How 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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Helping an injured biker made me realise Karachi's traffic police isn’t...
My usual ride to the university each morning involves surfing through radio channels while I am half asleep. But this last Friday was different. I witnessed a traffic accident that jerked me out of my...
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Sports are known for matches, but rarely for how they are used as political...
Recently a minister belonging to one of the island nations which make up the West Indies suggested that the Caribbean people should forget about the declining status of West Indian cricket and...
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The spices and flavours of Marrakech will tickle your tastebuds
When people ask me if they should visit Marrakech, I quickly reply with an enthusiastic yes, shortly followed by “But it’s not for everyone”. With its dusty roads and confusing alleys, this historical...
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What is the Pakistani hockey player really worth?
— Photo courtesy FIH This article was originally published on August 5, 2015 Pakistan hockey. It is not unusual to talk about it in the past tense now.World Cup winners, Olympics giants; the kings of...
View ArticleHow I stopped hoping for my autistic son to become 'normal'
Yesterday marked the 10th World Autism Awareness Day. The United Nations, which passed a unanimous resolution in 2007 designating April 2nd for autism awareness, had Autonomy and Self-Determination as...
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Jinnah wasn't born in Wazir Mansion, so where was his actual birthplace?
Wazir Mansion, the site which many have claimed to be the birthplace of Quaid-e-Azam. Photo: Farooq Soomro Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah, like all major personalities in history, is a...
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Modi adds cows to cricket team, PTI accuses Mountbatten of rigging
Indian government asks cricket board to select at least two cows in cricket team Photo: OBP New Delhi: The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian cricket board, the BCCI, to...
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Those who can’t afford to live are left to die – my experiences as a doctor...
I have had the privilege and honour to work in the hospitals of Karachi during and after my studies. While I served my patients to the best of my ability, my experiences opened my eyes to much that’s...
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Will Pakistan see another Jahangir Khan?
This article was originally published on January 5, 2016. Yet another year has passed with no success in the sport which Pakistan once dominated for nearly fifty years: squash. How many teenagers are...
View ArticleI was handcuffed and tied but it was worth my fight against One Unit
50 years ago, 4th March, 1967 marked a watershed event in the post-Partition history of Sindh. It was the day when 207 students were arrested en masse at the G.M. Barrage between Jamshoro and Hyderabad...
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How this lesser known festival is celebrated annually by Hindus in Sindh
The Indus is a mainstay of the Indian civilisation. For the people of Sindh especially, its mythical status penetrates each and every aspect of Sindhi life. The mention of River Indus, or Sindhu, goes...
View ArticleI was sucked into my husband’s narcissistic world, but came out of it stronger
I quickly got up from my chair as I heard a loud thud and a door slamming shut across the hallway from my apartment. I looked out and saw my neighbour sitting in the corridor, bursting into tears.As...
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Stadium stories: Famous Pakistan cricket grounds
Gaddafi Stadium City: Lahore (Punjab)Constructed: 1959First Test Match: 1959 (Pakistan vs. Australia)Original Name: Lahore Stadium. Changed to Gaddafi Stadium in 1974.Seating Capacity: 27,000Home...
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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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