This paper examines how and to what extent the violent conflict in the North Waziristan Tribal District of Pakistan distorted the traditional social structure, which embodies the informal social institutions of Jirga and Hujra. This violent conflict between 2004 and 2014 has appeared as one of the most urgent and crucial humanitarian and development concerns for Pakistan where the whole region was under the siege of Talibanization and government was completely absent until the launch of military operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014 against the Taliban. Several studies have been conducted so far on the causes and consequences of this violent conflict, but most of these studies focused on the political dimensions even though the significant volatility of the region in recent times should be investigated empirically. This study adopted qualitative methodological and interpretive approaches to collect primary data from the study area. The study finds that the informal institutions like Jirga (council of elders), and Hujra (common male guesthouse) were being the prime targets of both the Taliban and security forces during the violent conflict. Moreover, the jirgawas used as a source of fund-raising by the Taliban groups in North Waziristan. Resultantly, these institutions lost its centuries-old traditional structure and underwent significant transformations.

Previous literature either penned down the philosophical and mystic attributes of Ghani Khan’s poetry, or the literary qualities of his poetry, but perhaps no study has undertaken cognitive linguistic analysis of his poetry. The present paper attempts to carry out cognitive semantic study of the concepts of life and death in Ghani Khan’s poetry from cognitive linguistic perspective. Conceptual metaphor theory will be used to analyze the poetic language of Ghani Khan’s Kulyat in order to find out the conceptual schemas, which are used in description of life and death in his poetry. This theory holds that everyday language as well as poetic language is generated, processed and comprehended by the conceptual metaphors in human conceptual system.The analysis shows that Ghani Khan has used ten (10) key conceptual metaphors in description of life and death with slight cultural deviations in nine poems on the titles of life and death. This paper has also found that since Ghani Khan has used the key conceptual metaphor of LIFE IS A DAY, he has also used LIFE IS TWO DAYS drawing upon the conceptualization of life in Pukhtun culture. This paper finds that the figurative language in Ghani Khan’s poetry is based on the conceptual metaphors, and it recommends further research on Pashto everyday language and poetry from cognitive-linguistic and cognitive-semantic perspectives in order to validate the various tenets of conceptual metaphor theory through cross-cultural research?

As a global problem that relates to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), violence against woman (VAW) also exist in Indonesia. Although many Indonesian scholars gives attention to VAW, the current knowledge still ignores the relationship between the neighborhood and VAW. This study investigates the influence of neighborhood disadvantage and social disorder on the likelihood of violence against woman (VAW) in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Data from PODES 2018 census (Potensi Desa or Village Potential) for South Sumatra Province were analyzed using logistic regression techniques. Fifteen independent variables have identified as a covariate of the incidence of VAW at the neighborhood level (Y). Five independent variables are representing neighborhood disadvantage and ten independent variables representing social disorder. The result shows that the final model of logistic regression can estimate VAW (Y) as much as 11% significantly, X2 (6) = 68.03, p < 0.01. All independent variables have a positive association with VAW (Y) and contribute to Y as follows: 455% (combustion/X9), 348% (corruption/X14), 152% (drug/X10), 114% (riverbank settlement/X2), 102% (theft/X5), and 76.9% (fraud/X7). They have different level of significance as follows: p < 0.01 (X10, X9, X2), p < 0.05 (X5 and X14), and p < 01.0 (X7). These findings suggest South Sumatra Province (SSP) to introduce a new incentive to the farmers so that they do not depend on fire in land clearing, continue the ongoing efforts to eradicate corruption, cooperating with a broad community to eliminate the criminal act, and improve the quality of the welfare of the population through various development programs.

Demand for wood is increasing with the rapid population growth in Pakistan. To cater for this rise in demand, Pakistan Government has decreased import duty on wood and products of wood in the country from 16 to 11 percent in finance bill of 2017. With this backdrop, this research quantifies the impact of reduced tariff duty of wood at household level and economy wide by applying Commutable General Equilibrium model. MyGTAP model is standardized by applying GTAP Data base and latest available Social Accounting Matrix of Pakistan. This updated economic trade model is tailor made model for these types of analysis. The result shows an increase in wood imports by US$ 41million. There is a positive impact on Real GDP, household income, but Pakistan government income will decrease by 0.08 percent due to reduction in tariff. Household analysis revealed that rural small farmers and non-farm workers’ timber demand in Pakistan will escalate by 10 percent in relations to other communities. Policy makers and planners can best utilize these results in planning and implementation process for improving effectiveness of policies?.

Sequel to the realisation that youths champion violence and militancy in the Niger Delta Region, and the resolution of Umar Musa Yar’Aduas’ government to end insecurity, militancy, and youth restiveness in the region, the amnesty programme was declared, with skills training as its major component. This study examined the relationship between amnesty programmes and skills training among ex-militants in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. The study used a cross-sectional survey research design. Questionnaires were distributed to 1152 participants purposively selected from communities in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa states. Elicited data were analysed using a simple linear statistical tool. The findings of the study reveal that amnesty programmes significantly enabled ex-militant to acquired skills in pipeline installation and repairs. It also shows that amnesty programmes have a positive impact on the ex-militant acquisition of information technology skills. Further result indicates that there is a significant relationship between amnesty programmes and ex-militant acquisition of automobile servicing skills. The study, therefore, concluded on the need for beneficiaries of the amnesty skills training to be supervised by experts in their field and should be provided with professional advice that would help build their confidence in their chosen career?.

This paper aims to explore the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) in Egypt, as a dependent variable, and selected economic and institutional determinants for the period (1996-2018). The work attempts to bridge the gap created by previous empirical literature that failed to focus on critical institutional determinants of FDI in developing countries, especially governance-related determinants. The study used the autoregressive distributed lag model (ARDL); to test the Cointegration relationship between FDI and its determinants. Besides, the error correction model (ECM) was used to explore the short-run relationship. In light of applying the ARDL approach, the study concluded that while both market size and regulatory quality stimulated FDI, the latter has been negatively affected by the real exchange rate and government effectiveness. Moreover, the study revealed that in the short-run, both regulatory quality and control of corruption induced FDI in Egypt. These findings shed light on the crucial role that institutional factors can play in creating a more favorable FDI climate in Egypt

This paper examines the colonial project of social control of the Pashtun body as seen through Foucauldian framework of biopower. This paper initiates debate into colonial health politics of NWFP and explores the biopolitical logic as to how the Pasthun subjectivities as medicalizable objects were constituted within the colonial missionary medicine discourses. It examines the ontological consequences of such constructions. It further aims to explore the co-constitution of colonial agents and the authority of the missionary doctor over the body. This paper delves into the myriad of strategies and sites of medical intervention, as hospital, medical camp, home, school, body, culture, race and gender. It takes up in-depth analysis of the works of Dr. Pennell i.e. Mission Hospital Bannu and Life among Wild Tribes. The study proposes that the relations of colonial power with the Pashtun body as embedded in the medical missionary discourse were biopolitical in nature.

Structure of the economy changes over a time. Fixed parameter approaches do not consider impact of structural changes on constancy of estimated parameters. The study addresses the weaknesses of non-varying parametric techniques and uses non fixed parametric technique to examine association between sectoral growth and their determining factors. The findings reveal that capital formation, foreign remittances, and permanent crop land reduce agricultural sector growth while gross national expenditures results in growth of the sector. The significant factors that affect industrial growth are external debt, foreign direct investment and gross national expenditures. Above mentioned determinants are positively associated with the industrial sector growth in Pakistan. Services sector growth is determined by consumer price index, gross national expenditures and foreign direct investment. The foreign direct investment and gross national expenditures cause services sector growth while consumer price index retard it. While considering findings, the concerned authorities should control growth retarding factors and augment the factors that increase sectoral growth of the country

As essential area of criminology, crime victims have really never been accorded due recognition in Nigeria. It is in this regard that this paper discusses the Nigerian criminal justice system and the issue of victim neglect in Enugu urban. Using qualitative and quantitative research approaches, a sample of 604 respondents were drawn from Enugu urban. Multi-stage and purposive sampling techniques were used to reach the respondents. Data from both questionnaires and in-depth interviews were collected. We found that most crime victims are highly neglected and there is a lack of cordial relationship between the police and crime victims in Enugu urban. The study recommends the need to consider civil aspect of cases when passing judgments so that crime victims would not lose on two folds, but get partially compensated for their losses. The study also calls for judges to speed up adjudication processes in order not to draw cases to elastic limit where crime victims lose faith in the criminal justice system.?