Obfuscating reality: 'They were killed for being Pakistanis, not minorities'
This is an attack on PakistanThey were killed for being Pakistanis, not IsmailisThis line of response to atrocities within Pakistan is not new, but has become rather common, as was seen after the...
View ArticleA radical motherhood
The re-publication of my 2012 Mother's Day submission for Dawn had a lot in store for me. I, however, while sitting in Brooklyn three years later, had little idea of the flood of delighted to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yin in Yang, Yang in Yin: A fly on the wall account of two trips
Chinese President in Pakistan ...Indian Prime Minister in China ...Also see: Obama goes to India: A fly-on-the-wall review
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why you should avoid popping pills in the long term
If someone were to observe me at a grocery store, they would probably find my behaviour a little a bit odd. I analyse ingredient labels for ages, put most things back and either scoff like a food snob...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zimbabwe tour — A promise for change
For a kid, it is nothing less than extraordinary to be seeing his heroes in action, right in front of his eyes. He mimics them; he does whatever it takes to be like them. Pakistan’s star all-rounder...
View Article'Why can't I become an MNA?'
Sir, I have a Ph.D in Urdu. I currently run an education academy;I want to be MNA. What should I do?Sitting across from me in my office, Irshad, who looked like he was in his early 40s, wore...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Food Stories: Chai garam chai!
Chai's romance with the subcontinent goes way back. The English may have invented tea time, but the desis of the world embraced it with such warmth, that the beverage is now synonymous with the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A hundred forgotten souls
Children with special needs and disabilities are one of the most marginalised segments of Pakistani society. They are the unseen, the unrecognized and the forgotten. Public attitudes are often uncaring...
View ArticleMediocrity: The Pakistani dream
A seth sahab gets into his Mercedes and drives off to his villa-home to his wife. They Skype-chat with their two younger children in New York; both are art majors, while their elder brother helps out...
View ArticleFake in Pakistan, fake across the world
Fake academic credentials do not differ much from fake hair or bosoms. Essentially, they are manifestations of our attempt to project an enhanced, yet false, image of ourselves.The allegations against...
View ArticleThe death of Urdu, the new illiterate
Back in my screenwriting days at Burka Avenger (when it hadn’t yet gone public), we used to have these long-winded meetings where we would discuss the plot, individual scenes, gags, dialogues –...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vital Signs and Junoon: The magic, the rivalry, the history
Recently, in an interview that he gave to the BBC, Salman Ahmed – former guitarist of (the now defunct) ‘Sufi-Rock’ group, Junoon – claimed that his band’s 1996 pop anthem, ‘Jazba Junoon’ became bigger...
View ArticleUnderstanding the new militants of Pakistan
To many, Tahir, Saad, Azfar and Nasir may appear new militant characters. But, profiles and ambitions of similar characters have been highlighted many times in the recent past. The confessions made by...
View ArticleWanted: Some sacred space that doesn't preach hate
Once upon a time, long before this era of murder and marauding; before religion was dragged into politics and the pulpit became imperiled, the mosque was a sacred space. Exemplifying the spirit of...
View ArticleEducation Inc. — Fake it to make it?
We've all faked it. Whether once or twice or a few dozen times — be it through forced smiles or forged signatures, replicated art pieces or plagiarised papers, fake IDs or fake orgasms — we have all...
View ArticleHashmat Kevalramani: Pakistan's first exiled man
My friend Salam Dharejo ordered me to write about Hashu after having read my blog about Gidu Mal sahib. The history of this country is filled with tales of exile, but most of them are self-imposed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
It has come back, but will it stay?
Glory be, for international cricket has returned. Not since March 2009 have Pakistan played a game at home, and yesterday the brave Zimbabwean team entertained the crowd with a stellar batting...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Travel diary: A boys club in Landi Kotal
A view of the Landi Kotal bazaar from the balcony of the press club.Towards the end of clumsily assembled shops in the Landi Kotal bazaar, a derelict door marks the opening of a tiny island. Here,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In New York: Being Jamshaid of 'Jackson Heights'
"You’re going to New York?! I am so jealous.""You are so lucky.""Three months in the United states? Wow!"These were some of the excited reactions I received, as I planned my three month-long, purely...
View ArticleBreathing easy: 7 ways asthma is a friend to its victims
Living with a chronic illness is no picnic. I know because asthma has been my constant companion since childhood. We have a love-hate relationship – it loves being with me while I hate it. But it would...
View Article