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Shizza Jasmin

Media communications strategist Dan Qayyum joined The Chatroom with Shizza to discuss Pakistan&#39;s international image, public diplomacy and the role of strategic communication in shaping global perceptions.&nbsp;During the conversation, Qayyum reflected on an article he wrote earlier this year that gained widespread attention online and sparked discussion about Pakistan&#39;s identity and place in the world.&nbsp;The discussion also explored broader themes including nation branding, geopolitical narratives, Pakistan&#39;s role in regional diplomacy, and the country&#39;s efforts to project its image internationally.&nbsp;Asked about the prospects for future diplomatic engagement in the region, Qayyum said he believed further talks were likely and argued that Islamabad remained well-positioned to facilitate dialogue.&nbsp;He also cautioned against potential regional disruptions, saying, &quot;We need to be careful of Israel playing spoil sport.&quot;&nbsp;The episode further examines the West&#39;s relationship with the Taliban, Iran&#39;s post-war challenges, regional diplomacy, and the opportunities and limitations of Pakistan&#39;s global branding strategy.&nbsp;Watch the full episode of The Chatroom with Shizza to hear the complete discussion.

Chatroom with Shizza

Media strategist Dan Qayyum joins The Chatroom with Shizza to discuss Pakistan's global image, nation branding, public diplomacy and regional geopolitics, offering insights into strategic communications, international narratives and the country's evolving role in world affairs.

The Chatroom: Dan Qayyum on diplomacy, branding and geopolitics

Renowned vloggers&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Luke Damant</a>,&nbsp;associated with&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Globie.io</a>,&nbsp;and Don Rob joined Chatroom with Shizza for a conversation about Pakistan&#39;s food, people and hospitality.&nbsp;<a href="https://globie.io/products/esim-pakistan" style="color:#0073e6;">Luke</a>&nbsp;explained what &#39;Burger&#39; means in Pakistani culture, showed off his Urdu skills, and reacted to a surprise cheese paratha. His verdict on Pakistan versus India on hospitality was direct and unfiltered.&nbsp;

Renowned vloggers Luke Damant, associated with Globie.io, and Don Rob joined Chatroom with Shizza for a conversation about Pakistan's food, people and hospitality

'Cheese paratha guy' Luke Damant and Don Rob on Pakistan's food, people, and hospitality

Asfandyar Yahya

Ever notice how you naturally sit with your back against a wall? Or why that window seat always feels better than the middle of the room? There&#39;s a psychological theory that explains all of it and once you hear it, you&#39;ll start noticing it everywhere.

Tell Me Why

There's a psychological theory that explains all of it and once you hear it, you'll start noticing it everywhere.

Tell me why you prefer sitting against a wall

<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow-wrap: break-word; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; transition: none !important; animation: auto ease 0s 1 normal none running none !important;' id="isPasted">Why has the number of left-handed people stayed almost exactly the same for thousands of years?<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow-wrap: break-word; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; transition: none !important; animation: auto ease 0s 1 normal none running none !important;'> <p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; text-overflow: ellipsis; overflow-wrap: break-word; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; transition: none !important; animation: auto ease 0s 1 normal none running none !important;'>In this episode of Tell Me Why we explore the strange science and history behind the world&rsquo;s rarest dominant hand.

Why has the number of left-handed people stayed almost exactly the same for thousands of years?

Tell Me Why Left-Handers Are So Rare

Eid ul-Adha goes back 4,000 years to Prophet Ibrahim&#39;s test of devotion.&nbsp; Today in Pakistan alone, over six million animals are sacrificed across three days, with 1.8 billion dollars changing hands and one-third of all meat distributed directly to those who cannot afford it.

Today in Pakistan alone, over six million animals are sacrificed across three days, with 1.8 billion dollars changing hands and one-third of all meat distributed directly to those who cannot afford it.



Tell Me Why: We celebrate Eid al-Adha

In this episode of Tell Me Why, we uncover the shocking story behind that metal bar on the back of every truck around the world.&nbsp; How a deadly 1967 crash killed Hollywood actress Jayne Mansfield, created a safety device that now bears her name, and left behind a three-year-old survivor who grew up to become a Hollywood star herself.

Tell me why trucks have these bars

Ayesha Mir

In this episode of Dossier with Ayesha, we trace how Nixon&#39;s 1972 handshake with Mao Zedong ended 25 years of isolation and set off a chain reaction that has never really stopped, through decades of deepening trade, a bruising tariff war, COVID, a spy balloon, and now Trump and Xi in Beijing.&nbsp; The Strait of Hormuz is closed, Xi is warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, and both leaders have agreed that the strait must remain open.

Dossier with Ayesha

The Strait of Hormuz is closed, Xi is warning that mishandling Taiwan could lead to conflict, and both leaders have agreed that the strait must remain open.

From Nixon to Trump: Why US-China is the most consequential relationship

ISLAMABAD: JD Vance is en route to Islamabad to lead high-stakes peace talks with Iran, a rare diplomatic role for a US vice president that could shape the outcome of negotiations and signal renewed US engagement in the region.

JD Vance is en route to Islamabad to lead high-stakes peace talks with Iran, a rare diplomatic role for a US vice president that could shape the outcome of negotiations and signal renewed US engagement in the region.

Anti-war JD Vance leads Iran peace talks in Islamabad

We break down what&rsquo;s actually changing from NATO and the United Nations to China&rsquo;s rising influence and the choices facing middle powers and ask a bigger question: Are we witnessing the end of the old-world order, or the beginning of something new?&nbsp;The world feels more unpredictable than it has in decades. Alliances are being questioned, new power centers are emerging, and the rules that once shaped global politics no longer hold as they once did.

The video explains changes in NATO and the United Nations, explores choices facing middle powers, and asks whether the old world order is ending or a new one is beginning.

Dossier | Is the world order changing?

When the US military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, it left behind more than just a broken nation &mdash; it left behind an arsenal. Now, those same US-supplied weapons are showing up in the hands of terrorist groups attacking Pakistan.&nbsp; Find out how Pakistan has fallen victim to a war it didn&rsquo;t start in today&rsquo;s Dossier with Ayesha.

When the US military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, it left behind more than just a broken nation — it left behind an arsenal. Now, those same US-supplied weapons are showing up in the hands of terrorist groups attacking Pakistan. 

Terrorists using US weapons to target Pakistan

Aleena Zara Malik

The internet has a lot to say about who lives in Pakistan, most of it wildly inaccurate.&nbsp; From the idea that non-Muslims can&#39;t even step foot in the country to the belief that Pakistan is one giant monolith, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest myths about religious minorities on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

Debunkistan

From the idea that non-Muslims can't even step foot in the country to the belief that Pakistan is one giant monolith, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest myths about religious minorities on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

Do non-Muslims live in Pakistan?

People have a lot of questions about Eid, and Google definitely has answers. This episode of Debunkistan takes on the most searched queries from non-Muslims and breaks them down with humour, context, and a much-needed reality check.

This episode of Debunkistan takes on the most searched queries from non-Muslims and breaks them down with humour, context, and a much-needed reality check.

Most searched questions about Eid | Debunkistan

The internet has a lot to say about Ramadan, most of it wildly inaccurate. From the idea that Muslims don&rsquo;t eat for an entire month to the belief that everyone spends the day fainting dramatically on sofas, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest Ramadan myths on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

From the idea that Muslims don’t eat for an entire month to the belief that everyone spends the day fainting dramatically on sofas, this episode of Debunkistan puts the biggest Ramadan myths on trial with satire, sarcasm, and a little reality check.

Things the internet gets wrong about Ramadan | Debunkistan

<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted">That pink salt in your kitchen has a story, and most people get the geography wrong.<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'> This episode of Debunkistan traces the real origin of the world&rsquo;s most famous pink salt, why it&rsquo;s often mislabeled, and how history shaped the confusion.<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>

The Pink Salt Myth | Debunkistan

Ibrahim Babakhel

The Islamabad Club hosts its annual T20 cricket tournament during the peak summer months, bringing together members, families, and sports enthusiasts for a recreational activity.&nbsp; The 5-team tournament&rsquo;s final, held on Sunday, ended with Islamabad Bulls defeating Islamabad Thunders. Pakistan TV Digital&#39;s Ibrahim Babakhel reports on the gentleman&#39;s game.

Shorts

The Islamabad Club hosts its annual T20 cricket tournament during the peak summer months, bringing together members, families, and sports enthusiasts for a recreational activity. 

Islamabad Club T20 final: Families and friends come together for a thrilling Sunday

Faraz Saeed

The first impression of Somon Palace in Dushanbe does not come from the building itself, but from what surrounds it. Approaching the presidential complex in the heart of Tajikistan&rsquo;s capital, the architecture is initially hidden behind expansive greenery. Tall trees line the approach, forming a shaded corridor that feels unexpectedly calm for a site of national importance. Beneath them, carefully maintained lawns stretch outward in wide, uninterrupted sheets of green. The landscape is not accidental; it is curated, controlled, and designed to soften the transition into one of the country&rsquo;s most secure and symbolic spaces. Walking through this natural corridor, the palace remains out of view. Instead, the experience builds gradually: rustling leaves, open space, and the sense of entering a reserved state environment rather than a public landmark. And then, it appears. Emerging from behind the trees and lawns, Somon Palace reveals itself as a circular, monumental structure, symmetrical, polished, and unmistakably ceremonial in design. The shift is abrupt yet intentional: from organic greenery to architectural precision, from openness to authority. Somon Palace, also known as the Palace of the Samanids, is located in central Dushanbe and forms part of the presidential reserve. It is one of the most important government buildings in Tajikistan, serving as a venue for presidential inaugurations, international summits, high-level diplomatic meetings, and official state ceremonies such as Navruz celebrations. It is also closely associated with the working and ceremonial functions of the President of Tajikistan. The entrance continues this transition in design language. A grand circular form leads visitors inward, acting less like a doorway and more like a threshold into a controlled institutional environment. From the moment you pass through it, the atmosphere changes, becoming quieter, more formal, and carefully structured. Inside, the architecture is dominated by scale and symmetry. A vast central staircase rises through the building like a ceremonial axis, designed not only for movement but for protocol and official processions. It anchors the interior visually and symbolically, reinforcing the building&rsquo;s role as a state venue. Somon Palace spans approximately 22,000 square meters across five floors and contains multiple halls designed for diplomatic and governmental functions. These include a banquet hall for official receptions, a congress hall for international meetings, negotiation rooms for closed-door discussions, and a contract signing room where formal agreements are concluded between states. Each space is shaped by purpose, balancing openness for ceremony with control for diplomacy. Outside, the grounds extend the same architectural philosophy. Manicured lawns surround the palace, broken by carefully arranged trees and ornamental plantings. Some vegetation appears to be imported species, integrated into the landscape design to enhance the sense of formality and global representation. The gardens are not merely decorative &mdash; they function as part of the palace&rsquo;s visual identity, reinforcing order and prestige. Somon Palace has hosted major national and international events, including the 2008 Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and sessions of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It remains a central site for presidential inaugurations and high-level diplomatic receptions, making it one of the most politically significant buildings in Tajikistan. The experience of moving through the Somon Palace is defined by a sequence of trees, lawns, a circular entrance, a monumental interior, and ceremonial halls. Each layer transitions into the next with intention. Somon Palace is not experienced as a single structure, but as a journey from nature into state architecture, from openness into authority, and from public space into the formal world of governance.

 The palace, also known as the Palace of the Samanids, is located in central Dushanbe and forms part of the presidential reserve.

Walking thorugh Dushanbe's Somon Palace and presidential grounds

Simran Siraj

As Eid al-Adha celebrations continue into the second day, Karachi&rsquo;s streets remain packed with blacksmiths, temporary market stalls and animal accessory vendors supporting Pakistan&rsquo;s multibillion-dollar seasonal cattle economy.&nbsp;From sacrificial knives to decorative items, neighborhoods across the city continue buzzing with Eid activity.

As Eid al-Adha celebrations continue into the second day, Karachi’s streets remain packed with blacksmiths, temporary market stalls and animal accessory vendors supporting Pakistan’s multibillion-dollar seasonal cattle economy.

Karachi’s Eid markets surge as Pakistan’s seasonal economy expands nationwide

Muhammad Usman Amin

As Eid al-Adha celebrations continue across Pakistan, markets are overflowing with sacrificial knives, cleavers, skewers, grills and charcoal.&nbsp;In northwestern city of Peshawar, the historic Reti Bazaar has emerged as a major hub for Eid tools and barbecue supplies, with some wholesalers selling up to two tons of skewers daily to meet nationwide demand during one of Pakistan&rsquo;s busiest seasonal economies.

As Eid al-Adha celebrations continue across Pakistan, markets are overflowing with sacrificial knives, cleavers, skewers, grills and charcoal.


Peshawar market powers Pakistan’s Eid al-Adha barbecue and butchering trade

Angelina Duaa Hashir

The idea that women can &ldquo;have it all&rdquo; has shaped a generation&mdash;encouraging women to pursue education, careers, and family life at the same time.&nbsp;Yet while women&#39;s participation in the workforce has grown, the structure of work has changed far more slowly.&nbsp; This episode of Unladylike explores how career paths still assume uninterrupted availability, why caregiving often comes at a professional cost, and what women are actually asking for when they talk about workplace equality.&nbsp; It looks at the gap between opportunity on paper and reality in practice&mdash;and why progress for women depends not just on access to work but on changing how work itself is structured.

Unladylike

The idea that women can “have it all” has shaped a generation—encouraging women to pursue education, careers, and family life at the same time. Yet while women's participation in the workforce has grown, the structure of work has changed far more slowly. 

The 'having it all' myth | Unladylike

The phrase &ldquo;biological clock&rdquo; is often treated as a medical fact. In reality, it entered popular culture through a 1978 newspaper article during a period of major social change, as <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-formally-allows-women-to-ride-motorcycles" style="color:#0073e6;">women</a> began entering universities and workplaces in greater numbers. This episode examines what science actually says about fertility: age-related decline exists, but it varies widely between individuals and is difficult to measure precisely due to ethical and methodological limits in research. Much of the evidence comes from observational and clinical cohorts rather than broad representative populations. At the same time, global data shows the age of first-time <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/urdu-adaptation-of-the-mother-confronts-motherhood-loneliness-empty-nests" style="color:#0073e6;">motherhood</a> rising across many countries, with more women choosing delayed parenthood or remaining child-free. The episode separates biology from cultural messaging &mdash; and shows how one became simplified into a single ticking deadline.

The 'biological clock' is a cultural idea, not a fixed medical deadline; fertility decline varies widely, evidence is limited, and delayed or child-free motherhood is increasingly common worldwide.

The biological clock myth | Unladylike

Why do women pay more for the same everyday products? In this episode of Unladylike, we unpack the economics and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-safety-trap-unladylike" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">social pressures</a>&nbsp;behind the pink tax &mdash; the gender-based price disparity that quietly adds up over a lifetime. From razors and deodorants to haircuts and toys, research across the US, UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, and India shows that products marketed to women consistently cost more than identical alternatives for men. Even when taxes are removed, the price gap remains. This isn&rsquo;t about color or preference. It&rsquo;s about pressure. Companies don&rsquo;t price based on pink packaging, they price based on how necessary a product feels. For women, that &ldquo;need&rdquo; is shaped by expectations around appearance, professionalism, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/witches-the-originally-canceled" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">respectability</a>. When women buy into it, it&rsquo;s framed as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pretty-little-tradwives" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">choice</a>. When they don&rsquo;t, it&rsquo;s judged as careless, unprofessional, or &ldquo;letting yourself go.&rdquo; Unladylike: The Pink Tax exposes how self-care became a gender surcharge &mdash; and why choice, in a market built on social pressure, is never fully free.

In this episode of Unladylike, we unpack the economics and social pressures behind the pink tax — the gender-based price disparity that quietly adds up over a lifetime.

The Pink Tax: Unladylike 

The episode also explores why so many women dream of leaving restrictive environments &mdash; not only for education or income, but for autonomy, mobility, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pretty-little-tradwives" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">dignity</a>&nbsp;&mdash; and highlights what actually makes women safer: functional systems, safe public transport, responsive policing, real consequences, and long-term cultural change. Across societies, women are taught that safety comes with conditions: curfews, dress codes, restricted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/the-fairest-of-them-all" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">mobility,</a>&nbsp;constant vigilance. After every high-profile assault, the response is familiar &mdash; limit women&rsquo;s movement, not expand accountability.&nbsp;In the Safety Trap, Unladylike examines what the data actually shows. Global and South Asian research confirms that restricting women does not reduce violence. Instead, it reduces reporting, limits opportunity, and shifts responsibility away from institutions and onto women&rsquo;s bodies.&nbsp;Drawing on evidence from the World Health Organization, UN Women, the World Bank, and regional studies from South Asia, this episode dismantles the myth that control equals protection. It shows why most violence comes from people women already know &mdash; and why curfews and confinement fail to address the real risk.&nbsp;Unladylike &mdash; The Safety Trap asks a simple question:&nbsp;If women have followed the rules and violence hasn&rsquo;t stopped, who were those rules really protecting?

The episode reveals that restricting women doesn’t prevent violence; true safety requires systemic change, accountability, and cultural shifts, not curfews or confinement, which shift responsibility from institutions to women.

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