Written by Niala Mohammad Swat, the Switzerland of Asia Popularly known as the Switzerland of Asia, Swat Valley was the heart of tourism in Pakistan, tucked amid the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain ranges. However, in recent years Swat became synonymous with terrorism and extremism. It is the very same place where Pakistani Nobel Laureate, […]
iGem Peshawar Wins Bronze Medal
Posted November 16th, 2016 at 7:13 pm (UTC+0)
by Niala Mohammad A group of 7 biotechnology undergraduate students from Peshawar nabbed the Bronze medal at MIT’s annual “iGem Competition”. The iGEM, or the international genetically engineered machines competition, is an annual flagship student contest hosted by MIT. This year iGem had 301 competitors from across the globe. iGem Peshawar was the sole representation of […]
Eid ul Adha-Across the Durand
Posted September 14th, 2016 at 5:47 pm (UTC+0)
Although Eid ul Adha heavily revolves around the concept of sacrifice, Pashtuns in the region associate this holiday with fashion and of course food. Children in Charsadda & Khost wearing their most colorful and sparkly outfits Young men wearing traditional hand embroidered “jama’ clothing in Paktika and Khost. Elder men dressed in traditional clothes, polished […]
Game of Thrones in the Land of Drones
Posted August 23rd, 2016 at 8:47 pm (UTC+0)
By Niala Mohammad If you are not addicted to Game of Thrones, you’ve at least heard about the popular fantasy drama series and its catchy theme song. The young men of Khumariyaan have given new life to Ramin Djawadi’s composition by adapting the GoT theme song to a Pashtun beat. This track is quickly becoming a hit among the younger […]
The Scholarship Guide for Pakistani & Afghan Youth
Posted March 22nd, 2016 at 3:24 pm (UTC+0)
By Niala Mohammad Many young men and women in Afghanistan and Pakistan aspire to come to America or other foreign countries in hopes of better opportunities, however some lack the financial means to do so and ultimately become discouraged from having such hopes. But coming to America is not a far-fetched dream, in fact it […]
Afghanistan-Pakistan Drug Transit Routes
Posted April 30th, 2015 at 3:17 am (UTC+0)
by Naseer Kakar & Niala Mohammad India is not the only country complaining about Pakistan’s rising drug trafficking issue; China, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia all have repeatedly voiced their concerns over the smuggling of illicit drugs, mainly heroin, opium, hashish and morphine into their borders via Pakistan. However, Pakistan isn’t producing […]
Ko Agha: A Pashtun-American Comedian
Posted March 27th, 2015 at 8:49 pm (UTC+0)
“Hope is not a dream but a way of making dreams become a reality” by Niala Mohammad Hope-that’s all an 11 year old Naseer Ahmed had when he worked as a child tailor in Zangal, an area located between Quetta and Chaman in Baluchistan Province. Naseer and his family were Afghan refugees from Kandahar and […]
Washington D.C. Stands with Peshawar
Posted December 19th, 2014 at 8:55 pm (UTC+0)
by Niala Mohammad “Why innocent children? What kinds of monsters target children?” Crowds of people gathered in DuPont circle with tearful disbelief at the events that unfolded in Peshawar. Hundreds gathered in Washington, DC’s DuPont Circle to light candles for the 141 lives lost in Peshawar, 132 of which were children. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman, […]
“Da Mirmano Ghag” The Women’s Voice
Posted November 13th, 2014 at 8:19 pm (UTC+0)
by Niala Mohammad “Wagma!!!! I love your programs; we look forward to it every week”! Sobia Khan from Hangu screeched with excitement when her call was forwarded to VOA Deewa’s weekly women’s show -“Da Mirmano Ghag” which means the women’s voice.Many girls like Sobia flood the phone lines with their questions and comments for Wagma […]
The First Daughter of Afghanistan-Mariam Ghani
Posted October 31st, 2014 at 5:04 pm (UTC+0)
by Niala Mohammad Though she refuses comment on her family or ethnic ties, one thing is irrefutable; she is the daughter of Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani. She is as intelligent as her father and as poised as her mother but one thing sets her apart-she is stingy with words but generous with her work to […]
