An open letter to PM Nawaz
Dear Sir,I am not a PTI supporter. I am a son of the soil, who left our motherland, many years ago to pursue higher education abroad.Over those years, I have had the opportunity to work as an economist...
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Life and times of DJ Butt
DJ Butt is a famous Pakistani Disc Jockey, musician, political activist, environmentalist, stamp-collector, Twitter troll and amateur nuclear physicist.Butt is also related to two of Pakistan’s leading...
View ArticleOpen letter to Imran Khan, from a PTI voter
Weary of the hypocrisy, corruption and incompetence of generations of politicians, we were praying for change and riddance from this unending cycle of betrayal and failure.No one expected this from the...
View ArticleWant fun? Here's politics! Want more fun? Here's more politics!
Azadi march and Inquilab march have hijacked the media, but not just.They've also hijacked our peace of mind, and our very lives. Ask the ladies at home of how painstakingly they struggle (in vain) to...
View ArticleWatching the 'revolution' on TV is hard work
There is cleric at the helm of one 'revolution', a cricketer at the head of another. Both are now sitting in and standing off. At this stage, just watching the two marches on television is hard work....
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Kashmir's quiet boys: Bowling under the occupation
Srinagar was in a state of lock down. The city had been under a virtual siege after Kashmiri rebels had struck an army installation in the old city. The old city was a refuge for guerrillas as it...
View ArticleD-Chowk: Have you checked to see what’s at the end of the rope?
Haji Saheb spoke and assured the crowd that they will be rewarded here and in the hereafter for the efforts they were making to bring down a corrupt ruler.Narazi Saheb spoke and told the crowd, for the...
View ArticleKashmiris: Not a non-party
The Indian state has placed the blame for the recent fallout of Indian and Pakistani foreign secretaries' meeting in New Delhi on the Pakistani diplomat's meeting with Kashmiri leaders — the Hurriyat....
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Suspended in time: What George Orwell's birthplace looks like
“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” — George OrwellIt was a really cold morning on January 21, 2014 in Motihari, Bihar. As the three of us — my father, brother...
View ArticleDharnas vs Democracy
In May 2013, I, along with many other Pakistanis weary of a system steeped in corruption, bribery and dynastic politics supported Imran Khan’s bid to power through the general elections. I was deeply...
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What 'Pyaray Afzal' did right
In case you somehow missed it, Pyaray Afzal was quite the television phenomenon recently. Against the usual montage of formulaic TV drama series, this one certainly deserves our attention.(If you are...
View ArticleEnds may not justify means
The ongoing political crisis has invited much political analysis from people of all ages, genders, statuses and backgrounds. But people refuse to see the situation for what it really is. They would...
View Article20 questions, 14 days into the crisis
It is now two weeks into the protests in Islamabad and the battle of nerves still appears to be on. The only thing that stands clear is that neither the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), nor the...
View ArticleDid you know Burnes Road was named after a British spy-doctor?
For those of you who're not aware of it, Burnes Road in Karachi is named after James Burnes, a doctor who also worked as a spy for the British Raj in the subcontinent, back in the 18th century.In Sindh...
View ArticlePakistan's water woes should not be blamed on 'bogeyman' India
It’s not just about dams. Water scarcity poses an existential threat to Pakistan. It also endangers the welfare of Kashmiris in India. With interests conflicting over water, Indian Kashmiris are...
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Calling on the game: History of cricket commentary in Pakistan
This feature is part of Dawn.com's ongoing Pakistan Cricket History series:Pakistan cricket: A class, ethnic & sectarian historyReverse sweeps: Pakistan’s crazy cricket controversiesGreat Pakistan...
View ArticleCivil-military ties, not back to square one
The only consensus seems to be that something is rotten in the state of Pakistan. The general diagnosis is that the problem lies in the nature of democracy here. When Hamlet grappled with his...
View ArticleDemons of a British ghetto
They are the underbellies of Britain; streets where the organisation and sterility and order of the Western world are suddenly suspended. Here, people take chances with the rules; throw rubbish in the...
View ArticleBeyond dharnas: The forgotten numbers of Waziristan
The crowd at the ‘Azadi Square’ seems to be growing each day over at the Red Zone in Islamabad. Depending on what channel you are watching, various estimates will be given and dozens of experts will...
View ArticleWhat is 'naya' in Naya Pakistan?
This is a blog and writing one is perhaps inviting trouble these days. Why? Because blogging means I am addressing the social media audience of Pakistan and it is very lonely out here if you're not a...
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