Children in the noose
On Tuesday this past week, the execution of Shafqat Hussain was halted again. This was the second time it happened. According to reports, in March, Shafqat Hussain had once before been readied for...
View ArticleLoag kya kahen gay: Living a life in fear of public opinion
Hollywood has its Freddy Krueger and Frankenstein’s monster, but here, in Pakistan, we have another phenomenon whose very mention can strike terror in the hearts of every man, woman and child – the...
View ArticleThe accused is famous...
Like billions out there, I am a devout Salman Khan fan. My first Bollywood memory is of Andaaz Apna Apna.As a toddler, I took it upon myself to nickname Salman Khan, my first crush, ‘Samsung’. Then,...
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When I bought a 'complete' Mercedes
The car had a serious negative social consequence for me.—Photo by authorThe year is 1968 and I am getting a haircut at the Ideal Hair Dressing Salon, main market, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi. A...
View ArticleAn ode to Pakistani mothers
When I was little, I began noticing the difference between my Pakistani-Punjabi mom and the quintessential white American mother. Kyle's mom was cool according to elementary-school standards: She'd...
View ArticleMedical mistakes — doctors should learn to own up
As Farzana Saleem struggled between life and death in a hospital, her family wondered how it had suddenly gone so wrong. She was admitted for what was understood to be a routine operation: removal of a...
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Don’t tell women to shut up
In a country where the odds are stacked against most women, Reham Khan’s scolding them for not taking responsibility for their plight is disingenuous.It happens more than one would expect, but it is...
View Article8pm: Islamabad's 'Pumpkin Hour'
In the developed world, policy-making is a rigorous, educated and a well-thought out process. All aspects of the issue are taken into consideration, research conducted, surveys carried out, ground...
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A dying swagger: The evolution of Pakistan Cricket
As the legend goes; a torrid love affair ended when Pakistan's first Test centurion, Nazar Mohammad had to, in haste, jump out of a window upon being caught by his lover’s husband. He broke his arm as...
View ArticleThe girls we never want to be
Every girl grows up wishing for her life to be like it is in fairy tales — happily ever after. Most of the time, it doesn't work out that way. There’s that one girl who craves an education but isn’t...
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Fixing the PTI
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf recently marked its 19th Foundation Day. In my opinion, and without any doubts, Imran Khan has worked hard to propel the party from one seat in 2002 to over 30 seats in the...
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Food Stories: Qima
When there is nothing else to eat in the house, there is always Qima (also commonly spelled Keema, Qeema); an assumption I have lived by as a child. Hence, qima alloo (mincemeat and potatoes) with a...
View ArticleWhen you are in the majority, it is easy to be blind
Zehra*, an old friend of mine tells me:"When I started at school, the kids asked each other if they were Shia or Sunni. I have no idea why a first-grader would start off an introduction like that, but...
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Piped dreams: Water troubles in Pakistan
It is supposed to be safe for the children, but it isn’t. Piped water in urban Punjab is inferior in quality than other sources. Despite the state being the source of piped water, the incidence of...
View ArticleSettling the great India-Pakistan mango debate
I am telling nothing but the truth when I tell you that Indian mangoes are better than Pakistani mangoes. It infuriates me when Pakistanis don't agree. That makes mangoes an India-Pakistan dispute just...
View ArticleNow open for debate
On a chaotic day in the newsroom, as the Blogs Editor of Dawn.com, I have to admit to a foolish pang of relief as I glance over at the statistics scrambling side of the room before settling down in my...
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Eqbal Ahmad: A memoir of Munno Chacha
It was 1962 and I was an eight-year-old boy living in Quetta. I was vaguely aware of an uncle, my father’s younger brother, who lived in the USA. One day, a ripple of excitement ran through the house:...
View ArticleTo save real Pakistan, our unreal world must perish
Ismailis, among the first Muslims to arrive in the subcontinent, are under attack today in a country that was founded to safeguard the interests of Muslims. The attack on the community is not only...
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Nuclear reactors: Karachi’s newest danger?
Nuclear power and patriotic pride are inextricably intertwined in Pakistan. In the decades since the tests were conducted, Pakistan’s possession of a nuclear bomb is believed to be by many, the sole...
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Sexiest nationalities: The genuine survey
America’s largest dating site, MissTreatedTravel.Com, has released the results from the 2015 Sexiest Nationalities Survey, and the members have spoken.It’s no surprise that diverse, exotic...
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