Nasim Zehra is a prominent Pakistani journalist, television anchor, and author, known for her expertise in national security and foreign affairs. She pursued her education in business at Quaid-i-Azam University and later studied diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Zehra has had a diverse career, starting as a development practitioner with the Canadian International

Maleeha Lodhi has served as Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, the first woman to represent Pakistan at the UN. She twice served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US (1993-1996, 1999-2002) and as High Commissioner to Britain (2003-2008). She also served as a member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Affairs

Akhtar Usman is a renowned poet and critic who writes in English, Persian, Urdu, Potohari, Punjabi, and Hindi. He is revered for his compilations of Urdu poetry, especially Ghazals, Nazms, and Marsiyas. He has been honoured with several awards, including the ‘Ahmad Faraz Lifetime Achievement Award’ and the ‘Khalid Ahmad Award’ for his book ‘Chiraagh Zaar’. Currently, he is working

Zahid Hussain is an award-winning journalist and author. A former correspondent for The Times of London and The Wall Street Journal, he has also covered Pakistan and Afghanistan for several other international publications, including the Associated Press, Newsweek, The Economist, and India Today. He is a regular columnist for Dawn. He has published numerous research papers for various international think tanks on subjects related to regional conflicts,

Shakeel Jazib is a renowned Urdu poet and the author of three poetry collections. He began his poetic journey in the 1990s and soon established his identity in literary circles. He was born in the Chiniot district of Punjab. He obtained an MA degree in Urdu Literature from Punjab University. After passing the competitive examination for employment, he joined the

Munizae Jahangir is an award-winning TV journalist and documentary filmmaker, currently working at Pakistan’s leading media house, Aaj TV, where she anchors a prime-time current affairs show called ‘Spotlight’. Jahangir has been anchoring TV shows and reporting for prominent news media outlets in Pakistan for the last decade, including Express, Dawn, and Geo Network. She also writes for the Dawn

Ilona Yusuf is a part-time poet, editor, designer, and printmaker. Her poetry was first published in book form in 2001 with ‘Picture This’ by Alhamra Publishing. Since then, her work has appeared in various local and international literary journals, both online and in print, including The Atlanta Review, The Chicago Quarterly Review, Papercuts, The Aleph Review, Sugar Mule, and The

Iftikhar Arif is a prominent Urdu poet, scholar, and literary personality. Several collections of his poetry have been published, including the English rendition Written in the Season of Fear (OUP, 2003). He has served as the head of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, the National Language Authority, and the National Book Foundation. Additionally, he was President of the ECO Cultural

Asghar Nadeem Syed is a renowned playwright, poet, novelist, and teacher of film and theatre. He completed his master’s degree in Urdu from the University of Punjab, Lahore, and earned his PhD from Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan. Syed has made significant contributions to Pakistani television, with popular dramas such as ‘Chand Grehan,’ ‘Nijaat,’ ‘Ghulam Gardish,’ and ‘Piyaas.’ He is the author