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Smokers’ Corner: The little red book that inspired and killed
Illustration by Abro A week or so ago, while trying to locate a book in my large but rather chaotically arranged library, my eyes fell upon a dusty red book. It was Quotations from Chairman Mao...
View ArticleWhy I love Pakistani biryani – from an Indian fan
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History of the Pakistani passport
The Pakistani passport has been a mirror of the persistent existentialist tussle in the country itself. The evolution of its look and contents have reflected (or, rather, have been made to reflect),...
View ArticleICC rankings are incomplete without an India-Pakistan Test series
Against all odds, the Pakistani cricket team attained number one position in the ICC Test rankings recently. One can only agree with captain Misbah-ul-Haq that there is no greater feeling than to...
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Here is why a trip to Tehran will leave you in wonder
The closest I had ever come to Tehran previously was when I was nine. I was on a PIA flight to the UK and the plane had stopped in the Iranian capital for a few hours for a layover. And the only sight...
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Smokers’ Corner: A case of identity
Illustration by Abro Mughal emporer Akbar has been treated with disdain by quite a few ‘official’ historians in Pakistan. Yet another great Mughal king, Aurangzeb is seen as an exemplary prototype...
View ArticleWhy we must come down hard on VIP culture
We all play the cards we’re dealt, and some of us just have better cards than others.Imagine driving on a highway in your Civic or Corolla and getting flagged by a police officer. Parked on the side of...
View ArticleHow Sajida lost her family to bonded labour
Let me tell you a story that still haunts my mind about one of Pakistan’s biggest evils: bonded labour.Our housekeeper Sajida had 13-year-old twin daughters, Bushra and Nusrat. They used to come over...
View ArticleIs your spouse emotionally abusive? Here's why that needs to stop
Karen doesn’t even have the strength to walk properly. She tells me anxiously that it feels like pins and needles in her left leg. She is hoping that I would offer some explanation about her recurrent...
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Bum ‘em all: War clouds over South Asia
War clouds are hovering over Hindustan — a vast empire which includes all of the subcontinent, including the Maldives, parts of Seychelles and some residential areas of Mauritius. Its brave youth are...
View ArticleImran Khan and the Candy Crush saga
I know it is quite annoying but Imran Khan is addicted to Candy Crush and he can’t stop.He probably has lost all hope in reality and is fast becoming a victim of his own ‘virtual politics’. Politics in...
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It's a woman's world: Facebook and the sisterhood code
The feminine experience is a funny thing; it involves dodging, spluttering and plowing through to persevere in the circumstances best afforded to it. The privilege that patriarchy enjoys in Pakistan...
View ArticleShould Fawad Khan leave India? An open letter to Soumyadipta Banerjee
Dear Soumyadipta Banerjee,From the outset, let me clarify that I am not singling you out particularly. I am merely addressing this letter to you since you have emerged as the latest flag-bearer of the...
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What pellet guns have done to protesters in Kashmir
Another day dawns in Indian-administered Kashmir and people are rushed from different corners of the valley to the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital (SMHS) in Srinagar. The ophthalmology ward is packed...
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Pulp friction: 'Dude, have you watched any Indian news channels lately?'
Sensitive Furniture These jingoists, they have no shame, whatsoever!Yes, I can hardly bear watching Indian TV channels anymore.What Indian TV channels? I’m talking about my fellow Pakistanis.Why, what...
View ArticleModi has become a prisoner of his own image
A war hysteria has gripped India. It has never happened that those who want peace have been so muted.The inflammatory commentary by politicians, experts, and journalists is a result of the mushrooming...
View ArticleIndia and Pakistan, can’t we convert our grudges into love?
I find myself increasingly upset at the abuse and hatred tossed from both sides of the border, with little rationale apart from the 69- year-old chips on our shoulders. These chips have, over time,...
View ArticleA train ride to India in better times
Some stories from my past are still clearly etched in my memory.In 1955, I travelled to Bombay as an accompanying child on my mother’s passport to visit my ailing grandfather.The following year, I went...
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Pakistani spy pigeon: The proof
Yesterday, Indian police detained a pigeon at the border with Pakistan, after it was found carrying a warning note to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last year as well, India had arrested a pigeon, which...
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In pictures: How a Khairpur date is born and sold
Pakistan is the sixth largest producer of dates in the world. Thanks to suitable climate conditions, Khairpur in Sindh occupies central place in the country's date production. Agriculture is central to...
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