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Why blasphemy remains unpardonable in Pakistan
This is the third article in a five-part series on the untold story of Pakistan’s blasphemy law. Readers are recommended to read part 1 and 2 first to minimise confusion and clarify the context of this...
View ArticleIn Landi Kotal: A slow death for poetry
The news was buried somewhere deep in the pages of the newspaper and really it was surprising that it had been reported at all. Against the blood and flesh deaths that take up the front and the back...
View ArticleSectarian terror and soft targets = frustrated terrorists
When they want to add to the number and impact of terrorist attacks, terrorists start hitting soft targets. Attacks on hard or relatively secure targets require more time to plan and execute, and the...
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Why Pakistan should be terrified of Chris Gayle
In a few hours, Pakistan will be facing West Indies in another group match of the World Cup 2015. The pressure is on. Both teams have lost their first games. Both will be keen on conquering this one....
View ArticleMr Sethi and co, we want more than just press conferences
The arguments of churning out fresh blood were long buried in Christchurch before the start of the World Cup.Yet, despite the tell-tale loss to New Zealand Board President XI, a nation feverishly...
View ArticleAfghan-Pakistan ties: Aligning policy with reality
President Ashraf Ghani's outreach is but an effort to normalise relations with Pakistan, though it may seem a bit drastic in view of the often skewed nature of relations between the two neighbours, who...
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How Pakistan was annihilated by Windies – through a fan’s eyes
It was never luckier to have a working Saturday than this Saturday for fans of Pakistan cricket. We know most people who did were slumbering when it happened (or at least when the relatively more...
View ArticleHope and a game plan can still rescue Pakistan
While commenting during today's match, Ramiz Raja mentioned that batsman Umer Akmal had shared with him his intense disappointment at Pakistan's loss to India, a week ago.For the players, to carry...
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If Karachi were a person, who would it be?
I am sitting in the departure lounge of Karachi airport, waiting for boarding to begin my first leg: Karachi-Dubai. There are a number of labourers travelling alone, going back to their jobs after...
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'When will we discuss the third gender in our classrooms?'
I was chasing a deadline for an assignment which required for me to pitch a topic for a print story to my professor. Each missed deadline meant a -1 mark. To my relief and amazement, four hours of...
View ArticleI didn’t want them to think I was crazy...
It is 7:30 am. I reach out to turn off my alarm as the sun rays creep through my window. I have a quick breakfast and head outside for the university on foot. As I walk, I spot a familiar face, Sara....
View ArticleWatch the cricket, block the critic
The last few days have been very kind to the Indian cricket team and its fans, after a disastrous 10-week tour of Australia. So far, for the Indian fan, there have been two big reasons to cheer – a...
View ArticleWhy I am breaking up with designer lawn this summer
Back are the days when gloomy husbands become gloomier, toiling day and night to be able to afford the latest designer lawn brands — an absolute essential for the Pakistani summer wardrobe — for their...
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Finding Pakistan in ‘God’s Colony’
“You search for life sitting in closed rooms and reading books, and I have seen life in the brothel. I have seen life in small huts and narrow, dark alleyways... Look at life with the naked eye, and...
View ArticlePostmortem reveals a flawed national psyche
The outpouring of anger and the scorn being heaped on the Pakistan cricket team and the establishment following the loss in the first two games of the World Cup is a classic case of barking up the...
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Gotcha! Chief selector caught shaming nation
Recently, the chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team, Moin Khan, was caught on camera visiting a casino in Australia. Moin is part of the Pakistan cricket squad that is in Australia and New...
View ArticleHere's how to house the poor in Pakistan...
Narendra Modi, Malik Riaz, and Mike Labbé should talk. Together, they can provide solutions to end the housing crisis for the low-income households in India and Pakistan.South Asia alone is home to one...
View ArticleIf one of them gets Tuberculosis, it's on us
Pakistan is used to seeing various shortages going around in the country. Water, power and gas are some of the more prominent ones; and, no matter how much of a commotion is raised over these...
View ArticleTeaching our students to fire weapons is madness itself
Recently, news items with pictures of young girls and boys holding automatic weapons have been flashing in the daily papers. The 'security training' programme is supposed to give them confidence. This...
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Manekjee: Karachi's ghost street
After reading my blog In Karachi: Bombay, Not Mumbai Meri Jaan, renowned literato Ajmal Kamal told me of the time when the Indian government changed the name from Bombay to Mumbai. He said the Indian...
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