Can Sufism save Sindh?
Sindh is under attack. The land of Shah Latif bleeds again. The seven queens of Shah Latif’s Shah Jo Risalo– Marui, Sassui, Noori, Sorath, Lilan, Sohni, and Momal – have put on black cloaks and they...
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Bhit Shah: After the dhamaal
Bhit Shah: After the dhamaalBy Vaqar AhmedThe most popular time to visit the shrine of the sufi saint and poet Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai (1689-1752) is during the annual Urs that takes place for three...
View ArticleYounis Khan, we have had it
Dear Younis Khan,Let me start by saying I am a vocal fan of yours. Many would agree that you are one of the greatest test match batsmen to play for Pakistan and you are certainly our greatest test...
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Is Imran Khan politically doomed?
Imran Khan was hospitalised after falling down from the stage in a rally in Lahore, just days before the polling on May 11, 2013. He hit TV screens again later in June. In his successive interviews, he...
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Basant under an empty sky
As I walk under the pale blue sky today, the pre-spring breeze resounds with the distant clatters of a Basant from my childhood. A sadness settles in, as I realise it is a sound that will never ring in...
View ArticleExtremism comes to Sindh — the counteraction still hasn't
When I visited the shrine of Jhulay Lal, a famous Sufi saint, whom both Hindus and Muslims revere equally, I was stunned to see a Hindu temple and a Muslim shrine-like building built on the same...
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Rusting anchor: The creation & mutation of a national ideology
For decades certain sections of the Pakistani intelligentsia have been insisting on the importance of changing the country’s national narrative (to better fight the social aspects of Pakistan’s war...
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Dear PCB, not all surprises are pleasant
The World Cup squad selected by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) included a few snubs and some surprises as well. Fawad Alam, a regular performer throughout last year, was dropped to pave way for...
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Imran's legend: Forcing Misbah to be the "cornered tiger"
Our nation tends to idolise our heroes and in doing so, often forgets that great things can be achieved by “mortal” men too.Imran Khan’s legend was well-established long before he won the World Cup in...
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A game-changer for the Pakistani public
The Metro bus projects in Lahore and Rawalpindi have been criticised by politicians and the news media. Some question their high capital costs, others question if we needed such transit in the first...
View ArticleWomen soldiers: If the boot fits, why shouldn't they wear it?
It’s disappointing that the country that proudly vaunted its army’s ‘Nari Shakti’ (woman power) recently, prompting a thumbs up from visiting President of the United States has once again turned its...
View ArticleThe bride of Daish
The story was reported in CNN. It took place in the portion of Syria now controlled by the Islamic State or Daish. There, 26-year-old Hanan (not her real name) lived with her father and mother. Her...
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Behind enemy lines: Captain Muath al-Kasaesbeh
“Royal Jordanian Air Force fighter pilot Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh ejected safely over Raqqah, Syria (territory held by ISIS), after his F-16 developed a technical malfunction while on a strike...
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World Cup: Don't lose (all) hope in our Pakistani Shaheens
With our front-line bowlers out of the series and a batting lineup that is perpetually shaky, our chances of winning this World Cup are way, way low.Still, no reason to lose hope. Our Pakistani...
View ArticleStudents fight back: 'How we're not letting terrorism win'
When the Army Public School tragedy unfolded on the December 16 last year, us students were in the middle of our midterm examinations. As news and pictures of the incident began circulating on the...
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View from the Indian stands: 'Sensing' a Pakistan win
On the 15th of Feb 2015, India and Pakistan will lock horns again in a World Cup match. Had the match been scheduled a day before – that is, on Valentine’s Day – it would have been poetic but...
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1984: The murder of Pakistan's student unions
The 9th of February is a day of infamy for the democratic fabric of Pakistan, where there was a tear so fundamental that it left but a few shreds of democracy left in this Islamic Republic. It happened...
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The fault(s) in our 11
You know the nation is skeptical when the loss of an opening batsman through an unfortunate injury is met by overwhelming cheers across the social media. While I do feel sorry for Mohammad Hafeez,...
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Finding Rumi in Turkey
“When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth, but find it in the hearts of men.”This is the epitaph at the tomb of Jalal-ud-Din Rumi (1207-1273); a prophecy that has withstood the test of time....
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Can the Karachi Literature Festival be more inclusive?
No one will deny literary festivals are needed and many more of them in a city as big and diverse as Karachi. For what it was worth, Karachi Literary Festival offered a liberal perspective on culture,...
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