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Pharwala in ruins — The defeat of South Asia's most invincible fort
Believed to be built in the 11th century by Sultan Kaigohar Gakhar on the ruins of an ancient fort, the Pharwala Fort in Potohar, Pakisan is the most unassailable fort in South Asia. It is well...
View ArticleA not-so-funny comedy of errors at KLF's Urdu Digests session
There were a few things that went wrong — uncharacteristically so, one may add — at the KLF this year, mostly related to unannounced rescheduling of sessions and microphones not working frequently.But...
View ArticleThe irony of having an 'iron brother' — My failed quest for a Chinese visa
Hitchhiking a few months ago from Europe to Pakistan, I stopped in Tbilisi — the capital of Georgia — where I met two Chinese travellers in the hostel I booked myself in.The duo could barely contain...
View ArticleYour guide to pursuing a PhD in Pakistan
It is that time of the year. Universities in Pakistan are aggressively promoting higher-ed opportunities. Full-page advertisements in the newspapers are alerting potential applicants to the looming...
View ArticleA letter from Siachen
The author served his tenure at Siachen with the men who were trapped under an avalanche in 2012. This letter is one of several that he wrote to his wife during his time at the glacier.Dear A,"We, the...
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The greatest show on earth: A report
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been a smashing hit with TV viewers. The ratings of the three sports TV channels, which have been telecasting the PSL matches, have experienced a manifold...
View ArticleIPL vs PSL: An open letter from an Indian cricket fan
Dear Pakistani cricket fans,So now you have your own version of the IPL. The TV ratings of the Pakistan Super League, we believe, are better than any masala Bollywood movie and the euphoria around it...
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I want to see PIA dominate the skies again
Once upon a time, PIA was our pride and joy. It was a symbol of national identity, and the country's most valuable asset.This triumphant era began with the exemplary leadership of Air Commodore Nur...
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Fatima Surayya Bajia — The mother, the mentor
Our car is hurtling towards the Allah Wali Chowrangi in Karachi — Bajia is behind the wheel. Passersby on the road who glance at us look back in surprise. They wonder who is driving the car; Bajia...
View ArticleAvoiding love on Valentine's Day and other Pakistani stories
The caged bird was banned by the Taliban back in the day because its chirps would probably awaken life and the desire of life among men who should be only thinking of the fire of hell in the...
View ArticleIndo-Pak relations: A brief ‘history’
India and Pakistan have had a complex history. Their Facebook status in this regard explains their relationship as "it’s complicated."When India became independent from Scottish rule, it was divided...
View ArticleI only said to avoid Valentine’s Day because I forgot to buy my wife flowers:...
This Sunday President Mamnoon Hussain took a U-turn on yesterday’s statement that “Valentine’s Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided.”He made this statement while attending an...
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Home away from home — My South Asian family in Paris
Three years back when I decided to quit my corporate job and plunge into international affairs, I began my research on Regional Cooperation in South Asia. Initially, I devoured books, blogs and op-eds,...
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World T20: Is there a lifeline for Ahmed Shehzad?
Dropped from the World Twenty20 squad and now hauled up for a bust up with Pakistan teammate Wahab Riaz, things just keep getting worse for Ahmed Shehzad.Shehzad has not had it easy in the last couple...
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The 'Murree' of Sindh: The magical Gorakh Hills
It's not everyday that you find places in the wilderness that help you make peace with your existence. It is this very yearning for internal calm which makes people, like myself, pack our bags and hit...
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What the US media ignores — Pakistan through the eyes of an American
On a freezing February morning in a bustling Soho cafe, I was to meet American-born Lebanese, Afeef Nessouli.A New York-based CNN reporter, with a focus on Middle Eastern politics, Afeef had recently...
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Is celebrating love not a part of our culture?
"Oh my God, Haroon. If you were at the session you would have killed her," my sister told me at the end of the three-hour long dars. "She said that the youth of our country have strayed away from our...
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War on the sidelines: Does Pakistan cricket mirror the country's political...
One keeps hearing about how the state of Pakistan’s cricket reflects the state of the country. According to this theory, the condition of cricket in the country and its team mirrors the economic and...
View ArticleJawaharlal Nehru University row: Freedom of speech now Modi-fied in New Delhi
The year is 2016 and the place is Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi but it could very well have been the late 80s at the Peshawar University Campus in Pakistan where right-wing religious...
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Secrets of Thar: A Jain temple, a mosque and a 'magical' well
The Gori temple in Nagarparkar area of Tharparkar district. — Photo by authorAfter our convoy is stopped at a second checkpost — it is a ‘sensitive’ area, after all — our cameras are confiscated. This...
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