<\/p>\n
This recap offers only a small glimpse into what we’ve covered this year. To read more, scroll down on the Prism page for articles on the topic of your choice.<\/p>\n
The year 2023 has not been kind to the vast majority of people. Inflation wreaked havoc on the world economy, rising global temperatures brought about even more destruction and if that weren\u2019t enough, new frontiers opened up for humans to kill each other. That is not to say that good things didn\u2019t happen \u2014 amid all the darkness, there were glimmers of hope, shining through random acts of kindness by heroes who don\u2019t wear capes.<\/p>\n
At the local level, the year started with a staring contest between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the finance czar, Ishaq Dar \u2014 that set the tone for one of the highest inflationary spirals in the country\u2019s history. Over the next few months, we saw a judiciary in turmoil, a polity so polarised, it invented new ways to snuff out the opposition and a state that made every excuse in the playbook to deny people the power of the ballot and often, their basic civil rights.<\/p>\n
Here at Prism<\/em>, we tried our best to make sense of it all \u2014 to provide you with in-depth analysis of events that directly or indirectly impacted you. We tried to do so objectively and included as many credible voices as possible. We asked economists to explain why consumer goods were going beyond the common man\u2019s reach, asked lawyers why the Supreme Court was embroiled in controversy, security experts to explain the resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan and human rights activists to explain how Israel could get away with murdering thousands of children.<\/p>\n We covered the protests in France, the marches for women\u2019s rights in Pakistan and the declining space for dissent in the country. We covered so much more, it would be impossible to recall everything in this space.<\/p>\n For the sake of a recap, however, here are the Prism editor\u2019s picks for the year 2023, arranged in no particular order of relevance or prominence.<\/p>\n Pakistan is home to some of the world\u2019s oldest civilisations. Unfortunately, over the years, it has fallen prey to the insatiable greed of antiquities traffickers. This is further compounded by the fact that most of the trafficking is done while the authorities silently look the other way. British-Pakistani barrister Fahrid Chishty wrote about the controlled and coordinated transnational trafficking rings<\/a> that illicitly introduce cultural commodities from South and Central Asia into western art markets.<\/p>\n His write-up explored the legal framework governing the movement of cultural assets in Pakistan, the societal phenomena that make these cultural assets vulnerable, the stakeholders who stand to profit from the racket and the routes and channels through which the trade is carried out.<\/p>\n Over two years, the Government of Sindh demolished 6,600 homes and displaced 66,500 people in a bid to make more room for stormwater drains. Only after they had demolished the structures did they realise that they had no resettlement or rehabilitation policy for the displaced population.<\/p>\n Dawn.com<\/em> staffer and KAS fellow Hawwa Fazal spoke to affectees,<\/a> activists, politicians and bureaucrats, besides poring through court orders and official documents to understand how the government machinery worked, why no one thought of a resettlement policy earlier and how the government\u2019s missteps impacted thousands of citizens who lost their homes overnight.<\/p>\n Journalist Zahrah Mazhar took us on a magical journey through the alleyways of Morocco in this four-part series,<\/a> starting with a stopover in insta-perfect Chefchaouen.<\/p>\n \u201cWalking through Chefchaouen feels like strolling through a movie set. It\u2019s too blue, too perfect, too scenic,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWhen you purposefully get lost because the blue hues from every other lane beckon for a photo, you\u2019re reminded that it\u2019s a real city with inhabitants who may or may not be tired of visitors peeking into alleys and doorways, and taking a picture of every nook and corner.\u201d<\/p>\n If you live in Karachi or have visited it in recent years, you would be familiar with the agony of attempting to traverse its dilapidated roads, many of which remain dug up for the better part of the year.<\/p>\n Dawn.com<\/em> staffers and KAS fellows, Hawwa Fazal and Muzhira Amin, partnered up for this report on the repair works in the upscale neighbourhood of DHA. The roadworks, it turned out, were part of the DHA administration\u2019s plans to upgrade its stormwater drainage system. Read the report<\/a> to see what they found.<\/p>\n Political economist Uzair Younus shed light<\/a> on Pakistan\u2019s need for a robust debate on security sector reforms. In order to do this, he argued that Pakistan can draw from decades of global case studies and literature from countries such as Chile and Indonesia which have had much more authoritarian regimes and their elites have found a way to reform the system from within.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Pakistan facing the most serious crisis to its national cohesion since 1971, it is important for reform-minded citizens, especially the ruling civilian and military elites, to study the experience of countries like Indonesia,\u201d he wrote. \u201cBy drawing the right lessons from states that are a bit further ahead in their reform journey, Pakistan\u2019s ruling elites can set a reforms agenda that achieves success while avoiding the mistakes others have made.\u201d<\/p>\n With the return of the Afghan Taliban to Kabul on August 15, 2021, the TTP was seemingly emboldened, both ideologically and operationally. Since then, the group actively started a process of re-inventing itself, shifting from a ragtag militia to a full-blown insurgency, culminating in January 2023 with the adoption of a new administrative and operational structure, which saw the group being remodelled on the contours of the hierarchy of the Afghan Taliban.<\/p>\n Journalists and security analysts Iftikhar Firdous, Riccardo Valle and Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud teamed up for this report<\/a> on the resurgence of the TTP, which had witnessed a lull in its activities in preceding years.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the return of the Afghan Taliban in Afghanistan, jihadist movements such as the TTP are feeling re-energised and emboldened. In the so-called Islamic Emirate, Pakistani outfits have found a model to emulate and practically adopt in the quest of their jihadist objectives against Pakistan,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n Political scientist Laurent Gayer explained<\/a> why French citizens were up in arms against the police as rioting spread to 553 municipalities across the country in the wake of the police killing of Nahel Merzouk \u2014 the 15th person to be shot dead during a traffic stop in the past one year alone.<\/p>\n Gayer drew in from his research on the post-colonial legacy of the French police to explain why incidents like these kept happening and why the state\u2019s response aimed at disbanding the protests through more violence would do more harm than good.<\/p>\n Dawn.com<\/em> staffer and KAS fellow Wara Irfan produced a stellar write-up<\/a> on Damnatio memoriae<\/em>, a latin phenomenon that literally translates to \u2019condemnation of memory \u2014 a loosely defined group of processes, which involve destruction, erasure, and silence. These processes are also understood as \u201cmemory sanctions\u201d.<\/p>\n The write-up was inspired by the \u2018damnatio memoriae\u2019<\/em> of former premier Imran Khan \u2014 who faced a barrage of legal cases, swift reprisal for anyone speaking out in his favour and a near-complete blackout of the former premier from the mainstream media.<\/p>\n The practice, Wara found, dates back to the ancient Egyptians, evident in artefacts from pharaoh Akhenaten\u2019s tomb. Instead of worshiping gods of the traditional pantheon, Akhenaten\u2019s sole devotion to the god Aten was considered heretical.<\/p>\n When it comes to explaining the inexplicable, there\u2019s no one better than the hilariously witty Abdul Moiz Jaferii, whose scathing words spare none. In this case, it was outgoing premier Shehbaz Sharif, whose performance Jaferii summed up in this piece.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cShehbaz Sharif knew he was stepping up only to fill the role his predecessor had decided was beneath him,\u201d he wrote. \u201cHe knew he was going to have to fit into the outfit originally stitched for the person before him. He needed to lose quite a bit of democratic weight in very little time, even as he piled on frequent flier miles to consult his elder brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Journalist Sarah Eleazar travelled to Jaranwala where a mob had ransacked and vandalised 91 homes of Christian citizens as well as around two dozen churches over blasphemy allegations. Reporting from the ground, Eleazar found a community<\/a> in fear even as authorities attempted to provide them with a sense of security.<\/p>\n \u201cAs residents of Jaranwala pick up the pieces of what remains of their lives, there is little doubt that the horrors of August 16 will haunt them for generations,\u201d she wrote. \u201cAnd while monetary compensation may ease some financial burden, one can only hope that the state finally realises its promise to its most vulnerable citizens \u2014 the protection of life and property guaranteed to all, irrespective of faith, caste or status.\u201d<\/p>\n With the news cycle getting bleaker by the day, Dawn.com<\/em> staffer and KAS fellow offered some welcome respite by taking us along on a trip to the second-highest plateau in the world, popularly known as the Deosai Plains, located in Skardu.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing about Skardu is that everywhere you see \u2014 twirl and you will get my point \u2014 the horizon is blanketed with white and brown peaks, smiling. It is almost inconceivable that the mountains could be this close to you,\u201d she wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n Outgoing Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial was a divisive figure to say the least, particularly towards the end of his tenure. Barrister Asad Rahim Khan perfectly encapsulated his stint as the CJP in this write-up, shining a light on his shortcomings as well as his accomplishments.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the most part though, this was a decent man in an indecent time \u2014 each \u2018good to see you\u2019 was greeted with howls of anger; serving ministers would go purple with incitement; and calls to resign (read: calls by the shadowlands to clear the field) were a constant,\u201d he wrote.<\/a><\/p>\n Over the last couple of months, Israel has committed atrocities worse than one would have considered possible in this day and age. What\u2019s ironic is that it has also been given carte blanche to do so by world powers, who have in turn been more than willing to regurgitate its narrative.<\/p>\n Political scientist Yumna Fatima attempted to cut through the noise and pick apart Israel\u2019s attempts at dehumanising Palestinians. \u201cIt is inconceivable \u2014 the idea that anyone would deliberately kill other humans en masse in such a way. And this is often the question we are left asking: how is it humanly possible to treat thousands of other humans \u2014 even infants \u2014 in such a manner?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s easy enough. You just have to know the right words. The ones that will allow both observers and perpetrators to think: This is fine. This is acceptable. This is what the victims deserve,\u201d she wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n With the world fixated on the atrocities being committed in Gaza, the Government of Pakistan decided it had had enough of caring for refugees. On October 3, the government announced that an estimated 1.7 million undocumented refugees would have to leave the country or risk being forcibly evicted.<\/p>\n While the announcement was for all undocumented refugees, the brunt of the move was borne by Afghan refugees, many of whom had come into Pakistan to escape the Taliban government following the fall of Kabul. As the deadline to leave neared, hundreds of thousands of refugees scrambled to gather their belongings, sell off the goods and businesses they wouldn\u2019t be able to take with them and find transport to take them to the border \u2014 leaving them susceptible to exploitation.<\/p>\n Journalists Mutee-ur-Rehman in Karachi and Jamaima Afridi in Peshawar partnered up for this report<\/a> on the heart-wrenching situation that the refugees found themselves in as they hurried to get across the border in time.<\/p>\n Missing persons activist Sammi Deen Baloch is on a mission \u2014 and she will not rest until she finds out what happened to her father, who was alleged forcibly disappeared 14 years ago. Here, Sammi explained why hundreds of families had yet again marched on Islamabad to protest the practice of enforced disappearances and demand answers from authorities regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones.<\/p>\nFloods, drugs and cultural patrimony: Tackling antiquities trafficking in Pakistan<\/h2>\n
Policy debate: How the Sindh govt is rendering thousands homeless in the name of development<\/h2>\n
Morocco\u2019s blue city of Chefchaouen is more than just an Instagram aesthetic<\/h2>\n
Why is Karachi dug up \u2014 DHA\u2019s drainage dilemma<\/h2>\n
Lessons from Indonesia: Key takeaways for Pakistan for reducing military interventionism<\/h2>\n
The resurrection of the TTP<\/h2>\n
Why the French are up in arms against the police<\/h2>\n
From pharaohs to prime ministers: Now you see them, now you don\u2019t<\/h2>\n
Hybrid 2.0: How did P\u0336r\u0336o\u0336j\u0336e\u0336c\u0336t\u0336 PM Shehbaz fare?<\/h2>\n
Jaranwala residents had little to begin with \u2014 the violent mob took away their hope too<\/h2>\n
Lost and found in Skardu \u2014 where mountains meet the soul<\/h2>\n
Justice under siege: The year of Umar Ata Bandial<\/h2>\n
The language of genocide: How Israel dehumanises Palestinians<\/h2>\n
Afghan refugees are leaving \u2014 and Pakistanis are enjoying the spoils they leave behind<\/h2>\n
From Balochistan to Islamabad: Why I have been marching since I was 12<\/h2>\n