Mahwish Fakhar

Mahwish is a journalist for The Thursday Times' Islamabad bureau.

Collage: a boy in a mask and waistcoat, a girl dressed as Hermione holding a toddler dressed as Harry Potter, a laughing girl in Halloween make-up, and a boy in bat face paint holding a flashcard

Waiting for Godot in Islamabad

Islamabad and Rawalpindi have found themselves trapped in a strange political theatre: roads sealed, schools disrupted, businesses hit and ordinary routines broken, all in anticipation of talks between American and Iranian delegations that keep being delayed.

As Pakistan positions itself as a mediator between the US and Iran, Islamabad and Rawalpindi are paying the domestic price through road closures, disruption, inflation and lost livelihoods. — MICHAEL MCCALL FOR THE THURSDAY TIMES
Published by Thursday Media International thursday.media