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Children of war
It was the scorching heat of dog days when someone knocked at my door. I opened the door to a child of about eight, asking if I would buy anything from him. He was a cute little boy with brown hair and...
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The Plump Patriotic Pakistani Awards
Welcome people to the ceremony of the first Plump Patriotic Pakistani Awards (PPPA, also called the Papas).Today, we hand out this new award to all those patriots who have continued to make sure that...
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The din of our apathy
-Illustration by Khuda Bux AbroIn this noisy city, voices are lost, subdued or crushed under the feet of the running mob. Not just the voices, but also the cries, the complaints, and even emotions are...
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Natural disasters, unnatural outcomes
The evening began with rain and thunder and the night ended in pitch darkness. Flooded streets and rail tracks left cars, buses, and trains submerged in water as the city literally shut down after...
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Bin Laden’s hat and other stories
-Illustration by Khuda Bux AbroThe children of his caretakers called him “Miskeen Baba”, he liked to wear a cowboy hat while working in the garden, for snacks he preferred apples or chocolate. These...
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Weekly Classics: Snatch
Look at the title. What did you think of when you read that for the first time? I dislike the concept of blurbs and for years I didn’t watch this movie because I thought it would be some ode to...
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The fault in our stars: A book review
When you know all along while reading a book, what is coming your way, the novel instantaneously loses its charm. Even though the blurb at the back of The Fault in our Stars by John Green didn’t seem...
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The Malala movement
We all know the story of Malala, but the story has long evolved into a phenomenal movement like an oasis in a desert of inactivity against educational injustice. When did her story grow into a...
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Suffering from high self-esteem
I came to the US a week ago to do a show for a group of Pakistani doctors, both men and women.I was first received by the women who took me out to lunch. They were very welcoming and like a lot of...
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Don’t let Malala down, stand up and be counted
How many times, O the people of Pakistan have you seen representatives from around the world giving a standing ovation to a Pakistani? The UN Secretary General wiping off his tears while listening to a...
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Ailing ties: A dual citizen's story
The morning I found out that the United States’ plans to slash economic aid requests to Pakistan had reached headline news in Karachi, my dad was speaking to me on the phone from New York. On his side...
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An expression of displeasure
International relations reflect real life situations. The rich and powerful try hard to dominate the poorer and the less powerful. But, like in real life, on occasion this leads to a struggle, often...
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The Jhang of Lashkars – 2
For whom the bell tollsThe 16th day of April in 1853 is special in the Indian history. The day was a public holiday. At 3:30 pm, as the 21 guns roared together, the first train carrying Lady Falkland,...
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I am Macaulay’s child
Sometime in 1834, a plump man ventured from the comfort of his “civilized” British homeland to the “barbaric” India. Thomas Babington Macaulay’s world view very well reflected the ills of the 19th...
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Your task is not to seek for love ...
The depth of one’s spirituality is directly proportionate to one’s level of tolerance for other people’s beliefs. This means the more convinced a person is in his/her own beliefs and convictions; the...
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Just a hundred yards away
Just a hundred yards or so separates the sea from the Karachi residence of the President of Pakistan. If this conjures up an image of a lovely tree lined path, weaving through a lush green garden,...
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Political Islam: Rise, fragmentation and possible fall
Unlike most political ideologies whose adherents by and large agree with the definitional tags attributed to their respective ideologies and ideologues, Political Islam is more of an academic...
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Those who deny women
-Illustration by Khuda Bux Abro.Those who refute women also refute their own self and existence. One does not need to search for them as they are in such large numbers that one can just identify them...
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European Parliament identifies Wahabi and Salafi roots of global terrorism
It is not merely the faith or oil that flows out of Saudi Arabia. The oil-rich Arab state and its neighbours are busy financing Wahabi and Salafi militants across the globe.A recent report by the...
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The doctor glut
It used to be that there were just a few medical colleges in the country. The majority were state run institutions and a handful were private establishments that required hefty fees. Admission to the...
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