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Climate scientists preferably use the term climate anomaly to explain any significant abnormal change of surface air temperature or precipitation in the weather pattern of any region. As a result, abnormal heat waves and extremely hot weather, severe winter snowfall and blizzards, long droughts, heavy rainfall, and extraordinary floods occur. Such anomalies were more often observed in different regions of the world during the last three decades. The term climate change, led by global warming due to the rising amount of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, is generally considered the main cause. The ENSO phenomenon is also linked to the climate anomalies of the last three decades. In 2022 Europe, the USA, China, and Pakistan were affected by such climate anomalies. The Yangtze River region of China, the main rivers of European land, and the lakes and rivers of the dry land region of the USA experienced the worst long drought, creating an extreme shortage of water and electricity generation. On the other hand, Germany and southern China experienced the worst floods. Abnormally hot weather in the summer and extreme winter snowfall and blizzards severely affected people in Europe and the USA. In 2022, Pakistan was also severely affected by floods caused by abnormally heavy monsoon rainfall. Out of 170 districts, 38 were worst affected, causing the deaths of 1739 people, while houses and croplands of 33 million people were badly affected. Sindh was the most affected province, where heavy rainfall and poor drainage created catastrophic damage. Balochistan, southern Punjab, and districts of the Malakand region were severely affected by flash floods. The present study is based on the hypotheses that climatic anomalies (abnormal excessive rainfall and melting of snow) were the main causes of the flood disaster of 2022 in Pakistan. Failure of the National Disaster Management Authority is the secondary factor causing economic and human loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of Pakistan. It provides food grain to 207 million population and plays a key role in the manufacturing and export sector of the economy. The province of Punjab accounts for 50 percent population and 26 percent of the area located in the upper Indus River plain of Pakistan. It is the food basket and backbone of the agro-economy of Pakistan. Its share in the total cultivated area and cropped area of Pakistan are 55 percent and 72 percent respectively. About 82 percent of wheat, 67 percent rice, 69 percent cotton and 68 percent sugarcane of area under cultivation pertain to Punjab. Therefore issues of food security and declining agriculture growth in Pakistan largely depend upon the agriculture performance of Punjab. This paper evaluates the importance of Punjab in the crops production of country. Statistical techniques of the Crop Diversification Index (CDI) and the Crop Concentration Index(CCI) are used to compute cropping patterns and cropping regions in Punjab. The breakpoint method is used to delineate regions of major crops grown in Punjab. Weaver and Thomas's statistical models are used to quantify crops combination regions in the province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping this historical reality in mind, it is evident that the story of Islam involves peoples of many different races, ethnicities and cultures, many literatures and languages, with many histories, and a myriad of interpretations some of which may in conflict with each other. The Islamic Cultural Studies course is an invitation to explore a small slice of the rich and dazzling diversity that characterizes the worlds of Islam by examining the dynamic interaction between religious beliefs and practices and their political, economic, social, literary, and artistic contexts across time and space. Besides exposure to new content material, the course is also intended to equip you with the tools to analyze and think critically about what it means to study not only Islam, but any other religious tradition in its cultural contexts. In this broader sense, this course is about how to study religion in an academic context. The underlying premise of the course - knowledge is culturally constructed - is as applicable to the study of the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or Hindu traditions as it is to the study of Islam. To properly understand the role of religions in human societies, the course contends, we must go beyond descriptive summaries of beliefs and practices and look at them as a living and dynamic traditions that are constantly changing according to context and circumstance of their adherents. Ultimately, this article will help provide us with greater literacy about the study of religion in general and better awareness of the complexities involved in such study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sharing water resources within country and amongst transborder countries often create conflict because of increasing demand of fresh water for their domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors due to growing population and increasing economic activities. As a result, every country is interested to build more water storages like dams and barrages to safeguard their water requirements in the lean periods or to protect their areas during flood period. Therefore, a transboundary conflict amongst riparian countries on water sharing is obvious facts which are resolved either through bilateral dialogue or by involving international arbitrators. Similarly, a conflict of water sharing within a country has also been serious issue particularly during drought and lean period resulting political conflicts and obstacles in construction of dams and reservoirs. Pakistan is country of 207 million populations, the sixth of the most populated country of the world has been facing transboundary water sharing conflict with India while within a country inter provinces mistrust over water distribution has created reservation over the construction of new water storages. Pakistan has two agreements which provide legal framework for water distribution and management. Indus Water Treaty is an international agreement signed in 1960 between India and Pakistan and other is national agreement amongst the provinces called Indus water accord signed in 1991 by province. Despite several reservations and hostile territorial conflicts between India and Pakistan the Indus water treaty has been successfully functioning in managing water distribution of Indus River and its eastern tributaries originate from Indian occupied Kashmir. Similarly, Indus water accord 1991 provides a mechanism to resolve water sharing conflicts amongst provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Karachi region of Sindh Kohistan, flood plains of ephemeral rivers and hill torrents are potential areas of exploring earliest farming settlements in the region. Malir River valley is one the area where several Neolithic settlements were discovered. This paper provides an overview of past exploration and recent discoveries of flint implements and potteries in different sites of the Malir valley which confirms this view that earliest farming settlements not only flourish in the perennial river valleys of Pakistan but also in the rain fed areas and seasonal river valleys of Sindh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the growth of Neolithic farming settlements in different parts of Balochistan and Sindh, ultimately led to urbanization. The discoveries of Amri, Kot Diji and Tharro as fortified Pre-Harappan urban settlements provided evidences of development and progress of Indus civilization, which started from Mehargarh and ended up at Moen-jo-Daro. Keeping this view discoveries of Pre-Harappan and Harappan settlements in Karachi and its adjacent coastal districts of Thatta and Lasbela in Sindh and Balochistan have remained important field of interest for researchers to explore these settlements and excavate artefacts. The chipped stone assemblages and potteries excavated from the Pre-Harappan and Harappan settlements provide valuable information about their development in the coastal region of Sindh and Balochistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Yasin River Valley of Hindu Kush Mountains region of Pakistan, transhumance is an old practice in which herders seasonally move to predetermined places without vacating or abandoning their original home. Only a few members of the family move in seasonal settlements and come back to their villages within a specified time. In Yasin River Valley there is a village called Barkulti Bala. It is inhabited by the Shahbalis tribe. This tribe practices transhumance. Recently, a cultural change has begun in the village at a rapid pace. The age-old practice of transhumance is in disarray. It is time that this old practice be recorded before it completely disappears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The astounding and exceptional growth of generic pharmaceutical Industry in Pakistan has raised certain questions for drug regulatory authorities contemplating their efficacy and quality. The current study focuses on assessing the in-vitro antimicrobial activity of 24 brands of Cephradine 500mg capsules against 4 different strains by employing standardized methods. Disk diffusion method was performed on all brands to look into the susceptibility and resistance patterns. Standard disk of 5µg Cephradine powder were used during evaluation. The zones of inhibitions were ranged from 24-40mm against S. aureus, 24-40mm against E. coli, 20-25mm against K. pneumonia and 19-23mm P. mirabilis. On the basis of mean value, the multinational brands were found to have better zone of inhibitions and were better than local Pharmaceutical companies but ANOVA cooperative study showed that all brands of Cephradine showed similar comparable results. Further investigations by employing MIC method, quality of raw material with special emphasis on the shelf-life, excepients and method of manufacturing will be needed to obtain more authenticated results. The price of National and Multinational brands ranges from Rs.156.00-212.00 for 10 capsules. It is concluded that Public health is at risk because of noticeable growing widespread curse of the manufacture and trade of sub-standard or below par pharmaceuticals. The pecuniary accountability of management of pharmaceutical agents is additionally apparent. The results of the study need to be made public to boost the confidence of medical profession about the quality of locally manufactured pharmaceuticals. It will succor the foreign exchange being incurred on the trade in of medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]