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Public misogyny: Chronicles of a boy on Karachi's streets
This article was originally published on January 22, 2016. This piece consists of snippets chronicling gender roles on the streets of Karachi through a male gaze, and also tells part of the story...
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In memory of my sister, Perween Rahman
Perween Rahman, Director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was killed on this day in 2013. She was a selfless and dedicated activist, a dear friend, a close comrade, a loving daughter and my younger sister....
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12 stops: A Do-It-Yourself tour of Karachi, Part II
It is perhaps impossible to reach a consensus on which places to include on a list of top attractions in Karachi. The geographical spread of the metropolis makes it difficult for one individual to see...
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The fear of Hindu Rashtra: Should India's Muslims keep away from electoral...
Four months before the Uttar Pradesh election results sent Muslims in India reeling in shock, former Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Adeeb delivered a speech in Lucknow, which, in hindsight, might be called...
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A history of Karachi’s garbage outbreaks
Photo: File photo Karachi has witnessed at least three major garbage outbreaks. At the same time, ironically, the history of the city also suggests that it not only managed to eliminate these...
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The colourful faces and celebrations of Holi in Umerkot
Holi has become one of the well-recognised cultural and religious events across the planet. While the global status it has received might be new, the festival of course has historical significance in...
View ArticleWhy I disagree with the censorship of social media and the imposition of hijab
Pakistani representatives seem to be getting their ankle-length trousers into quite a few unseemly knots these days over unprecedented ‘slights’ against our battle-hardened culture. Under attack (as it...
View ArticleContemplating suicide at age 8: How I grew up hiding my depression
When I was eight, I heard about a three-year-old who fell in a water tank and drowned. The news shattered mothers in the small community we lived in. My own mother told me to be more vigilant of myself...
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How I raised my perfect child with Down Syndrome
For most parents, the day their first child is born is a special moment. It is the day that marks the start of a journey full of promises, dreams, and expectations. Parents hope that their newborn will...
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23rd March special: The resolutions after the Resolution
Picture: Archive 150 The first resolve: Head of the All India Muslim League (AIML), Muhammad Ali Jinnah, speaking to party members in Lahore on March 23, 1940. Jinnah was presiding a party session in...
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I found the mystic light I was seeking in the Broghil valley
I distinctly remember the photograph I saw of a child in a stone hut in the Broghil valley, close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. She had the most striking eyes and was wearing a traditional dress...
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Exclusive | One moment in Perth changed our lives: Aaqib Javed
By Hafsa Adil This article was originally published on November 14, 2014. Despite the locks and the looks, Aaqib Javed was never the quintessential Pakistani fast bowler. Drafted into a team boasting...
View ArticleMoin Khan on the 1992 World Cup
25 years ago, on March 25th 1992, the Pakistan cricket team won the World Cup - the wicket keeper at the time - Moin Khan, reminisces about that great day in Pakistan cricketing history. This interview...
View ArticleHow a gurudwara in Nankana Sahib promoted Punjabi for centuries
Gurudwara Patti Sahib is relatively small, as far as Sikh places of worship go. The single-storey structure is surrounded by a courtyard, next to which there are several rooms. These were once reserved...
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Stargazing in Balochistan took me to an infinite universe
“That constellation is the Big Bear, the one opposite it is the Little Bear. At the tail end of the Little Bear is Polaris, the North Star,” I was told. I was around 15 years old when one clear night...
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As Pakistan cracks down on love, hate makes deeper inroads into the country
The Pakistani state has a unique ability to find itself in farcical situations.On Monday, February 13, the Islamabad High Court banned Valentine’s Day celebrations across the country on the eve of the...
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The breathtaking ruins of Mohenjo-Daro have an ancient tale to tell
Mohenjo-Daro is one of the oldest settlements in the Indus Valley Civilisation. It is believed to have been built 5,000 years ago in an area which today is in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Most...
View ArticleA world without written words: the remnants of Pakistan's oral tradition
A few years ago, I had gone on a long trip to south Punjab in Pakistan, where I wound my way through various Sufi shrines belonging to several traditions, some similar and others distinct. I was...
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Jhulay Lal's cradle of tolerance
This article was originally published on June 3, 2015. One of my colleagues asked me some time ago:‘Can you believe that Hindus and Muslims can pray at the same place simultaneously?’‘Well, of course...
View ArticleIt's time we stopped using 'kala' as an insult and respected the...
February is Black History Month in the United States. It originated in 1926 with the efforts of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History, founded by historian Carter G....
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