Research Journal of Human and Social Aspects
The Research Journal of Human and Social Aspects (RJHSA) is an open-access, double-blind, peer-reviewed international journal that includes empirical research, theoretical articles, case studies, systematic literature reviews, and meta-analyses. The journal is approved by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan for the year 2026-2027 from April 2026 to December 2027. The journal team is striving hard to get it indexed with the Directory of Open Access Journals and other relevant prestigious indexing agencies. By keeping in view the mission of the Publisher, the Centre for Children Literacy and Lifelong Learning, the RJHSA focuses on research topics i.e., Education and Lifelong Learning, Sociology and Social Policy, Psychological Sciences, Political Science and Governance, Human Rights and Social Justice, Cultural and Communication Studies, Gender and Identity, Economics, Business and Management Sciences, etc. For details, visit Aim & Scope Desk Review Time: 1 week (Average) Peer-review Process: 8 weeks (Average) Acceptance Rate: 58% Note: The Journal did not charge any submission or processing fees however, it charges a minimal publication fees to the authors. For detailed guidance, visit Author Guidelines and Publication Fees and Funding details
Centre for Children Literacy and Lifelong Learning
Mapping collaborative social networks, organizational citizenship behavior, and school leadership support: A descriptive analysis of secondary school teachers’ perceptions
In the field of education, collaborative working and supportive school leadership have been identified as key elements in effective teaching and enhanced organizational performance (Coleman, 1988; Organ, 1994). This study focused on teachers’ perceptions of their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and school leadership support (SLS) in public and private schools in District Sargodha, in light of Collaborative Social Networks (CSNs) among secondary school teachers in District Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. A quantitative descriptive research design was used for this study, and 460 participants were selected through a stratified random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire comprising three measures of Collaborative Social Networks, Organizational Citizenship Behavior, and School Leadership Support was used for data collection. Results showed that teachers had positive perceptions of their schools' use of both Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and School Leadership Support (SLS), with high scores. Collaborative Social Networks, on the other hand, were perceived at a moderate level, indicating that while collaborative practices in knowledge sharing, teamwork, and professional interaction were seen, there is still a great deal that could be done to further strengthen the structured collaboration and increase participation in professional networks. Overall, the study highlights the importance of fostering collaborative school cultures and supportive leadership environments to enhance teachers’ professional engagement and organizational effectiveness.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ambreen Sikandar, Ghulam Muhammad Malik, Abdul Majeed Khan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Interculturality as negotiation: Power, identity, and agency in China-West cultural encounters
Against the backdrop of globalisation, transnational education, the mobility of people and the rapid development of digital media, the concept of cultural exchange between China and the West has shifted from a binary opposition of ‘Chinese culture versus Western culture’ to an exploration of ‘how cultural meaning is produced and negotiated through interaction’, and from ‘cultural transmission’ to ‘cultural co-construction’. However, traditional research has largely focused on the differences between Chinese and Western cultures, whilst there remains a lack of discussion on how cultural meaning is negotiated within asymmetrical relationships. This paper adopts a qualitative research methodology grounded in constructivist and interpretivist approaches. The research methods employed include semi-structured interviews, analysis of publicly available digital media content, examination of texts from transnational educational institutions, and a review of relevant academic literature. The ultimate aim is to explain how individuals understand, negotiate, resist and reconstruct cultural meaning within unequal power relations, and how this process influences their sense of identity and agency. This paper advocates shifting the focus of research on Sino-Western cultural exchange from ‘cultural differences’ to the negotiation of cultural meanings, the dynamic construction of identity, and the interplay between agency and power, thereby providing a more dynamic and critical analytical framework for understanding the new forms of Sino-Western cultural relations in the era of globalisation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Qu Qiumei (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Perceptions and practices regarding the enforcement of school policies on corporal punishment
Present research investigates the enforcement of corporal punishment ban policies in Punjab. The main objective of study is to explore how corporal punishment can be eliminated from educational settings. In view of this objective, it investigated the perceptions and practices of teachers, parents and students related to implementation of corporal punishment policies. Basic concern was to understand why in presence of legal policies corporal punishment continues in many schools. The study employed a quantitative research design with a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from different areas of Punjab from where cases were reported and 100 participants were selected including teachers, parents and students. A purposive sampling technique was employed and data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The findings of study revealed a significant association between awareness of emotional consequences of corporal punishment and enforcement of school policies for ban of corporal punishment. Results show a noticeable gap between policy provision and their implementation in practice. Findings indicate that legislation alone is not the solution of this issue unless it is supported by greater awareness of its harmful emotional effects on child emotional and psychological development. The study suggested that positive changes in disciplinary belief system should be the first step followed by active support system from all stakeholders. It also suggested teachers training, parental guidance and community engagement. These measures can contribute to the development of secure, supportive and healthy learning environment of schools.
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
Barriers faced by students with special needs in accessing quality inclusive education at primary school level
Background The meaning of inclusive education in primary level is necessary as students with special needs should not merely be provided with access to school but with meaningful learning, security, inclusion, dignity, and inclusion. The research paper looked at the key challenges encountered by the students with special needs in obtaining quality inclusive education at primary school level. It was a qualitative study with a descriptive design. The information was gathered using semi-structured interviews with teachers, head teachers, parents, and students, classroom observations and school-accessibility checklists. Thematic analysis was applied to identify recurring barrier domains. The researchers conducted a study revealing that students experienced interrelated physical, instructional, curriculum, social, attitudinal, and administrative obstacles. Instructional barriers prevailed most with whole-class teaching, limited differentiation, the weakening feedback and the rigid assessment. Physical barriers encompassed the unavailability of toilets, ramps, inadequate assistive equipment, and the unavailability of resource rooms. Measures that manifested as social barriers included teasing, isolation of peers, low expectations, and the poor anti-bullying measures. The weaknesses in administration manifested in the form of ignorance of written accommodation plans, referral system, and budget support, specialist collaboration, and systematic monitoring. The findings reveal that inclusive education cannot be evaluated through enrolment. Inclusion of quality implies trained teachers, available facilities, modified materials, flexible testing, excellent leadership, communication to parents and school culture upholding the dignity of every learner.
Integrating ecological, systems, person-in-environment, and strengths perspectives in school social work: The IES-PESB framework
Students’ experiences of emotional and social problems in school are influenced not only by individual traits but also by relationships, institutions, communities, and macrosocial conditions. As such, school social work practice requires a unified conceptualisation of professional reasoning that links children lived experiences to the multiple contexts and systems that shape them. Though ecological, systems, Person-in-Environment (PIE), and strengths-based frameworks each inform school social work, their relative roles are seldom clearly specified within a singular formulation-to-action process. The present conceptual paper outlines the Integrated Ecological–Systems–Person- in-Environment–Strengths-Based (IES-PESB) Framework, an integrative architecture for professional reasoning designed to guide school social work practice. Locating ecological contexts, tracing systems, assessing person–environment transactions and student agency, and mobilising strengths are identified as discrete but related functions of ecological, systems, PIE, and strengths-based perspectives, respectively. These functions are operationalised through six iterative steps: Locate, Trace, Assess, Mobilise, Intervene, and Reassess. Existing practice approaches such as consultation, case management, family involvement, advocacy, solution-focused practice, and Multi- Tiered Systems of Support are conceptualised as intervention techniques that may be employed consistent with formulation. The paper generates theoretical propositions for future testing and posits that the primary contribution of the IES-PESB framework is its explicit linkage of ecological, systems, transactional, and strengths-based reasoning to intervention matching and iterative feedback. This framework may provide a helpful conceptual underpinning to organised school social work practice, especially within under-resourced schools.
Development and validation of Urdu Internet Addiction Scale (UIAS)
The aim of this study is to develop and validate a novel Internet Addiction Urdu (Cyber ​​Addiction) Scale. For this purpose, an initial pool of 54 items was created based on logical content. For qualitative item analysis, these items were presented to experts in the field, and then 41 items were selected for further evaluation. To conduct quantitative item analysis, an experimental trial was carried out on a sample of (N=350). After data collection, statistical analysis was performed, and it was found that items with a correlation above cutoff point (.30) were retained in the internet​Addiction Scale. The final draft of the scale was left with 39 retained items. KMO and Bartlett's sphericity test values ​​was highly significant (.92), indicating that the sample size was sufficient for further analysis. Factor analysis of the Scale revealed a one factor solution. All the items were loading on single factor and explained variance of 29.23%. The initial reliability coefficient was 0.933, while the final reliability coefficient of the scale after item refinement was found to be 0.935. The cutoff score for the scale was determined to be 84, corresponding to the 50th percentile (median). Individuals scoring above this threshold were determined to exhibit patterns of internet addiction.
English as a medium of instruction in the age of AI: Challenges, opportunities, and linguistic implications
This study aims to explore the role of AI in transforming EMI teaching and learning, the opportunities and challenges this brings, and the linguistic implications. The study has qualitative characteristics (thematic analysis) and uses secondary and documentary data, including peer-reviewed EMI and AI-in-education literature and sources, institutional literature and publications, policy guidance, and literature from discussions of higher-education practice. Sources have been coded iteratively and synthesised into nine analytical domains. AI provides access to vocabulary, grammar, translation, pronunciation practice, and immediate feedback, enables differentiated instruction, and frees up teachers' time to focus on instructional design and/or critical mediation. But benefits depend on pedagogical purpose. Without careful use, it can facilitate dependency and reduced interaction, lower verification, undermine assessment, and worsen the digital divide for students. Practices, expectations, and teacher readiness; student AI proficiency; ethical guidelines; digital access; and the commitment to maintaining the integrity of human interaction are all essential to linguistic outcomes. The article proposes a 5-dimensional framework for the responsible use of AI in EMI. It suggests that AI is not meant to replace the linguistic, pedagogical, and intellectual involvement of the human factor during the mediation action.
Earning the green halo: A sequential model of trust, authenticity, and brand image in online sustainability marketing
This research analyses whether green trust and brand authenticity form a link or chain that forwards its effect rather than just treating green marketing in online scenario as something which has direct impact on image of brand. So, on this logic, signaling theory comes in and sustainability claims act as signals and its credibility is something which generates trust. In this research we state that trust on content is a condition infect precondition for the variable authenticity. The brand is only treated as original rather than green washing when customers have the trust on the sustainability claim the brand says and it shapes the brand image. So, to understand and study this, a survey of 500 Genz customers was done using PLS-SEM in SmartPLS. Results show that OGM has direct and significant positive impact on both variables, i.e. green trust and brand image. But the most interesting and valuable result was the indirect link, green trust and authenticity both account for a very meaningful share of online green marketing’s impact on brand image as whole, and its works in sequence rather than just a separate unrelating things. The contribution is not just another claim that online sustainability works, this research sketches a very clear picture of the route that customer’s mindset takes towards brand image.
Impact of great power rivalry on conflict resolution: Russian and American interventions in Syria
This research critically evaluates the interrelationship between the competition of major powers within Syria and the transitional regime. This study focuses is on the reasons for the failure of the mediation structures established under the United Nations. It employs a qualitative explanatory single-case study design and process-tracing methodology with the help of neorealism and proxy war theories. Its purpose is to examine the process of transforming a regional political conflict into a prolonged international proxy war of conflicting strategic interests of superpowers. It is argued that the effective resolution of the Syrian conflict and the process of political transition have been adversely affected by the Russian-American geopolitical competition. The conflicting strategic interests of the United States and Russia, continuous diplomatic vetoes, and parallel diplomatic initiatives have paralyzed the institutional role of the UN Security Council. This failure creates significant obstacles to resolving the Syrian conflict through an agreed international process. This paper also investigates the structural motivations behind the gradual weakening of the governance structure of the Assad regime to its collapse. It shows that the Bashar al-Assad regime's external aid lifelines have been disrupted as Damascus's main external patrons become engaged in other geopolitical theatres. It also examines the transformation of the proxy war policy by the United States and Russia into pragmatic diplomacy after the establishment of a new controversial transitional government. This study has shown that major power strategic confrontations, proxy alignments and geopolitical balances are having profound effect on state transitions in the current multipolar era.
Social media political campaigns: Perceived credibility of political leaders of Pakistan among university students
The purpose of this research is to understand the linkage between social media addiction and perceived credibility of three key political figures of Pakistan including Imran Khan of PTI, Shahbaz Sharif of PML-N and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of PPP among the university students of Pakistan. Two additional constructs; perceived influence of social media campaign features and overall impact of social media campaigns on political perceptions are explored as extended constructs. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed and data were obtained from 300 respondents. Pearson correlation analysis was used to test for associations between social media dependency and each dependent construct across all three leaders, using IBM SPSS. The findings show that social media dependency is significantly a positive predictor for perceived credibility for all leaders and dimensions. Imran Khan (PTI) was getting the most consistent and positive credibility associations, especially on the trustworthiness dimension, getting endorsement by 67.3% of the respondents who termed him as the most active leader on social media. The most consistent expertise-based associations were done by Shahbaz Sharif (PML-N), while Bilawal Bhutto Zardari (PPP) had the weakest associations regarding the three dimensions. All the hypotheses were accepted that is, dependency towards social media and sensitivity to social media's features positively predicted the overall attitudinal impact. Respondents were particularly convinced that social media is the most credible way to communicate about politics, with 74% choosing that answer.
Authority from the saint, not the state: Shrines, URS, and shared festivity in eighteenth-century Punjab
This study examines the shrine, the urs, and the seasonal festival as the lived spatial infrastructure of religious harmony in eighteenth-century Punjab. Political power continued to weaken during the decline of the Mughal empire, marked by Afghan invasions led by Nadir Shah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Marathas' involvement, and the rise of the Sikh misls. The sacred geography associated with the saints and the agricultural calendar of the villages brought the three communities, Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs, together in shared rituals and observances. Drawing exclusively on the historiography of the period, the paper argues that the mazar of the Sufi saint, the gurdwara networks of Guru Nanak, and the great seasonal melas of Vaisakhi, Basant, Lohri, and Maghi constituted a non-state institution whose authority derived from the saint and the soil rather than from the throne. At shrines such as those of Baba Farid at Pakpattan, Madho Lal Hussain at Lahore, Bulleh Shah at Kasur, and Haider Sheikh at Malerkotla, hereditary khadim and sajjada nashin families sustained cross-communal practice—shared langar, qawwali, dhamal, and pilgrimage—across successive regimes. Professional performers, artisans, and a common world of folk belief bound these gatherings together. The study concludes that the mela served as the practical guardian of interfaith coexistence precisely where formal governance failed.
How environmental sustainability orientation translate into environmental performance under NROT. A moderated mediation model of inter-organizational learning and environmental strategies in manufacturing firms
In Modern world, manufacturing and environmental damage go hand in hand, and Pakistan is not an exception. This study is conducted to check the impacts of environmental sustainability orientation (ESO) on manufacturing firms’ environmental performance (EP). The study is based on the Natural Resource Orchestration Theory (NROT) to tests a model in which inter-organizational learning (IOL) is an important mediator of the ESO-EP relationship, and environmental Strategies (ES) is considered as a key moderator. The study used a structured questionnaire to collect data from different Manufacturing Firms by simple random sampling in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the model in Smart PLS. The results showed that ESO had a significant positive direct effect for both EP and IOL, However, IOL partially mediates the ESO-EP relationship. For firms that engaged with better Environmental Strategies proved worthy for EP directly and it also moderated the relationship of IOL and EP. The results are a complement to NROT as it demonstrates that the leveraging phase, which in the past was considered a single process, can be divided into several pathways with varying power in a manufacturing environment in a developing economy like Pakistan. The findings indicate that for managers and policy makers in Pakistan, it will be important to strengthen the environmental orientation of the firms directly, and not primarily through a reliance on inter-firm learning networks, as this is likely to yield the higher environmental return, although learning through alliances remain important, in firms with high long-term commitments and investments towards environment (ES).
Religious harmony as a tool of conflict resolution and pluralism in Tharparkar, Sindh
This paper explored the concept of religious harmony as a practical mechanism of conflict resolution and pluralism in Tharparkar, Sindh where the communities of Hindus and Muslims inhabit the same settlements, use the same language, attend the same markets, engage in the same livelihoods and share the same cultural spaces. The approach used was a qualitative case-study orientation, which was achieved by using a structured interview corpus that was created based on a semi-structured guide with 44 statements. Six integrated themes emerged: lived neighbourliness and routine cooperation; shared culture, livelihoods interdependence and mutual support; containment of conflict through trusted mediation and restorative settlement; pluralism through dignity, religious freedom and respect of sacred spaces; peacebuilding agency of women and young people; community resilience and pressures from scarcity, inequality, misinformation and political use of identity. It is the conclusion that harmony is not the lack of conflict, but rather a social skill that is put in place and maintained, to ensure that no conflicts escalate into a communal conflict. A multi-layered response system was supported by elders, religious leaders, teachers, families, women's networks, youth volunteers, civil society, and local institutions for fact verification, rumour interruption, practical settlement, and relationship repair. The study adds an integrated process model involving shared culture and interdependence leading to relational memory, which in turn facilitates early dialogue and mediation, leading to reconciliation, pluralism and social stability.
Beyond the Biological Weapons Convention: Rethinking international biosecurity governance in the age of synthetic biology
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) remains the central international framework prohibiting biological weapons, but rapid advances in synthetic biology, genome editing, artificial intelligence-enabled protein design, and the wider diffusion of biotechnology are creating governance challenges that were not anticipated when the Convention was established. This paper examines whether the existing international biosecurity governance architecture is capable of addressing these emerging risks and identifies the institutional gaps that limit its effectiveness. Drawing on regime complex theory and the literature on institutional adaptation, the study uses a qualitative analysis of international rules, institutions, and governance arrangements involving states, international organizations, scientific communities, biotechnology firms, and other non-state actors. It argues that the BWC’s absence of a verification mechanism, limited implementation capacity, and predominantly state-centric structure constrain its ability to address a rapidly changing and increasingly decentralized biosecurity environment. The analysis finds that governance has expanded through overlapping and largely voluntary arrangements rather than through comprehensive reform of the BWC. While these arrangements provide important regulatory and normative functions, their fragmented nature creates gaps in coordination, accountability, and risk management. The study therefore argues that effective biosecurity governance requires a layered and adaptive architecture that preserves the BWC’s central normative role while strengthening its institutional capacity. It recommends minimum international standards for DNA-synthesis screening, greater formal integration of scientific and industry governance, and stronger coordination between the BWC framework and global health security institutions.
From deterrence to disruption: Maritime implications of the US-Iran conflict for security and energy flows through strategic maritime chokepoints
The 2026 US-Iran confrontation revealed something important about the Persian Gulf: strategic competition there has moved well beyond traditional naval deterrence. What used to be straightforward transit routes for international commerce have become complex arenas where military signaling, economic pressure, and asymmetric operations all come together. Missile strikes, drone operations, cyber activities, and ongoing threats to commercial shipping have shown how localized maritime incidents can trigger global energy market disruptions and increase risks for international navigation. This article examines how the US-Iran rivalry has fundamentally changed the strategic significance of maritime chokepoints and reshaped the Gulf's regional security architecture. Using a qualitative explanatory case-study approach, the research argues that these waterways increasingly function as instruments of coercive statecraft, with profound implications for freedom of navigation, energy security, maritime insurance costs, and the strategic diversification of global energy supply routes.
Customer-based destination brand equity formation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan: The mediating role of perceived value
This research aims to investigate the linkages among destination brand quality, destination brand image, destination brand awareness and destination brand equity in the case of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and to explore the mediating role of perceived value in explaining brand equity. The study used a quantitative research design and collected data from tourists at popular tourist spots in Gilgit-Baltistan via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results suggest that perceived value significantly mediates the association between destination brand image, destination brand quality and destination brand equity. Destination brand equity is positively and significantly influenced by destination brand image, destination brand awareness, and destination brand quality. Moreover, destination image can enhance destination brand equity without depending on brand value. The findings provide empirical evidence to better understand the formation of destination brand equity in an emerging mountain tourism destination and offer practical implications for destination management organizations and policymakers.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Psychometric Validation of the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire among emerging adults in Pakistan
The present study examined the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of a five-item CFQ form in a sample of Pakistani emerging adults reporting varying levels of daily internet use. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using maximum likelihood estimation was conducted on data from 800 Pakistani emerging adults (60.0% aged 16–23; 51.7% male; 81.3% rural) to test the previously established one-factor model of the CFQ. Analyses were conducted in IBM SPSS Statistics version 28 and JASP (Version 0.19.3). Contrary to prior cross-cultural findings, the hypothesized single-factor model demonstrated poor and, in part, statistically inadmissible fit to the data, χ² (5) = 2539.38, p < .001, CFI = .528, TLI = .056, RMSEA = .796, SRMR = .223, with two standardized loadings exceeding 1.0 (Heywood cases). Internal consistency was acceptable (α = .809), yet the markedly unequal item loadings and large modification indices pointed to two latent item clusters rather than a single coherent factor. These findings diverge sharply from the excellent fit reported for the CFQ in other populations and raise important questions about the measurement equivalence, translation fidelity, and cultural applicability of the scale among Pakistani emerging adults with heavy internet engagement. Implications for scale adaptation, cross-cultural assessment of cognitive fusion, and future validation work are discussed
Invisible chains: How social evils are undermining Pakistan’s sustainable future
Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has not translated into meaningful progress. By 2025, the country ranked 140th out of 166 nations, revealing a deep disconnect between policy aspirations and on-ground realities. This article argues that the primary obstacles are not merely resource shortages or technical gaps, but a set of deeply entrenched social evils—corruption, institutional weakness, human capital crisis, social fragmentation, extremism, sectarianism, economic stagnation, and environmental degradation. These problems do not operate in isolation; rather, they function as interconnected “invisible chains” that bind Pakistan to a low-growth, high-instability equilibrium. Drawing on recent empirical studies and institutional analyses, this article examines how each of these evils reinforces the others, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of underdevelopment. It concludes by offering an integrated reform agenda focused on governance restructuring, human capital investment, social cohesion, and environmental management as pathways to break these chains.
Investigating health information behavior of patients with chronic illness using social networking sites: A health belief model approach
This study aims to investigate the health information seeking and sharing behavior of patients with chronic illnesses and to assess the role of health belief model (HBM) and digital health literacy (DHL). A quantitative, cross-sectional study was undertaken comprising 450 respondents recruited from Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Oncology (BINO), and Shahida Islam Teaching Hospital (SITH), Pakistan. The data were collected using a questionnaire. The results revealed that the most commonly used SNSs for health information were YouTube and Facebook. In addition, the respondents presented a high level of perceived severity and perceived susceptibility, an increased perception of benefits, and a strong intention to seek and share health information via SNSs. Respondents scored moderately on perceived barriers and low on digital health literacy, which implies that they found it challenging to critically appraise online resources. The results have several implications for healthcare organizations, which can develop strategies to increase digital health literacy among patients. Besides, such institutions can benefit from using social media to communicate health information, ensuring that such posts are evidence-based. At the same time, medical libraries should be considered in developing such interventions to increase patients’ digital health literacy. Significance of such studies stems in its contribution in literature on digital health communication by providing insight examining the impact of DHL in seeking and sharing behavior of health information. The study also provides empirical evidence from Pakistan, where the potential impact of social networking sites on health information has been insufficiently explored.
Impact of AI-enabled HR practices on innovative work behavior: Mediating role of workforce agility and moderating role of employee resilience
Technology, especially in its current combination of artificial intelligence and cyber tools, drones, cryptocurrencies, encrypted platforms and algorithmically-managed social media, has made repeated adaptations to terrorism, all of which have led to a terrorist practice that is vastly different in scale, speed and anonymity, disrupting traditional models of countering terrorism. This article explores the implications of technological advances for terrorist activities by examining the extent to which current governance regimes are flexible enough to address technology-enabled terrorism. A pragmatic mixed-methods design, which uses systematic document analysis, descriptive quantification of patterns of technology use, and qualitative comparative case analysis, analyses 14 documented incidents and campaigns of terror between 2016– 2025. The data sources used were United Nations documents, FATF publications, the Global Terrorism Database, Europol and INTERPOL reports, government security assessments, and peer-reviewed scholarship. While the use of AI is in its early stages, generative systems already influence how propaganda is made, how falsehoods, deceit, and translations are produced, and who the target is. Governance frameworks have been scaled up, including via the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the FATF virtual-asset standards, Europol and INTERPOL collaboration and coordination, as well as the regulation of online content and by means of initiatives for the governance of AI, but implementation has been partial and non-uniform across regions, and reactive. The article adds an integrated empirical-conceptual approach to understanding the technology of terror, treating it as a collection of individual tools.
Relationship between parenting styles and adolescent identity formation in District Sialkot
Parenting styles describe how parents bring up their child and interact with them. Diana Baumrind identified 3 parenting styles: Permissive, Authoritative, & Authoritarian parenting styles. Parenting styles are based on 2 mechanisms of parenting: “responsiveness & demandingness”. This study’s main objective was to determine the impact of several parenting styles on adolescents’ identity formation in District Sialkot. In this study, the correlational research design was used. 300 respondents (boys & girls) were selected from 14-19 years through convenience sampling from schools, colleges, and universities. Divya & Manikandan’s Perceived Parenting Style Scale and Adams, Bennion, & Huh's “Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-II (EOM-EIS II)” were used. Descriptive Statistics, Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation and linear regression were used to check the relationship (strength and direction) among the variables. For data analysis, statistical software SPSS was used. The results showed that Authoritative, Authoritarian, and Permissive parenting have a positive and significant correlation with Identity Formation. Regression identified that the R value (.662a) shows the positive direction and strong magnitude of the relationship between 2 variables. The results revealed that authoritative parenting style is strongly associated with adolescents’ identity formation as compared to other parenting styles. The p-value is .000, which shows a statistically significant effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable. Parenting Styles has a 43.8% effect on Identity Formation, which can be categorized as a high effect size.
I am an Avenger! speech act analysis of Revenge Utterances in Naruto
This study examines the linguistic performance of revenge in long-form serial anime from a pragmatic perspective using Naruto (Episodes 1-220) as a case study. It focuses on revenge utterances as rule-governed illocutionary acts whose force is built, sustained, and redefined through dialogue, rather than the psychological theme or story-line of revenge. The study uses a Diachronic Speech Act Matrix synthesizing the taxonomy of Searle (1979), Austin's (1962) perlocutionary framework with telepragmatics to trace the speech acts under conditions of deferred felicity across serial temporality. Analysis of purposively sampled utterance blocks shows that revenge discourse in Naruto is a hybrid pragmatic genre, which includes a core part (speaker commitment to future punitive action), an assertive part (epistemic authorization of grievance) and an expressive part (affective intensification). The study shows that classical felicity conditions are not immediately assessable in the narrative serialisation, but are postponed, scalar, and regulated by systematic discursive repair strategies such as modality strengthening, propositional hedging and retroactive immunization. Perlocutionary effects are demonstrated to be non-consumable and double-directed. The results enrich classical speech act theory by developing theories of narrative felicity and staggered perlocutionary trajectories, and provide a replicable analytical tool for studying mediated discourse with performative closure deferred. The study contributes to the field of media pragmatics by rethinking avenger identity as a performative construction that is continuously built and maintained in the process of iterations of speech acts.
Navigating the postpartum transition: Demographic risk factors and screening for postpartum depression in resource-constrained environments
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major public health concern, with disproportionately high prevalence rates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Pakistan. Despite its severe impact on maternal and infant well-being, PPD remains heavily underdiagnosed in resource-constrained rural areas. This descriptive, correlational and cross sectional study aimed to screen postpartum women for PPD in District Bhakkar, Pakistan, and to systematically evaluate associated socio-demographic and obstetric risk factors. A sample of N = 200 postpartum mothers was evaluated using a structured demographic sheet and the Urdu version of the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS). Descriptive statistics revealed an overall mean PPD score of 10.15 (SD = 3.47), with 64.5% of participants exhibiting mild risk, 14.5% moderate risk, and 21.0% minimal risk. Independent sample t- test demonstrated significantly higher PPD symptom scores among older mothers, those residing in joint family systems, housewives, rural residents, mothers with arranged marriages, and those who underwent normal vaginal deliveries compared to C-sections (p = <.001). The higher occurrence of subclinical and moderate PPD risks underscores the vital need of integrating routine, culturally sensitive mental health screening into standard maternal healthcare procedures in underserved districts.
Exploring the relationship between aggression, impulsivity, and emotional regulation among young adults
The present study focused on the correlation between emotion regulation, impulsivity and aggression in young adults and the ability of emotion regulation to predict impulsive and aggressive behaviours. Some previous studies indicated that deficits in emotional regulation and increased impulsivity could be related to aggressive behaviors, but studies in various groups and cultures have yielded mixed results. The type of research design used was quantitative, cross sectional and correlational. A standardised self-report questionnaire was administered to 200 young people, including the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Results showed that there was no significant correlation between emotion regulation and the impulsivity (r = .049, p > .05) and aggression scale scores (r = –.081, p > .05). Moreover, the prediction of impulsivity or aggression was not significant for emotion regulation. On the other hand, impulsivity positively correlated significantly with aggression (r = .187, p < .01), and was a significant predictor of aggressive behaviour. This indicates that impulsivity is more important to aggression among young adults than just emotion regulation. The study adds to the literature by raising the awareness of the role of impulsive tendencies in aggressive behaviours, and suggests that interventions that aim to determine aggressive behaviours should focus on strengthening self-control, Behavioral regulation and decision-making. Future studies should examine other psychological, social and environmental factors which might affect aggressiveness and impulsiveness in different groups of people.
A Systematic Review of Artificial Intelligence in Education: An Analysis of Trends, Benefits, and Challenges in Pakistan
AI’s application in the country’s educational sector is nascent and largely uncoordinated due to inadequate infrastructure, inconsistent and ill-defined policies, low levels of digital literacy, and AI’s application in education and ethics. To achieve this, the author employed the PRISMA framework to identify, assess, and analyze a variety of publications, including peer-reviewed publications, conference papers, reports, and policy papers published between 2015 and 2026. The data and information collected, analyzed, and interpreted in this study indicate that AI has played a significant and positive role in improving a range of educational services and processes. The author of this study argues that AI has the ability to significantly improve the overall quality and increase the accessibility of educational services in Pakistan. In order to realize the positive impacts of AI, the author argues that a range of policies must be developed and implemented by the State to improve its educational services. In particular, the author advocates for integrated and coordinated digital educational infrastructure, educational flexible and innovative curriculum and pedagogical frameworks, and educator professional development and training. This research elaborates the ramifications for policy and draws potential avenues for future research regarding the sustainable incorporation of AI into the educational framework of Pakistan.
U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Changing Dynamics of Cross-Border Militancy
This study examines the political, strategic, sociological and border-governance aspects that affect the changing security environment and explores the new dynamics of cross-border militancy post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan (P/A) border. It also reviews the weaknesses and strengths of Pakistan's border security systems including surveillance, fencing, intelligence-based operations, counterterrorism programs etc. This study will be conducted with a qualitative case-study methodology and a qualitative research design with interpretivist approach at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border-security that started in August 2021. Thematic interpretation and qualitative content analysis are used to examine secondary data. In general, the study applies two theories: The Borderland Security Theory and Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) to explain the interconnection of security environments of Afghanistan and Pakistan along with special challenges faced by socially intertwined border regions. The findings indicate that this resurgence of cross-border violence is not solely and directly responsible for the departure of the U.S. Rather, it was a catalyst that reshaped the securitization structures within the region and created a space for extremist groups to exploit. The Taliban resurgence and the resilience of the TTPs, coupled with the formation and consolidation of militant networks, security lapses, and the lack of cooperation and coordination on security matters between Pakistan and Afghanistan have all contributed to the threat.
Assessing Customer-Based Brand Equity of Gilgit-Baltistan as an Emerging Mountainous Tourist Destination
In this study customer-based destination brand equity (CBBE) model is examined in the context of Gilgit-Baltistan, a mountain tourism destination having a unique natural landscapes, adventure tourism opportunities and cultural heritage. Causal effects of destination brand awareness, destination brand image, destination brand quality, and destination brand loyalty on overall destination brand equity are explored, based on the brand equity framework of Konicnic and Gartner and Aaker and using structural equation modelling (SEM). Tourists visiting Gilgit-Baltistan were contact to collect data. The results indicate that destination image and loyalty play a significant role in the formation of destination brand equity, while destination awareness and quality show a relatively weaker but significant influence. Destination loyalty emerges as a strong predictor of overall destination brand equity. Since this study is geographically limited to Gilgit-Baltistan, the results are not fully generalizable to other tourism contexts and further research in different destination settings is recommended. In real life the findings offer important understandings for destination managers and policymakers in Gilgit-Baltistan to strengthen destination image, enhance service quality, and enhance visitor loyalty to enhance destination brand equity
Ethnicity, Territory and Federalism: The Wali Khan–Samad Khan Rift and the Politics of Balochistan, 1957–1970
In Pakistan, the One Unit scheme was opposed by the National Awami Party (NAP) that brought together a wide range of regional and progressive political forces united by their opposition to centralized rule in the country. Abdul Wali Khan and Abdus Samad Khan Achakzai were two of the most prominent Pashtun leaders who held a political partnership despite being active in different localities. However, their cooperation was put to a test upon the abolishment of One Unit in 1970 when Balochistan re-emerged as a province, but with the Pashtun-majority areas of Balochistan having not been resolved. The present article explores the reasons behind the split between Wali Khan and Samad Khan and also places it in the context of ethnicity, territoriality and federalism in Pakistan. It relies heavily on the author's personal recollections, newspapers from the time, archival sources, political biographies, and secondary sources, and contends that this division is not a personal rivalry or ideological divide. Instead, it was a result of the clash of visions of Pashtun territorial representation and the NAP's efforts to reconcile Pashtun political demands with its balancing act with Baloch nationalist leadership. The case illustrates how resistance to centralization might bring together regional nationalist movements, but fail to resolve competing demands for boundaries, ethnic quotas, and regional organization.
Alignment, Hedging, and Autonomy: South Asians’ Strategic Choice Without Choosing Sides
In the contemporary global geopolitics, South Asia occupies a position which is though pivotal but understudied. The region faces increasing pressures to reconfigure foreign policy alignments, as it confronts trans-regional instability emanating from the Middle East, Iran and Afghanistan, persistent Indo-Pak hostility, and growing U.S.–China strategic rivalry. This article studies the likely strategic alignments of South Asian states— Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Maldives—using an “integrated analytical framework”, combining national policy preferences and historical trajectory analysis. The study states that instead of merging into rigid alliance blocs, South Asian states are adopting hedging strategies shaped by domestic political constraints, economic vulnerabilities and asymmetric power relations. The findings suggest that South Asian alignment behavior is best understood through the concept of constrained strategic autonomy rather than classical balancing or bandwagoning.
Teacher motivation and classroom management practices in rural Public schools: A qualitative case study
This study aimed to explore teachers’ perceptions about motivation and how their motivation affects classroom management practices, and which challenges affect their classroom management practices and motivation. A qualitative multiple case study research design was used for this study. 10 female primary public school teachers were selected as sample through purposive sampling technique. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Three main themes extracted from the data were: (1) Teachers’ motivation in rural primary schools, (2) Classroom management practices, and (3) Challenges and adaptation in classroom management. Findings show that there is a strong link between teachers’ motivation and classroom management. According to the participant’s belief in Allah, understanding of their moral responsibility, students’ achievements and their connection with religion are the factors that enhance their motivation. On the other hand, shortage of resources, overcrowded classrooms, no parental involvement and non-supportive institutional behaviours lower their motivation level. Effective classroom management strategies are lesson planning, student-centred and activity-based teaching, positive student-teacher relationships, collaborative learning and nonaggressive disciplinary approaches. The study concluded that motivated teachers can create a positive learning environment despite all the challenges. It recommends strengthening supportive school leadership, improving learning facilities and providing necessities, provide contextual base professional development training, ensuring parental involvement and starting community engagement programs to improve classroom management and teacher motivation to attain academic achievements in the rural public schools.