Yes / This article explores the implications for identity through presenting a detailed analysis of how three British Pakistani women narrated their involvement in higher education. The increased participation of British South Asian women in higher education has been hailed a major success story and is said to have enabled them to forge alternative, more empowering gender identities in comparison to previous generations. Drawing on generative narrative interviews conducted with three young women, we explore the under-researched area of Pakistani Muslim women in higher education. The central plotlines for their stories are respectively higher education as an escape from conforming to the ‘good Muslim woman’; becoming an educated mother; and Muslim women can ‘have it all’. Although the women narrated freedom to choose, their stories were complex. Through analysis of personal ‘I’ and social ‘We’ self-narration, we discuss the different ways in which they drew on agency and fashioned it within social and structural constraints of gender, class and religion. Thus higher education is a context that both enables and constrains negotiations of identity.

No / Bradford, in northern England, has attracted migrants since the nineteenth century. The most recent group, from Pakistan, began to arrive in the 1950s. There is now a three-generational Muslim community of Pakistani origin. The interaction of migration, ethnicity and deprivation in Bradford is considered by focusing on infant mortality. This is higher in Bradford than overall UK averages. The highest rates are in babies of first-generation migrant mothers. Migration theory, in particular, macro-economic models explaining choice to migrate, is critically reviewed. In addition to economic factors, family reconstitution is a key motivation for migration. The resulting characteristics of migrants and of the hybrid community they constitute display a complex clustering of risk factors relevant to infant health. An understanding of individual and social characteristics of the migrant community are needed to augment conventional theories of health disadvantage, which do not explain the inequality of life chances evident in this city.

Yes / Objectives In this study we aimed to test the associations between area-level ethnic density and health for Pakistani and White British residents of Bradford, England. Design The sample consisted of 8610 mothers and infant taking part in the Born in Bradford cohort. Ethnic density was measured as the percentage of Pakistani, White British or South Asian residents living in a Lower Super Output Area. Health outcomes included birth weight, preterm birth and smoking during pregnancy. Associations between ethnic density and health were tested in multilevel regression models, adjusted for individual covariates and area deprivation. Results In the Pakistani sample, higher ethnic density was associated with lower birth weight (b -0.82, 95% CI -1.63; -0.02), and higher South Asian density was associated with a lower probability of smoking during pregnancy (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98; 1.00). Pakistani women in areas with 50-70% South Asian residents were less likely to smoke than those living in areas with less than 10% South Asian residents (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16;0.97). In the White British sample, neither birth weight nor preterm birth was associated with ethnic density. The probability of smoking during pregnancy was lower in areas with 10-29.99% compared to < 10% South Asian density (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64; 0.98). Conclusion In this sample, ethnic density was associated with lower odds of smoking during pregnancy but not with higher birth weight or lower odds of preterm birth. Possibly, high levels of social disadvantage inhibit positive effects of ethnic density on health. / Hall Dorman studentship , also Wellcome and NIHR

Yes / Foodbank use in the UK is rising but, despite high levels of poverty, Pakistani women are less likely to use foodbanks than white British women. This study aimed to understand the lived experience of food in the context of poverty amongst Pakistani and white British women in Bradford, including perspectives on food aid. Design: Sixteen Pakistani and white British women, recruited through community initiatives, participated in three focus groups (one interview was also held as a consequence of recruitment difficulties). Each group met for two hours aided by a moderator and professional interpreter. The transcripts were analysed thematically using a three-stage process. Findings: Women in low-income households employed dual strategies to reconcile caring responsibilities and financial obligations: the first sought to make ends meet within household income; the second looked to outside sources of support. There was a reported near absence of food insecurity amongst Pakistani women which could be attributed to support from social/familial networks; resource management within the household; and cultural and religious frameworks. A minority of participants and no Pakistani respondents accessed charitable food aid. There were three reasons for the non-use of food aid: it was not required because of resource management strategies within the household and assistance from familial/social networks; it was avoided out of shame; and knowledge about its existence was poor. Originality: This case study is the first examination of varying experiences of food insecurity amongst UK white British and Pakistani women. Whilst the sample size is small, it presents new evidence on perceptions of food insecurity amongst Pakistani households and on why households of varying ethnicities do not use food aid. / NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care Yorkshire and Humber (NIHR CLAHRC YH)(Grant number IS-CLA-0113-10020); IKnowFood Research Programme at the University of York (https://iknowfood.org/) which is funded through the Global Food Security’s “Resilience of the UK Food System Programme” with support from BBSRC, ESRC, NERC and Scottish Government.

Yes / British South Asians have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than the wider population. Bradford (UK), with its high Pakistani presence and levels of economic deprivation, has exceptionally high instances, especially in deprived areas where many Pakistanis reside. British Pakistani women in Bradford are more likely to be overweight and obese. There is uncertainty on how these women can be aided to manage their weight. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the obesity concerns of Pakistani women living in deprived inner-city areas of Bradford. Three focus groups interviews were carried out with 23 Pakistani women living in deprived areas of Bradford. Data were analysed thematically. This exploratory study identified a wide range of concerns that women had around managing their weight. Participants disclosed distrust in information given around medication, conflicting dietary information and reported low levels of trust in women-only organized physical activities. Cultural barriers were identified, which included the gender role of the woman, the lack of culturally appropriate dietary advice, cultural misunderstandings of what constitutes a healthy diet and healthy weight, the lack of culturally suitable exercise facilities and conforming to family and community expectations. Other concerns were language barriers around a lack of understanding, the inability to read Urdu and reliance on others to translate information. These findings have implications for researchers, local authorities, policy makers and others with an interest in reducing the rates of obesity in this population. Recommendations include training health practitioners to be culturally aware of the diet and eating practices of this community, exploring different ways to support socially isolated women to be more physically active at home, addressing physical activity and diet misconceptions and designing obesity management information materials appropriate for a range of literacy levels. Public contributors were involved in the development of the interview guide and design of the research. A pilot focus group with participants not included in the present paper was used to help test and refine the focus group questions. Interview transcripts were member checked by participants, and participants assisted with data analysis. / UKPRP. Grant Number: MR/S037527/1 NIHR. Grant Number: NIHR200166

British Pakistani women have exceptionally high rates of obesity and yet are seldom heard in a research priority setting concerning weight management. The objectives of this study were (i) to ascertain what multisectoral professionals perceive to be the most pressing unmet obesity needs or topic areas that need more research in relation to Pakistani women living in deprived areas of Bradford and (ii) to determine the top 10 obesity health priorities for this group to develop an obesity research agenda. Methods: A two‐step process was adopted using the following: (i) a survey of a wide range of multisectoral professional stakeholders (n= 159) and (ii) a ranking exercise involving Pakistani women living in deprived areas of Bradford (n= 32) to select and prioritize their top 10 obesity health concerns and unmet needs from a list of 31statements identified in the survey and previous research. Survey data were analysed using inductive content analysis and themes were identified. Themes were translated into statements to be ranked by Pakistani women. The ranking exercise was conducted by telephone either via voice or video call. Data were analysed using a reverse scoring system. Results: Survey responses were grouped into statements reflecting the following three categories: education needs; healthy behaviour barriers and mental well‐being. The highest rankings were given by Pakistani women to statements on mental health and the need for education. The top 10 prioritized statements were developed with members of the public into an obesity research agenda that reflected the target population. Conclusion: Actively engaging British Pakistani women in setting research priorities provided a unique opportunity to understand the key areas they think are important for future research. The culminating research agenda can be used by researchers to advance the field of obesity research in Pakistani communities, thus producing research outputs that are relevant to and have impact in this population. Patient or Public Contribution: Participants in the ranking exercise collected data. Public contributors were involved in developing the prioritized statements into are search agenda. / NIHR, Grant/Award Number: NIHR200166;UKPRP, Grant/Award Number:MR/S037527/1

Writers of fiction have long since relied on love, romance, and desire to drive the plots of their work, yet some postcolonial authors use romance and interpersonal relationships to illustrate the larger political and social forces that affect their relatively marginalized experiences in a global context. To illustrate this literary strategy, I have chosen to discuss four novels written in the twenty-first century by Pakistani authors: Tbe Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid, Trespassing by Uzma Aslam Khan, The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam, and Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. With the geographical origin of these writers as a common starting place from which to compare and contrast their perspectives on global politics, their understandings of gender, and their perceptions of how the public and the private constitute and intersect each other, I will use postcolonial theory to dissect the treatment of romance in their respective novels. / v, 85 leaves ; 29 cm

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between reading habits (in English, in L1 and overall) and English reading performance among Sindhi and Urdu students at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan, and also to explore the factors that might have influenced these aspects. The main motivation for the selection of this study was the participants’ poor English reading proficiency. An explanatory sequential mixed methods research design was adopted, which allowed collecting and analysing quantitative data first to gain a general understanding of the phenomenon followed by an in-depth qualitative interview with a smaller sample to further explore and explain the phenomena in question. After a pilot study, firstly the quantitative study was conducted with 220 students from Sindhi speaking (n=133) and Urdu speaking (n=87) groups using a reading habits questionnaire and an English reading test. The data was analysed in detail. Following analysis, six students, three from each Sindhi and Urdu group were selected for in-depth interviews and the data was analysed using Thematic Analysis. Finally, both quantitative and qualitative findings were synthesised to reach the outcome of the study. The findings of this study suggested that there was a lack of leisure reading habit among the participants other than textbook reading, and their reading frequency of academic articles was relatively low (Sindhi and Urdu as one group). The participants showed similar reading habits in English and in L1 and there were no significant differences between Sindhi and Urdu students’ reading habits in English, in L1 and overall. However, Urdu students scored significantly (p=.000) higher than Sindhi students on English reading performance. There was very little, if any, correlation between reading habits (in English, in L1 and overall) and English reading performance of all students (as one group) and between Sindhi and Urdu students respectively. However, this study strongly suggested that home background, educational background, English language learning environment in the past, and socio-cultural background greatly influence reading habits and English reading performance of Sindhi and Urdu students in the Pakistani university context. Additionally, this study suggested that Urdu students come from backgrounds that are more supportive of reading, which may be a probable cause of their English reading performance being higher than Sindhi students in this study.

This thesis is a history of American and British efforts to halt or retard the Pakistani nuclear weapons programme. It assesses US and UK non-proliferation policy towards Pakistan from the Indian nuclear test of May 1974 to the decline of anti-proliferation activity in 1979 and 1980. A broadly chronological analysis of key government and media sources from American and British archives highlights the development of non-proliferation policy and the factors that influenced anti-proliferation activity. Scrutiny of British-and not just American-involvement in Pakistan's nuclear programme permits an assessment of the existence of a 'non-proliferation special relationship' between Washington and London. This study demonstrates that successive British governments played a significant role in creating, shaping, and at times adversely affecting, non-proliferation activity on the sub-continent. Additionally, this thesis demonstrates that the UK frequently deprioritised non-proliferation concerns in favour of economic considerations, creating tension between London and Washington. Thus, it is shown that there was a close working relationship between the US and UK governments, but the relationship was riven with fissures. Alongside this examination of British policy, this study also examines American policy and attitudes, demonstrating that infighting and conflicts between strategic priorities impaired the effectiveness of American non-proliferation policy. Furthermore, this study offers a detailed examination of the cultural underpinnings of UK-US non-proliferation policy directed against Pakistan. It demonstrates that-contrary to popular and long-lasting media representations-the paradigm of an 'Islamic bomb' played no part in the creation and application of non-proliferation policy. This thesis makes it clear that in UK-US efforts to halt or retard Pakistani nuclear attainment, issues of credibility and global standing were far more significant than religious factors. Overall, this study examines a key moment in non-proliferation history and offers new findings on the Anglo-American relationship and the role of cultural factors in shaping foreign policy.

Le Pakistan chevauche la frontière linguistique entre deux familles linguistiques ; l’indo-aryen et l’iranien, qui ensemble constituent l'indo-iranien, une branche majeure de la famille indo-européenne. Ainsi, le panorama général de la situation linguistique se caractérise par la diversité linguistique due à différents facteurs sociaux et historiques. Comme beaucoup d’autres pays du monde, le Pakistan est aussi un pays multilingue où plusieurs langues sont présentes avec des statuts plus ou moins différents. A part ce multilinguisme, une grande partie de la population rurale du Pakistan est également monolingue. Sous les effets du colonialisme, les langues natives du Pakistan ne sont pas reconnues par le gouvernement. À cause de la politique linguistique de l’état, ces langues les moins répandues sont considérées comme des langues peu importantes. Ainsi, ces langues régionales restent ignorées même par des linguistes et des chercheurs. Du point de vue de la linguistique, chaque langue possède des particularités et une richesse linguistique malgré son statut officiel dans un pays. Nous avons choisi de présenter cinq langues majeures du Pakistan. Cette diversité linguistique nous a offert ce terrain fertile à l’étude de ces langues au niveau de la phonétique et de la phonologie. Le résultat de ce travail nous a conduits à une étude comparative des systèmes phonético-phonologiques des langues pakistanaises et ceux de la langue française. Cela nous a permis de conclure au fait que les voyelles antérieures arrondies et les semi-voyelles françaises n’existant pas dans les langues pakistanaises sont absentes dans la prononciation des apprenants de FLE. Ces absences sont les causes majeures des erreurs de la prononciation faites par la majorité des apprenants pakistanais de FLE. / Pakistan straddles the linguistic border between two linguistic families; Indo-Aryan and Iranian, which together constitute Indo-Iranian, a major branch of the Indo-European family. Thus, the general panorama of the linguistic situation is characterized by linguistic diversity due to different social and historical factors. Like many other countries in the world, Pakistan is also a multilingual country where several languages are present with more or less different status. Apart from this multilingualism, a large part of the rural population of Pakistan is also monolingual. Under the effects of colonialism, the native languages of Pakistan are not recognized by the government. Because of the state’s language policy, these less widely spoken languages are considered as minor languages. Thus, these regional languages are ignored even by linguists and researchers. From the point of view of linguistics, each language has peculiarities and linguistic richness despite its official status in a country. We chose to present five major languages of Pakistan. This linguistic diversity has offered us fertile ground for the study of these languages at the level of phonetics and phonology. The result of this work led us to a comparative study of the phonetic-phonological systems of the Pakistani languages and those of the French language. This allowed us to conclude that the rounded anterior vowels and French semi-vowels that do not exist in Pakistani languages are absent in the pronunciation of FLE learners. These absences are the major causes of the pronunciation errors made by the majority of Pakistani FLE learners.