ASIAN Journal of International Peace & Security (AJIPS)

A Climate of Silence: Structural Barriers to Climate Change Reporting in Pakistani Media

2026-06-30T17:50:52+00:00

Climate change reporting in Pakistan faces multiple structural, institutional, and functional constraints that limit thematic and solution-oriented coverage. This qualitative study examines the factors that shape climate change narratives in Pakistani media. To understand the underreporting of climate change events and the limited use of solution-based frames, this study applies agenda-setting, framing, and political economy theories. To examine structural and institutional barriers to climate reporting, data were collected through in-depth interviews with twelve journalists, editors, and media gatekeepers from leading media outlets, including Geo News, ARY News, Express News, and SAMA TV. Using thematic analysis, the results identify seven key themes: media organizational structure, political economy influence, financial constraints, contributory negligence, information barriers, media agenda policies, and operational issues. The findings further reveal that climate coverage is largely eventbased, with climate issues receiving attention mainly during disasters such as floods and smog. The study finds that climate journalism in Pakistan is constrained by editorial agendas, financial limitations, and weak institutional support. To address these issues, the study recommends investing in journalist training, strengthening editorial independence, improving regulatory enforcement, and ensuring greater transparency from government agencies and NGOs.

The Intersection of Culture and Radicalism: Analyzing Disaffection, Norms, and Resistance

2026-06-30T18:02:27+00:00

Radicalization in Pakistan has frequently taken center stage in national discussions and has raised serious concerns for the government and society. The goal of this study is to investigate the cultural elements that contribute to radicalization in Pakistan. This study employs a qualitative research design and both descriptive and analytical method for a contextual interpretation of cultural phenomena. Data collection relies on a dualtriangulation strategy incorporating both primary and secondary sources. A purposive sampling technique was applied to conduct interviews from the targeted population of academicians, researchers and policy analysts. Thematic analysis technique was used to scrutinize the data. The central thesis of the research is that intricate processes of cultural transformation are taking place in Pakistan and that the country’s culture is evolving. The processes of cultural transformation, political culture, folk culture, national and local cultures, and monoculture are analyzed in the paper. It is argued that one of the causes of radicalization has been Pakistan’s cultural realities. The main cultural factors of radicalization in Pakistan are the highly skewed educational system, the deeply divided and sectarian religious culture, and the wildly unequal economic culture.

Informed Motherhood: Young Mothers’ Experiences in Child Health Care in Rural Rawalpindi, Pakistan

2026-07-05T11:23:32+00:00

Child health care is widely seen as primarily the mothers' responsibility, and the quality-of-care children receive depends on mothers’ knowledge, resources, and experience. Despite extensive global research on maternal and child health, few studies explore the daily lives of young mothers in rural Pakistan, especially the barriers they face in accessing child healthcare services. This study focuses on young mothers in Sihala village, Rawalpindi District, examining their knowledge, practices, and obstacles in managing child health. A qualitative approach was used, selecting eight young mothers with at least one child between one and three years old through purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted and analyzed thematically to find common patterns in maternal experiences. The results show several challenges affecting child healthcare, including limited access to healthcare facilities, financial constraints, transportation issues, reliance on traditional remedies, and difficulties in meeting children’s developmental needs, such as sleep, nutrition, and early learning. The study emphasizes the need for better communitybased maternal education, accessible healthcare services, and stronger support systems for young mothers. Improving maternal knowledge and healthcare infrastructure can greatly improve child health outcomes in rural Pakistan.

Institutional Gaps and Constitutional Paradox: The Politics of Empowerment in Gilgit-Baltistan within the Legislative Framework

2026-07-05T11:34:45+00:00

This study critically examines the contradictions and paradoxes of political and legislative empowerment within Gilgit-Baltistan’s legislative framework through the lenses of democratic deficit, centre-periphery relations, and executive governance. Despite a series of significant high-profile governance reforms, including the landmark Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009 and the Government Order of 2018, questions persist regarding the extent of legislative authority exercised by the GB assembly. This study analyses how structural ambiguities within GB's governance frameworks create systemic barriers to local self-governance. Using a qualitative approach, the study draws on 20 semi-structured interviews conducted within a diverse cross-section of GB's political and civil society including politicians, bureaucrats, legal experts, academics and activists. These first-hand perspectives are contextualised through an analysis of historical governance orders, policy documents, and existing academic literature. The findings reveal a stark disconnect: while successive reforms have successfully built new institutions for local representation, the actual concentration of legislative, executive, administrative, and fiscal power remains firmly entrenched at the federal level, leaving the pre-reform status quo virtually unchanged.