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The deleted bits from Fatima Jinnah's 'My Brother'
The sub-continent's histories may well be one of the most misled and misinterpreted ones in the world. Part of the reason for that is, most histories now referred for research into the region were...
View ArticleInside the mind of Vladimir Putin
On October 1939, just as the Second World War had begun, Winston Churchill stated: “I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps...
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Woman of the year: The Pakistani mother
No assessment of women can be complete without saluting the courage of the Peshawar attack victims.—Reuters/file. It is an unenviable exercise, to write about one tragedy in the midst of another. As...
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2014 — The year I made my FIFA world cup reporting debut
2014 — The year Dawn made its FIFA world cup debutBy Umaid Wasim“The second row? Really?” I almost screamed inside.Dawn was making its FIFA World Cup debut and I was incredibly honoured and nervous at...
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7 news stories that will shape Pakistan in 2015
7 news stories that will shape Pakistan in 2015By Tahir MehdiIf I said ‘Pakistan is at an important juncture of its history’, I know most people would laugh or shrug it off as something they have been...
View ArticleWhy we have 'Ghosro Masters' and how to put an end to them
These days, a campaign 'Ghosro Master' against ghost teachers in Sindh, is underway on social media (take a look here, here and here). So-called teachers who have never stepped inside their schools but...
View ArticleWhat Pakistani leaders can learn from the world's 'poorest' president
From Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan to Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, political leadership in Pakistan has traditionally been the dominion of the rich. Back then, Pakistan’s independence movement was...
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Rise of blasphemy charges: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Indonesia in perspective
Almost a quarter of the countries in the world punish blasphemy. Research by Pew indicates that while laws restricting blasphemy are found in several countries (including in Europe), they are most...
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'Always show good news first – if possible at bed time also'
The government has managed to somehow get its head out of the sand on terrorism, and one part of the effort has been a meeting of the Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National...
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Abul Ala Maududi: An existentialist history
To most Pakistanis and to those who have been associated with various Islamic political outfits in countries like Egypt, Indonesia, Syria and Malaysia, Abul Ala Maududi is to 'Political Islam' what...
View ArticleA crippling start to the New Year
It is the 1st of January, and as people are still singing and sharing their hopes and resolutions for the new year, Pakistan has registered its first polio case of the year (the number last year was...
View Article'You can take it easy, you are a woman'
“A world where half our homes are run by men, and half our institutions are run by women, would be a far better world!”The first time, I heard Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, say this was in 2012. I...
View ArticleThe 'other' factors reshaping Pakistan's war on terror
Over 15 days have passed since the gruesome Peshawar carnage shook up the entire country. The atmosphere is still somber as a flurry of activity continues in government quarters.So has the situation...
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Breaking barriers: A Pakhtun and his electric guitar
Amidst scenes of laughing Pakhtun children playing with worn out tyres at an internally displaced peoples’ camp in northwest Pakistan walks a young man named Naseer Afridi, singing of peace and...
View ArticleHow to try a terrorist
It was a grim end to a sad year, Pakistan, was quiet on New Year’s Eve as the rest of the world reveled and brought in 2015 with fireworks and fanfare. The alleged mastermind of the bloodiest school...
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The fatwas that can change Pakistan's blasphemy narrative
This article is the second in a five-part series on the untold story of Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Read the first part here.Pakistan's blasphemy law continues to sustain popularity and credence, with...
View ArticleThe real hero: Abid Farooq risks all to defuse bombs
Abid Farooq is not deterred by threats. He is often called into court to testify against terrorists whose bomb attacks he has foiled. “Imagine, we are present in the same court as the terrorists, they...
View ArticleIndia and Pakistan: The fault is not in our stars
“The fault, dear Brutus”, Cassius says in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,” is not in our stars, but in ourselves”.Years and years of ‘Aman ke Aashas’ and cabinet level meetings, of confidence-building...
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Breakfast delights: Chanay and dum ka keema
We all love the delicious chanay, a true delight with poori, in Pakistan, and a side of batura across the border in India. I do not remember the first time I had chanay poori, I’ve been eating it all...
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