What will be left, once the dharnas end?
Not much is left in politics if hope and innocence are not part of the equation. The last few weeks have witnessed the hopes and aspirations of millions crushed under the daily theatre of political...
View ArticleMandatory military service — anyone?
When I used to write my weekly columns, every now and then, someone would respond to my hilariously clever witticisms and barbs at the current conditions of Pakistan by saying, “It’s easy to criticise,...
View Article#ScotlandDecides: Voting 'yes' out of hatred? Sounds familiar
While Pakistan faces political uncertainty, a conflict of sorts has gripped the British political arena.Right now, Scotland is in the process of deciding whether it wants to remain a part of Britain or...
View ArticleIPL — Thumbs up or thumbs down?
As the Champions League Twenty20 enters its main draw on Thursday, many in the cricketing world are questioning its significance. Does it really matter who takes the crown when it the tournament seems...
View ArticleWe can win the World Cup without Ajmal
The ban on Pakistan’s classy off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has created a strange panic among cricket lovers in Pakistan."It is unjust” “It is a conspiracy by the Big Three and the ICC against Pakistan...
View ArticleDrought in Thar: Some more broken promises
The 1.2 million people and five million livestock in district Tharparkar are once again in the grip of a severe drought. Due to inadequate and sporadic rainfall this year, it is expected that Thar and...
View Article'If you are not a VIP, you are unworthy of criticising a VIP'
The glittering orb of the VIP existence has hung over Pakistani heads for many years. It has special powers, exerting its magnetic magic to stop traffic, permit the skipping of long queues and even...
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Mental illness in Pakistan: The toll of neglect
The most shamefully neglected health field in Pakistan, mental illness afflicts 10 – 16 per cent of the population; with a large majority of those affected being women. According to the WHO, only 400...
View ArticleOf guilt and goodbye: Too late to thank my Professor
Karachi has known chaos and danger since what seems like an eternity now. People come and go. One hears news of target killings every day, and the death toll is just a number that's brought up in small...
View Article'It is not their faces they're hiding, it is their fears'
Muslim societies are gradually opening up, when it comes to women. The older culture of segregation was based on early marriages, which helped prevent sexual frustration. But economic pressure and...
View ArticleBattling sectarianism: Time to look beyond mum religious leaders
As the month of August came to an end, more than 200,000 had been killed at the hands of ISIS in the four years long, and running insurgency. The deaths were indiscriminate, as are in all warfare, and...
View ArticleFlood planning: Where is the money going?
Hundreds of people in Pakistan have died as a result of monsoon rains and consequential flooding. The latest toll stands at 346. Close to 200 of these come from Punjab, and close to 80 from Azad Jammu...
View ArticleT20 Cup: Where are the crowds?
The ongoing domestic T20 Cup is the embodiment of the failure of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as a competent unit, to put it mildly.The current tournament, which kicked off in Karachi on September...
View ArticlePolicing Mathira, Deepika — and all South Asian women
In my limited experience discussing the origins and impact of sexism with my peers and students, there is nothing that comes up more often than questions of moral policing. Many of my male friends and...
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Punjabi stage shows: Treasure buried in stereotypes
Every culture has their legends; a collective body of work that honours the genius that birthed it. This title is not always bestowed through popular vote, sometimes it is stumbled upon. You may be...
View ArticleA single drop of water, in a fire of hate
Ye dard rahe ga ban ke davaa, tum sabr karo waqt ane doAccording to one parable, when Prophet Abraham was cast into a fire by the tyrant king Nimrod, the spectacle was met with horror by a small bird....
View ArticleWhy is happiness a crime in Iran?
‘It might seem crazy what I'm about to say;’ dancing with joy is a crime in Iran.Seven Iranian students have recently received a suspended sentence of up to 12 months and 91 lashes each. Their crime:...
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#HeForShe: Why do men hate the 'F' word so much?
This week, I attended the HeForShe event at the United Nations General Assembly. HeForShe is a campaign for men and boys worldwide to advocate an end to gender inequality spearheaded by UN Women.At the...
View ArticleWhy is Imran attacking the very system he won through?
The Inqilab and Azadi bandwagon seems to have failed to materialise its prime ambition. The 10 lac did not turn up, the “umpire” negotiated but refused to raise the finger, and courtesy the incumbent...
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Grammatically yours: 'Gullu' may make it to Oxford Dictionary
A political gathering is pelted with bricks; the house or vehicle of someone with a political background is vandalised; a state institution like PTV is broken into; who is responsible for this...
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