On 5 July 1977, Pakistan witnessed one of the most consequential military coups in South Asian history. General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, then Chief of Army Staff, overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Operation Fair Play. The coup suspended democratic governance, imposed martial law, and fundamentally altered Pakistan's political, ideological and security landscape. While the coup was justified in the name of restoring order after disputed elec

As Pakistan rolled out ceremonial honours for Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, ordinary Shias across Parachinar, Kurram and Quetta continued to live under the shadow of bomb blasts, targeted killings and sectarian hate. Behind the carefully managed optics of inclusivity lies a darker reality of fear, discrimination and systemic failure that Islamabad can no longer conceal.