Books in the times of jihad
After a hiatus of nearly a decade, I found myself in the United Arab Emirates, also popularly imagined as ‘Dubai’ in Pakistan. I was…
Book review: An ambitious undertaking
Pankaj Mishra’s new book is an ambitious undertaking. “From the Ruins of Empire: the Intellectuals who Remade Asia” traces the lives and works of…
What the heart is like – a poem by Miroslav Holub
Today, my friend Khalid Mir told me rather casually that he had been reading poems by Miroslav Holub. I had heard his name; and…
This Moharram was turned into Karbala for Pakistani Shias
My piece published on 10th Moharram It is time the state reversed its policy of nurturing extremist groups and think of saving Pakistanis from…
In this game of chess
I was first seduced by love then put in a fire of agonies as i won the mastery of the beloved the beloved dropped…
Story-Water
I am posting two versions of Rumi’s captioned poem from the Mathnavi A story is like the water you heat for your bath. It…
Saadat Hasan Manto- Writer of Stark Realities
Saadat Hassan Manto (May 11, 1912 – January 18, 1955) was a Pakistani Urdu short story writer, most known for his Urdu short stories…
Redeeming our tryst with destiny
Raza Rumi took a group of Pakistani politicians to India where, amid food fests and conferences and emotionally charged mushairas, the first pages of a…
What do you think will happen? Eid Mubarak
Eid Mubarak to all the readers. Here is a poem by Rumi if you can’t go to sleep my dear soul for tonight what…
On Malala and ‘Who are the Pakistani Taliban’
I was quoted in these pieces at CNN. Attack on Pakistani schoolgirl galvanizes anti-Taliban feeling “There is a groundswell of sympathy for her and…
Fighting the existential battle
Published in The News, October 2012 What is the real, existential cause for concern – the imagined enemy, or a real, functional terror network…
the two insomnias
“When I am with you, we stay up all night. When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep. Praise God for those two…
River Indus: Flow of life – Part II
From ancient Vedic times to stories told by Sufi saints, the Indus continues to play a central role in the legends and folklore associated…
My Journey (Mera Safar): Ali Sardar Jafri
I came across this decent translation of his poem Mera Safar I enjoyed reading it again after ages and thought this must be shared…
River Indus: Flow of life – Part I
Along its 1,800-mile course, the Indus joins cultures from the steppes of Central Asia to the arid plains of the South Asian subcontinent. It…
The Verge of Tears
You make our souls tasty like rose marmalade. You cause us to fall flat on the ground like the shadow of a cypress still…
Amir Khusrau – O soul of mine come to me
by Amir Khusrau Bashguft gulha dar chaman, aye gulsitan e man bia Sarv istada muntazar sarv e ravan e man bia Flowers are blooming…
Abdullah Hussain on Urdu
Sir. In his letter “Cracks in KK” (TFT, Aug 31-Sep 6), Khalid Hasan objects to KK Aziz’s evaluation of Faiz as having “no subtlely…
Civil service reform for state capacity
Only a meaningful civil service reforms can improve the state capacity to perform better Pakistan’s inability to provide security and justice to its citizens;…
Book review: Poetic resistance to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s murder
As a young student I obtained a tattered copy of ‘Khushboo ki Shahadat’ from an old bookstall in Lahore’s Urdu bazaar. This was the…