape – and in doing so letting this teeming metropolis … Continue reading City of Dreams

The Tales of 15 Goths

By Deneb Sumbul Working closely with women home-based workers in their homes was one of the most interesting undertakings I’ve ever been a part of, or worked in.  It was Najma Sadeque’s Women’s Economic Empowerment project aiming to help one of the most economically exploited and marginalized women of the female work force in Karachi. … Continue reading The Tales of 15 Goths