‘We haven’t asked some basic questions about this war’
It has been two months since the recent wave of civil society activism to pressure the government to act against terrorist outfits began. Are…
Through the looking glass
After a decade of epistolary exchanges, I finally met Shahzia Sikander, Pakistan’s most celebrated global icon of the arts, ironically unsung at home. Not…
Promoting pluralist folk heritage is vital for Pakistan future
Dr Fouzia Saeed, a scholar and civil society activist, was recently appointed as the head of Lok Virsa the premier government institution to…
Manto women
Manto stands more or less alone in the position he takes on women, contends Raza Rumi, in an exploration of Manto relationship with his…
Pakistan future fraught with perilous possibilities
Nearly two months after the Peshawar attack, it is unclear if Pakistan direction has changed. The unprecedented grief and anger over the tragedy has…
The verse of freedom
In a powerful exploration of resistance poetry in indigenous languages, I discovered marginalized poets challenging mainstream Pakistani identity in moving verse. Much has been…
The vicious cycle of hate and violence
The recent issue to have riled up a good number of Pakistanis including jihadi networks is the alleged blasphemy against Islam committed by the…
Raza Rumi Talk in USIP After Peshawar- Domestic Security in Pakistan
My talk at USIP after the APS attack in Peshawar, Pakistan. The U.S. Institute of Peace held a panel discussion assessing Pakistan’s domestic security…
Raza Rumi’s speech on one month of Peshawar School attack – Dupont Circle – Washington
Today marked the first month of the ghastly incident when the Army Public School was attacked by the terrorists in Peshawar. Raza Rumi says…
No exit
The US must not forget the importance of a democratic, pluralist Pakistan The recent visit of US Secretary of State John Kerry to…
A definitive history of Pakistan
Pakistan’s best-known historian, Ayesha Jalal, is back with a new book: The Struggle For Pakistan: A Muslim Homeland and Global Politics. This book essentially…
Blasphemy Divide: Insults to Religion Remain a Capital Crime in Muslim Lands
Excerpt of My statements: The issue of blasphemy is about the political insecurity of the Muslims, and about the Muslim public reaction to the…
Reboot the narrative
My views incorporated in The Jinnah Institute’s new brief on the urgent policy interventions for 2015: Reboot the narrative. Pakistan needs a new narrative…
Countering the terror menace
Ten days after the ghastly attack on the military-run school, Pakistan’s prime minister (PM) finally appeared on national television and announced a set of…
Don’t expect a miracle to happen
The state has responded by ending the moratorium on the death penalty and convicted terrorists are now being hanged. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has…
The Perils of Reporting in Pakistan
The toll of Taliban attacks is measured in more than bodies. By MARY LOUISE KELLY Stay in the news business long enough, and you…
Remembering Shahbaz Bhatti, an unsung hero of Pakistan
It has been over three years that Pakistan lost a brave Christian citizen Shahbaz Bhatti for his relentless advocacy of human rights and in…
Meeting Salma Bhatti
I met the wife of slain Minister Shahbaz Bhatti and discovered tales of woe, marginalisation and hope It has been over three years that…
‘Hum Bhatak bhi Gaye au Kia Hoga’
After a long time, I attempted to write a poem. Here it is – pretty raw and unpolished. Will translate it later for readers…
The Rise of Religious Intolerance in Pakistan: Implications for Democratic Development and Human Rights
My talk at the National Endowment for Democracy on religious intolerance in Pakistan. In early November 2014, a mob in Kasur, Pakistan burned a…