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Missing paradise in paradise
As I write these lines, various news channels are running tickers about the biggest city of Pakistan arriving at a standstill due to civil commotion, which has become a norm here. In other news, a race...
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A gallery of overlapping stars
Mao Tse KaptaanBhai StalinSurma ZardariFazalullah LectorInspector Orya ClouseauGeneral Pervez DicaprioDulha Bhai of ArabiaNetanyahu Klu, Modi Klux, Kim Jong Klan
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5 ways our cricket is like our politics (and 5 ways it's not)
It was the latter half of 2000s, a gentleman had firmly consolidated his control. All his subordinates were handpicked, hardly anyone could have questioned his wisdom on matters regarding his purview....
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Khyber, where hate has not yet made a home
Hamza Asad’s poetry is about a brazen and unapologetic honesty. —Photo credit: The Student Diaries Facebook pageTo be a poet is an act of faith. In Pakistan – a country that has fallen ever deeper and...
View ArticleThe business of death and execution
For most people, engagement with the death penalty is limited to their expressing a vehement opinion about it based on their notion of Shariah, retribution, and as an answer to terrorism, and then...
View ArticleWhy the caged bird sings
"When you surround the enemyAlways allow them an escape route.They must see that there isAn alternative to death."Sun Tzu, the Art of WarIt was an interesting spectacle to see Saulat Mirza’s death row...
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Pakistan's confused World Cup campaign had defeat written all over it
There was a defining moment in the buildup to today's quarterfinal, where it was obvious that the Asian team would be unable to emerge victorious against Australia. It wasn’t in the actual loss of the...
View ArticleMy love affair with Lucie
It seemed to be written in the stars; Lucie would come into my life.I was still smarting from the loss of my first love, a little Italian devil, when Lucie appeared on the scene. She instantly became...
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How long will our talent have to keep sponsoring itself?
Recently, a Pakistani bagged the honour of winning the over 100 kilogram title in Arnold Classic Bodybuilding Championship. Atif Anwer was presented with the accolade by none other than Arnold...
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'Mera gaon', Nagri Totial
Back in school, an Urdu essay titled Mera Gaon (My village) was included as part of our class VI syllabus. It was a hot favourite among students. The writer, while praising his village, which was...
View ArticleDaya Ram Gidumal of Sindh — a silent servant, a silent sufferer
Born in 1857, Deewan Daya Ram Gidumal was among those dedicated men and women who became an icon of service to their people. During the days of the British Raj, Gidumal was known to be the ‘godfather’...
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Why Pakistan's power woes will get worse
Notwithstanding the claims of the present government before and after coming into power, there remains little doubt that almost two years on, the PML-N government still struggles to articulate a...
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Food Stories: Kofta
While the more common amongst the cuisines of the world, the kofta (meatball) is a sophisticated delicacy, varying in taste and texture, depending on the region it hails from.In combination with raita,...
View ArticleDeep down in the heart of Texas, a little bit of Pakistan Zindabad
Growing up in a middle class family in southern Punjab, Rauf Arif often dreamed of coming to the United States to acquire a higher education. He wanted to use his advanced degree to make meaningful...
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Adil Akhtar: Our man in Michigan
On my visit to the US this month, I had the privilege of meeting Dr Adil Akhtar, a leading oncologist cum dedicated artist in Michigan, who is soon to visit to his hometown Karachi after three years to...
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Tahira Shah — 'The martyr of the Indus'
Tahira Ali Shah, long time social activist and rights campaigner for Pakistan's fisherfolk community, passed away this month in a car accident in Sindh.I remember when I first met her, at my first...
View ArticleWhy Pakistan is a hard country to govern
Anatol Lieven, the British author, thinks Pakistan is a hard country. Life is indeed hard for millions of Pakistanis who spend a lifetime hovering around the poverty line. While Pakistan is a hard...
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Babbling in Babylon
An associate of mine recently called to ask how one manages to hold a truly objective interview with the figurative man on the street.She was going around with a video camera and a microphone trying to...
View ArticleMisogyny in the name of religion
Not very long ago, singer-turned-cleric, Junaid Jamshed riled up a significant number of religious groups after a video of his diatribe was released online. It was the usual; Jamshed shaming women for...
View ArticleTo our heroes — of past and future
There was gloom, there was glee – a strange ambivalence accompanying my emotions during the nonpareil contest we call the World Cup. As enticed as I was by the 45-day cricketing battle, the fervour...
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