‘French perfume and a cellphone’: Eid in the digital age for Pakistan’s Pashtun youth

Anabia Yusufzai and her cousins inspect Barkha items for their uncle’s fiancée in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, May 7, 2021. (AN photo)
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Updated 13 May 2021
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‘French perfume and a cellphone’: Eid in the digital age for Pakistan’s Pashtun youth

  • The elaborate tradition of Eid gift giving has decreased in practice in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but continues in most rural parts of the province
  • Taking Barkha to the girl’s family is an occasion in itself, with women and children dressing up and making a grand entry with singers and dancers

PESHAWAR: In Pakistan’s conservative Pashtun societies, where arranged marriages and engagements are the norm, commitments of love involve elaborate family traditions that come alive for Eid — though the tides are ever so slightly changing.
A few days before Eid Al-Fitr, doting groups of women family members from the newly engaged boy’s side traditionally decorate baskets and fill them with gifts for the to-be bride and her family. The tradition is carried out in some form or the other across Pakistan, though in more urban towns, it carries far less of its traditional flavor. 
“Barkha is a beautiful tradition practiced in most Pashtun inhabited areas but is especially kept alive by the Yousafzai tribe in Swabi, Mardan, Buner, and Swat districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Meraj Humayun Khanm a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-based educationist, social worker and politician, told Arab News.




A little girl looks at artificial jewelry at an Eid stall in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, May 6, 2021. (AN photo)

“Women, usually sisters, cousins, and aunties of the engaged boy carry three new unstitched suits — one for each day of Eid — shoes, cosmetics, henna, four to six sets of bangles and jewelry in one traditional basket called shkare,” Humayun said. 
The baskets include a day’s meal for the family, including country chicken cooked in cow ghee and bread, as well as a variety of homemade confections. 
But even in these deeply conservative towns, where segregation between betrothed couples is common until they marry, things are changing in the age of digital love.
“I am sending her a French perfume and a cellphone, hoping her parents will allow her to get in touch with me,” Naqeeb Khan, a real estate dealer in Peshawar, told Arab News.
Khan is engaged to a girl from his ancestral village in Mardan who he has never seen.
“My younger sister has promised to get me her photos when they take Barkha on Eid day,” he said.
In southern, more “modern” districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the tradition of Barkha has decreased in practice but it is still very much alive in most rural parts of the province as well as in the tribal districts.




Girls try bangles for their brother’s fiancée at an Eid stall in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, May 6, 2021. (AN photo)

Anwar Zeb was engaged at the end of last year in his native Buner. 
“I prefer letting my fiancée choose her own stuff so I send over money to let her do her own shopping,” Zeb told Arab News.
“My mother is 60 years old and even now, every year my uncles send over her Barkha consisting of the new suits and traditional edibles,” he said.

Another key role of the boy’s family after an engagement — especially the aunties — used to be finding coy ways of somehow connecting the newly engaged couple.
“The aunts would try various rudimentary techniques, making it possible for the two to occasionally meet and understand each other before their wedding,” Pashto history professor Noorul Amin told Arab News.
But modern technology has relieved the aunties of that hectic job, as most couples now use their mobile phones and the Internet to get to know each other before they marry.
The parents too, are changing their minds.
“Allowing a monitored connection between the children is not an issue in my sight,” Naqeeb Khan’s to be mother-in-law told Arab News through an intermediary.
“I think it will help them in understanding each other better and increase their chances of living a happier life ahead,” she said.

Taking Barkha to the girl’s family is an occasion in itself. Women and children dress up in their finest clothes, making a grand entry with singers and dancers.
Traditionally, the women play music with a dhol or drum. They sing songs on the way and inside the girl’s house, sit and chat with the bride, apply henna to her hands, show off her gifts, and have a meal together.

But as with all things, time has changed much. 
Anabia Yusufzai from the village of Katlang in Mardan was in a hurry as she downloaded songs onto a flash drive and collected a bluetooth device on her way out, as she left for the home of her uncle’s fiancée with the to-be bride’s Barkha.
“I don’t like the idea of carrying around drums and singing women,” she said. “It’s a lot easier just using a gadget.”


Pakistan extends deadline for Hajj applications under government scheme by one day

Updated 16 August 2025
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Pakistan extends deadline for Hajj applications under government scheme by one day

  • More than 110,000 Hajj applications received in 12 days, with only 7,000 seats remaining
  • Online portal closed at midnight on Aug. 16, but banks will accept applications on Monday

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Saturday it has extended the deadline for receiving Hajj applications under the government scheme by one day, with designated banks set to accept forms on Monday, as authorities reported receiving more than 110,000 applications over the past 12 days.

The country has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, of which 129,210 seats have been allocated to the government scheme and the rest to private tour operators.

The religious affairs ministry said earlier the State Bank of Pakistan had accepted its request and ordered 14 designated banks to keep branches open for Hajj applications on the final day, which fell on Saturday, though the deadline was later extended in the evening.

“The receipt of Hajj applications has been extended by one day,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

“Designated banks will continue receiving applications on Monday, Aug. 18," it added. "More than 110,000 applications have been received in the last 12 days, with only 7,000 seats left under the government scheme.”

The ministry said the extension was on a “first-come, first-served basis” and that applications would close as soon as the quota was filled.

It clarified that no extension would be granted for the ministry’s online portal, which would stop accepting applications at midnight on Aug. 16.

Pakistan began receiving applications on Aug. 4. Applicants were advised to obtain computerized receipts and verify their details through the ministry’s portal or the Pak Hajj 2026 app.

Under the government scheme, pilgrims can choose between a long package (38-42 days) and a short package (20-25 days), with costs ranging between Rs1,150,000 and Rs1,250,000 ($4,050–4,236).

Applicants are required to deposit a first installment of Rs500,000 or Rs550,000 depending on the package, while the remaining dues will be collected in November.

Saudi Arabia had approved the same quota for Pakistan in 2025, though private tour operators last year struggled to utilize their share, saying they faced technical and financial delays, even as the government filled its quota of over 88,000 pilgrims.


Pakistan army says not interested in mass evacuations for Balochistan operations

Updated 16 August 2025
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Pakistan army says not interested in mass evacuations for Balochistan operations

  • ISPR chief stresses focus on intelligence-based operations and cooperation with local communities
  • Army spokesman says Balochistan will always remain part of Pakistan amid separatist insurgency

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army is not interested in evacuating entire areas in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan to launch operations against militants, the top military spokesman said Saturday, insisting the region will always remain part of the country.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but most impoverished province, has been the site of a long-running insurgency that has intensified in recent months, with separatist militants attacking security forces, government functionaries and non-local residents.

Intelligence-based operations have been launched in response, though outfits such as the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade faction have carried out increasingly coordinated strikes, including a passenger train hostage-taking earlier this year and an attack on a school bus that killed and injured several children.

“We are not interested in evacuating an entire area, sending in troops, clearing all the localities and then declaring that peace has been restored because you cannot station the army permanently,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said while addressing students in a military internship program in Rawalpindi.

The ISPR shared portions of his remarks in a video released on its Facebook page.

“Once the army leaves, the terrorists would return,” he added. “That is why we need to work in a very intelligent manner. We need to work with the population, with the local administration, and we need to identify the terrorists, their sympathizers and their facilitators. That is what we are doing.”

Chaudhry emphasized that the military has no interest in falsely accusing or targeting innocent civilians.

“However, if someone facilitates terrorism, if someone keeps explosives in their house or gives shelter to terrorists, then they will have to face the consequences,” he continued.

The military spokesperson also underlined that Balochistan would “always remain part of Pakistan,” noting the province’s ethnic and demographic diversity and its connections with other parts of the country.

The comments came as violence in the mineral-rich province has intensified in recent months.

Earlier this week, the United States designated the BLA and the Majeed Brigade as “foreign terrorist organizations.”

Separatist groups accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan’s resources to fund development elsewhere, while the federal government denies the charge, saying it is working to uplift local communities.


Pakistan’s disaster agency restricts mountain tourism as 332 killed in northern floods in two days

Updated 46 min 17 sec ago
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Pakistan’s disaster agency restricts mountain tourism as 332 killed in northern floods in two days

  • The nationwide monsoon death toll has reached 645 after accounting for the latest surge in casualties
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has declared an emergency in nine flood-hit districts until August 31

DIR, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Saturday issued an advisory to limit tourism in mountainous areas after the death toll from torrential rains and floods in Pakistan’s northern regions in the last 48 hours increased to 332, according to an official statement.

The NDMA's latest situation report put the cumulative death toll since the beginning of the monsoon season from June 26 to August 16 at 645, with the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province being the worst hit with 383 casualties, followed by Punjab with 164.

In the last 48 hours, raging hill torrents swept away dozens of people in KP’s Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla and Battagram districts, with the NDMA recording 312 deaths in the region. Other areas such as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir suffered nine and 11 deaths, respectively.

Rescuers, backed by boats and helicopters, worked for hours in KP and other areas to save stranded residents and tourists as ambulances transported bodies to hospitals.

“On the Prime Minister’s directive, the National Disaster Management Authority has issued an advisory to limit tourism in mountainous areas due to the intensity of the monsoon,” the NDMA said in a statement.

“Public movement should be restricted in high-risk areas during monsoon spells,” it continued. “If necessary, tourist restrictions may be imposed under Section 144, with law enforcement agencies in tourist areas ensuring compliance with these restrictions.”

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) empowers local authorities to prohibit gatherings of four or more people and impose restrictions on movement or activities in a specific area to prevent unrest or ensure public safety.

The NDMA also urged the public to avoid traveling to affected areas.

Separately, the KP administration declared an emergency in districts affected by rains and flash floods.

“A notification has been issued stating that the emergency will remain in effect from August 15 to August 31, 2025, in the vulnerable districts,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said in a statement.

“The emergency will be enforced in the districts of Swat, Buner, Bajaur, Torghar, Mansehra, Shangla, Lower Dir, Upper Dir and Battagram, which have been affected by rains and flooding,” it added.

The Pakistani authorities have said the current spell of heavy rains in the region is likely to continue intermittently till August 21, with the KP PDMA issuing directives to intensify relief activities in all the affected districts and provide immediate relief to those affected.

The NDMA also said on Saturday that its team has reached Peshawar to supervise relief work.

Deputy PM Ishaq Dar expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of life and property caused by the cloudbursts and flash floods in KP and other parts of Pakistan.

“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones, to those who are injured, and many whose homes and livelihoods have been swept away,” he said on X. “The Government of Pakistan is mobilizing all available resources to provide relief and conduct rescue operations.”

The deluges have evoked memories of 2022 when catastrophic monsoon rains and glacial melt submerged a third of the country, killing more than 1,700 people and causing over $30 billion in damages.

Pakistan, which contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

Scientists say rising temperatures are making South Asia’s monsoon rains more erratic and intense, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions like KP and Gilgit-Baltistan, where at least 20 people have died in similar incidents and several are missing.

A study released this week by World Weather Attribution, a network of international scientists, found rainfall in Pakistan from June 24 to July 23 was 10 percent to 15 percent heavier because of global warming.


Body of Chinese climber killed during K2 summit descent retrieved by rescue team

Updated 16 August 2025
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Body of Chinese climber killed during K2 summit descent retrieved by rescue team

  • Guan Jing was hit by falling rocks while descending the mountain after a successful summit
  • Her body has been flown to Skardu and will be sent to Islamabad after official coordination

GILGIT, Pakistan: A rescue team from Pakistan and Nepal has retrieved the body of a Chinese climber who was killed on K2, the world’s second-highest peak in northern Pakistan, a regional government spokesman said Saturday.

Faizullah Faraq, spokesman for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, said the body of Guan Jing was airlifted by an army helicopter from K2’s base camp after a team of mountaineers brought it down.

Jing died Tuesday after being struck by falling rocks during her descent, a day after she had reached the summit with a group of fellow climbers.

Faraq said her body was taken to a hospital in Skardu city and would be sent to Islamabad after coordination with her family and Chinese officials.

Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Pakistan Alpine Club, said the body was retrieved after days-long efforts, during which one of the rescuers was injured and airlifted by a helicopter.

K2, which rises 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) above sea level, is considered one of the world’s most difficult and dangerous peaks to climb.

Jing’s death comes more than two weeks after German mountaineer and Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier died while attempting another peak in the region.


Prominent religio-political leader’s children killed, wife injured in northwestern Pakistan home shooting

Updated 16 August 2025
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Prominent religio-political leader’s children killed, wife injured in northwestern Pakistan home shooting

  • Mufti Kifayatullah of JUI-F sustained serious injuries after his son opened fire on the family and fled
  • The motive behind the incident remains unclear, though it may have stemmed from a domestic dispute

PESHAWAR: A shooting at the residence of a prominent religio-political party leader, Mufti Kifayatullah, in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province left his son and daughter dead and his wife critically wounded on Saturday, while he himself sustained serious injuries, according to an official statement.

A former provincial lawmaker from Malakand division and district chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party, Kifayatullah was attacked inside his residence in Batkhela, Levies officials said in a statement.

“A shooting incident took place at the house of Mufti Kifayatullah, district chief of JUI-F in Batkhela,” the statement said. “As a result of the firing, Kifayatullah was seriously injured, his daughter and son were killed, and his wife was also critically wounded.”

Authorities said the assailant was the JUI-F politician’s own son, who managed to escape after the attack.

The bodies and the injured were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital in Batkhela, where doctors later said Kifayatullah’s condition was out of danger.

The motive behind the shooting was not immediately clear, though the incident appeared to be linked to some domestic dispute.

The JUI-F, a major religio-political party with deep roots in northwestern Pakistan, has long exercised influence in the area.

However, it struggled in the 2024 general elections, with leaders blaming security threats for their inability to run a full campaign.