Of smartphones and infidelity in late-night Pakistan
"Hello, baat toh karen, I will buy you a laptop, new phone, anything you want...reply karen pls." (Hello, please talk to me, reply back) urged the contents of a text from a random number one night....
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Melbourne — The cultural capital of Down Under
“Right,” I said, after disconnecting from my long-suffering travel agent. “We are stopping over in Melbourne for four nights on our way to Karachi.”Five pairs of eyes lit up around my kitchen bench....
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First-world ambitions, third-world narratives: A Pakistani student's musings
Every year, capable A-Level students hope and pray for a successful transition to a prestigious university. Unfortunately, for some, those transitions are made difficult — or even impossible — by...
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From 23C to -23C: A Karachiite in the Karakoram
“Who goes up north in the winter?” my friends remarked, looking at me as if I had gone completely mad.Yes, no one goes to the Northern areas in the winter, but when ace mountaineer and brother of the...
View ArticleThank you PSL for bringing back the game I once loved
I don't have much recollection of the 1992 World Cup. I was giving my grade 7 exams at the time, and most of the matches I watched were in between the gaps offered during breaks.Still, the final was...
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Why Pakistani students need to stand in solidarity with JNU
I don't know what kids are being taught these days but when I was in school, we were pretty much told to parrot feel-good stories about national victim-hood.Dictated into our curriculum, this...
View ArticleNo Schengen visa for me: A Pakistani scientist's dilemma
In 2008, I left for Austria to pursue a PhD degree in Computer Engineering. I got a Schengen visa without any hassle.My five-year stay in Austria was an unforgettable experience with some indelible...
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Are Pakistani authors doing justice by writing in English?
We were standing in a hall, located in a building behind the mosque. It is narrated that Waris Shah wrote his rendition of Heer in the basement of this hall, while he served as a maulvi at the...
View ArticleClifton’s war on stray dogs: An excuse for sadism?
Rarely has an ordinary person witnessed the death of a stray dog by gunshot and, at the very least, not wondered if there had been another way.Yes, there is. And the Cantonment Board Clifton (CBC)...
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Falling on my face and other hurdles: How I nearly missed the PSL final
If there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to do, it is to watch a cricket match live in the stadium — I’ve been a cricket buff for as long as I can remember and I follow the game closely.The recently...
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From legend to science: The crocodiles of Manghopir
Manghopir is one of the oldest areas of Karachi. Situated in the north of this bustling, chaotic and sprawling city, it is most famous for the shrine of Sufi saint, Pir Mangho.The unique bit about this...
View ArticleJohnson & Johnson: 'No more tears' — or cancer?
I recently became a first-time father, needless to say, a large part of my day (and night) is spent making sure my child is safe and comfortable.A few months before the birth of my child, I picked up a...
View ArticleWhat should parents look for in university rankings?
For anxious parents who are about to subsidise their children’s higher education, the choice of university matters: what school to attend and what subjects to study are the key decision parameters.In...
View ArticleDon't celebrate the Punjab women's violence bill just yet
The recently approved Punjab government's “Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act of 2016” appears at first glance to be a heroic effort to protect women victims of violence.In a nutshell, it...
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Manto to Shyam — 'Lahore, Amritsar and Rawalpindi are all where they used to...
The friendship between renowned writer Sadat Hasan Manto and movie star Shyam began with conversations at a staircase of the High Nest building on Lady Jamshedji Road in Mumbai sometime in the...
View ArticleWhy Pakistan needs more Alamgirs
Last year in February 2015, a group of activists, including myself, were arrested outside the CM House in Karachi for protesting against terrorism.A year later, another activist, Alamgir Khan was...
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How I lost 14 pounds in 40 days through a mobile app
Losing weight isn’t easy.Ask me. I’ve been trying ever since I peaked as a 210-pound, 5’10” 18-year-old in 2010. It took me almost six years to crack the code on sustainable weight loss. I’ve tried...
View ArticleWe need to change the conversation about Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy. Here's how.
http://images.dawn.com/news/1174916/we-need-to-change-the-conversation-about-sharmeen-obaid-chinoy-heres-how
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