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A belief in unity: The life of Abdus Salam
The name lay waiting, until he was born and all his life, Abdus Salam wore it as a mantle. Almost nine decades ago, Mohammad Hussain, a school teacher in Jhang, had a dream that his unborn son would go...
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The science of farce
I still remember a conversation I once overheard between two cops standing just outside my grandfather’s office as a teenager in the early 1980s.The conversation was in Punjabi and went something like...
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Only the PM knows
When the whole nation was geared up to brace military action against the Taliban, to the surprise of many, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly announced that his government would give...
View ArticleGandhi’s exile
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is as big a name in the history of today’s South Asia and the pre-partition sub-continent. Gandhi Jee acquired a degree in law from England. He was a gentleman with nice...
View ArticleMaking heritage relevant?
The upcoming Sindh Festival aka the ‘Cultural Coup’ of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on February 1, 2014 has been under severe criticism over the construction of a stage that could put the ruins of one of the...
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Musadiq Sanwal: Memories of a free spirit
-Photo by Nofil NaqviIf I had a chance to speak with Musadiq Sanwal today, I would probably ask him how he ended up making his exit on a Friday.I would have teased him by saying ‘Friday is an...
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I am selfish and it suits me
Let me admit that I am the Aam Aadmi or Ordinary Adam that I often talk about, although I do not like to admit it. Whenever I talk about him, I pretend that he is not me or I am not him – I am wrong. I...
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The Almond Tree: A book review
The book reached me somehow. From Darya Ganj, Delhi to DHA, Islamabad, it was a difficult ride and took almost a month’s time. Writing a review is a formatted job, where set patterns eventually rob the...
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RIP, Nido Taniam
A friend recently told me that people from North-East India don’t have an easy time in Delhi. Their easily distinguishable features make them stand out, he said. “Someone I know went to a bar for a...
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Movie Review: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
A scene from movie, "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit". - Courtesy PhotoA new beginning for an old hero, reborn young.For some not of the cinephile nature, Jack Ryan’s name may hardly be noteworthy, unless...
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Food Stories: Nihari
If you are a true Karachiite, you’ll know about a Botal gali. I was a frequent visitor of the street, for as a child I suffered from a nursemaid’s elbow and any tug or play of my arm would result in...
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Movie Review: American Hustle
A scene from movie, "American Hustle". - Courtesy Photo“American Hustle” is a very hard movie to classify, more so, because of its unorthodox approach to people rather than the con-game itself.There is...
View ArticleVictims missing from the dialogue table
Yet another suicide bomber targeted a Shia neighbourhood in Peshawar killing nine and injuring 50 others. The past few months have witnessed a sustained campaign of violence against the non-Pashtuns in...
View ArticleThe Dancing Girl of Moenjodaro
It was hard to recognise her from her pouted lips and insolent comportment. She was not nude as she is famously shown in her statue. She was wearing shalwar kameez and a vivaciously-coloured ajrak duly...
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The saboteurs: Who is trying to upset the peace talks?
As the government of Pakistan finally exhibits some sense and agrees to hold sincere and serious dialogue with various liberation groups struggling to bring a genuine Islamic order and justice under...
View ArticleScience in Pakistan: The French connection
At a recent conference held at the Alliance Francaise Karachi on French Contributions to Pakistan Studies, I learned about all the amazing research in Pakistan conducted by French paleontologists,...
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A very bleak house
-Photo courtesy of the Hulton Deutsch CollectionIn eminent literary corners of the world, the birthday of Charles Dickens will be celebrated today. In stodgy classrooms of the world’s haloed...
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Sindh Festival: More than bread and circuses?
-Photo by Fiona Hanson/PA Archive/Press AssociationI've been very close to the PPP for a long time – especially Benazir Bhutto – and I wholeheartedly support the idea behind Sindh Festival, especially...
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Rickshaw Run
Coming from Singapore, nothing could prepare me for the muscle mass required for a rickshaw ride in Karachi. -Photo by writerI step out of my house, determined. I have two major obstacles to conquer,...
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Who decides which child will live: God or a mother?
“A mother, desperate to escape Somalia's famine, alternated carrying each of her two children until they all became so weak that she could only carry one.“She looked down at her two children and said a...
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