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The buoyant shift from form and structure to the fluid constructs of meaning turned discernible in Jacques Derrida's "Deconstruction." Meaning or reality that had so long been enjoying a fixed and definite status was worn out with the advent of the theory of deconstruction. The turnaround of what was considered real or true became subjacent while challenging all the existing binaries that had been hegemonizing human comprehension of the world (Derrida, 1997). Relying on the theory of deconstruction by Jacques Derrida, the study examines the shift from form and structure to the text itself regarding its privileged and marginal aspects of meaning with particular reference to the novel "A Case of Exploding Mangoes." The study suggests that the interplay between privileged and marginal aspects of meaning can constructs multiple meanings and interpretations of a single text. It has further been added that the nature of the theory of deconstruction--change in the fixed status of meaning/reality--at the same time, is a representation of the indefinite nature of modern man who has experienced a bumpy ride of social and religious values resulted due to the political, industrial, economic and technological revolutions. The paper finds that the fluidity of meaning that is the sole characteristic of the theory of deconstruction traverses the contemporary Pakistani fiction in its dealing of the sensitive matters such as religious extremism and dictatorship etc., and Muhammad Hanif's selected novel is the perfect example of it.

The Aurat (literal meaning, 'woman' in Urdu) March, first organized in Pakistan on International Women's Day in 2018, fanned the fire of feminist struggle in Pakistan. Since its inception, Pakistan's patriarchy has tried to supress rising feminist voices. Last year (2020), the effort to supress these voices reached an exceptional level. Feminists faced a storm of opposition in the form of counter-marches and counter-narratives which were motivated mainly by the patriarchal agency of the country. This situation provides the basis for a critical examination of the deeply rooted patriarchal mind set, with reference to the prevailing gender politics of Pakistan. However, this paper studies this recent development of Pakistani feminism by contextualizing it within Greenblatt's constructs of power, subversion, and containment, with particular reference to Bina Shah's novel Before She Sleeps. By contextualizing the selected novel within the recent feminist development, this paper unmasks the way patriarchy responds to it and tries to contain it. This paper relies on the New Historicist approach to examine the feminist voices in the selected novel. For this purpose, the novel has been read in the backdrop of the feminist narrative of The Aurat March as manifested in different slogans of the march. By doing so, the paper highlights the containment strategies that were employed by the patriarchal agency in Pakistan as well as its manifestation in the contemporary Pakistani Anglophone literature. However, the study finds that the patriarchal agency in Pakistan employs various containment strategies--in the form of narratives of honour and domesticity--to contain the subversion it faces in the form of The Aurat March, and Shah's novel textualizes the situation with utmost clarity. And instead of surrendering to the normative patriarchal structure, it offers the possibility of negotiation and change. Keywords: Pakistani feminism, Aurat March, New historicism, Subversion, Containment, Introduction Aurat (5) (literal meaning, 'woman' in Hindi) March 2020 rejuvenated the spirit of feminists in Pakistan while infuriating patriarchal Pakistani society. The march was organized by educated liberal women [...]

The present study documents the vital outcome of COVID-19 lockdown on the lifespan of women in Pakistan. The lockdown has affected the unemployment rate, particularly in the rural region of the country. Passing along the eleven in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion (FGD) conducted in rural parts of the twin cities (Islamabad & Rawalpindi), the survey demonstrated that the ruination of the income level during COVID-19 lockdown has increased partner violence in the country. The information received further revealed that the bread earners of the families are enduring greater levels of stress and anxiety eventually resulting in a substantial growth in intimate partner violence (IPV). Keywords: Intimate partner violence, Stress, Income level, COVID-19, Pakistan, Introduction The coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, created disastrous panic for many reasons around the globe. It's a novel disease which means humans have little or no resistance to fight [...]

The shadow impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are critical, especially for children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs). Financial constraints and home confinement have increased the challenges for caregivers to meet the educational and health needs of children with IDDs. Hence, this research examines the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on families with IDDs children in rural Pakistan. Overall, 176 parents participated in this study and provided valuable responses through interview technique. Parents responded to five (05) open-ended questions. Results indicated that parents of children with IDDs are facing various challenges including financial constraints, social lockdown, deteriorated health conditions of their children, reduced or no health services, closure of educational institutes, negative behavioral impacts, and slow mental development. Still, a subset of parents also reported the positive side of lockdown, indicating that staying at home resulted in improved relationships. The findings of the study suggest that parents of children with IDDs are confronted with significant challenges that increase their stress.

This article examines Hanif Kureishi's novel, The Buddha of Suburbia, from a postcolonial queer perspective. It argues that the traditional categorization of "diasporic queer" within postcolonial and queer theories overlooks the role of racial and familial violence in shaping queer identities. The article suggests that a more comprehensive approach is needed to understand the intersection of postcolonial and queer experiences in Kureishi's work. It explores the ways in which queer bodies in the novel disrupt power structures and highlights the impact of historical violence on identity formation. The article utilizes McCormack's theory of queer postcolonial narratives to analyze the novel. [Extracted from the article]