Zofeen Ebrahim

Zofeen Ebrahim has been the MintPress News South East Asia Correspondent since 2014. She is based in Karachi, Pakistan. For Zofeen , the path to journalism was never a "carefully thought out" or a "planned" career choice. It was as if she was being led towards it. After graduating, and doing her master’s she got married and moved cities. "I had no clue what I wanted to do or even if I wanted a career". A small inconspicuous advert in an English daily changed all that for her. They were seeking editorial assistants for an English language women's magazine that was soon to be launched. Since then there has been no looking back for her. Today, she freelances for several national (Dawn and The News) and international (IPS, The Guardian, The Third Pole) media organisations and writes about issues that touch her heart. She can be reached at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at @zofeen28.

$950M Pakistan-U.S. Arms Deal Heightens Concerns Over ‘War On Terror’ Profiteering

The U.S. says the deal will contribute to foreign policy and national security of the U.S., but is this claim anything more than a pretext for fast-tracking approval?

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
Royal Saudi Land Forces and units of Special Forces of the Pakistani army take part in a joint military exercise called "Al-Samsam 5" in Shamrakh field, north of Baha region, southwest Saudi Arabia.

Royal Saudi Land Forces and units of Special Forces of the Pakistani army take part in a joint military exercise called "Al-Samsam 5" in Shamrakh field, north of Baha region, southwest Saudi Arabia. KARACHI, Pakistan --- Earlier this month, the United States approved a $952 million sale of helicopters, missiles, engines, targeting and

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How Long Can Pakistan Avoid Joining Saudi-Led Attacks On Yemen’s Houthis?

Considering its own pressing domestic issues, can Pakistan afford to sign on to Saudi-led military adventurism in Yemen? Then again, considering regional tensions, alliances and fault lines, can it afford not to?

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
In this photo provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Royal Saudi Land Forces and units of Special Forces of the Pakistani army take part in a joint military exercise called "Al-Samsam 5" in Shamrakh field, north of Baha region, southwest Saudi Arabia, Monday, March 30, 2015.

In this photo provided by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Royal Saudi Land Forces and units of Special Forces of the Pakistani army take part in a joint military exercise called "Al-Samsam 5" in Shamrakh field, north of Baha region, southwest Saudi Arabia, Monday, March 30, 2015. KARACHI, Pakistan --- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's

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Rape Victim Finds Supporters Abroad, But Not In Pakistan’s Courtrooms

Pakistan is slowly rolling out laws to protect women’s rights, yet these laws fall short of providing any real safeguards for women, especially victims of sexual violence. One woman’s eight-year struggle has garnered international attention but not justice at home.

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
Kainat Soomro

KARACHI, Pakistan --- “Outlawed in Pakistan” has won an Emmy, been screened at the Sundance Film Festival, and aired on Frontline, PBS’ investigative journalism series. Yet this attention and focus eludes the documentary’s subject in her native Pakistan, where her eight-year quest for justice seems like one that will never end. Made over a

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Inside Pakistan’s Untapped Fishing Industry

Pakistan has the potential to become a major producer of seafood, not only for local consumption but for the global market as well.

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim

KARACHI, Nov 4 2014  - If you want to know what ‘sea traffic’ looks like, just go down to the Karachi Harbour. Built in 1959, the dockyard houses close to 2,000 big and small boats anchored in the grey sludge at the edge of Pakistan’s southern port city, which opens into the Arabian Sea. Life on the jetty, an all-male domain, is anything but

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In Pakistan, The Push To Eradicate Polio Competes With “The Zillion Other Issues”

Despite hundreds of millions in international aid funds, vaccination drives and decades of awareness campaigns, Pakistan remains polio’s last refuge.

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
Pakistan Polio

KARACHI, Pakistan --- The number of reported cases of polio crossed the 200 mark this month, confirming Pakistani health officials' worst fears: The viral disease is out of control. In 2012 and 2013, polio cases were down significantly -- 58 and 93, respectively. However, when the country reported its 212th case this week, it shattered its own

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A New Life Or A Final Breath For World’s Largest Necropolis?

Unless Pakistan takes steps soon to fulfill its promises to international historical and cultural preservation agencies, an ancient graveyard — one of the world’s largest — may not be around for future generations to study and enjoy.

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
Necropolis

KARACHI, Pakistan --- If the Sindh provincial government does not come through on its promises to UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) regarding the conservation of one of the world’s largest necropolises soon, experts fear that the monuments at Makli Hills will be scratched off the World Heritage List and moved over

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US-India Ties Reflect US Focus On China, South Asia

The U.S. is looking for a strong ally in Asia to counterbalance China’s rise. Will India be able to elbow Pakistan out of its way so it can gain a strong foothold in Washington?

Zofeen Ebrahim
By Zofeen Ebrahim
Barack Obama, Narendra Modi

KARACHI, Pakistan --- Recent signs of a warming of U.S.-India ties could have implications not just for those two countries, but also for India’s neighbor, Pakistan, and South Asia, especially China. Nowhere were these signs more apparent than during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent five-day visit to the United States. Pakistan, once

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