Cultural Assets of the Communities of District Multan and Bahawalpur, Pakistan
“South Punjab, in particular, the districts of Multan and Bahawalpur…, have a vast range of cultural assets. the living culture of the communities carries…
Mukhtar Mai – Media and Misogyny
My piece for DAWN As if the showering of rose petals on Mumtaz Qadri and the release of a new Urdu book ‘Parwana-i-Shama-i-Risalat’ extolling…
Reforming the education system
The recent debates on education have also highlighted how the education sector is not receiving its due compared to say defence, infrastructure and other…
Occupy yourself with your own inward self! – Rumi
Oh heart, place no honey in the mouth of the ill! Speak not of entrancing eyes in the assembly of the blind! Although God…
Devolution of powers: the challenges ahead
The impediments to full provincial autonomy under the 18th Amendment need to be tackled despite the odds Perhaps the best thing about contemporary Pakistan…
Mukhtaran Mai: Pakistan betrayed you once again
April 21, 2011 will be remembered as a black day in Pakistan’s history. Not because this was the day when the Supreme Court acquitted…
Turned by the waves of Love – Rumi
Know that the wheeling heavens are turned by waves of Love: were it not for Love, the world would be frozen, stiff. How would…
Our textbooks and the lies they teach
By Raza Rumi Due to the 18th Amendment, a momentous shift in Pakistan’s governance arrangements is taking place through a politically mediated and largely…
If you don’t know the way – Rumi
If you have a touchstone, go ahead, choose; otherwise, go and devote yourself to one who knows the differences. Either you must have a…
Pakistan has been playing us all for suckers
Britain is spending millions bolstering Pakistan, but it is a nation in thrall to radical Islam and is using its instability to blackmail the…
Devolution in Pakistan: Unpacking the HEC debate
An amended, rationalised HEC needs to stay in place The 18th Amendment approved by the Parliament in 2010 signified a new era in Pakistan’s…
Time for a consensus on economic policy
My piece which was published by The News under the title Prospects of change The recent decision of the federal cabinet to rationalise General…
The Mohali exchange did not take place in a policy vacuum – Sherry Rehman
An interview with Sherry Rehman who visited India with Pakistan’s Prime Minister to enjoy cricket and build bridges with India. It was the first…
Reflections on Jantar Mantar revolution
By Jehangir Ali The Drama “So we had an insouciant, television revolution in Lutyen’s Delhi. How peaceful it was! It took just four days…
Choosing to burn
My dear heart you’re a fire worshiper an explosive in flame call on the cupbearer to sprinkle the wine on you to soothe your…
State of Human Rights in Pakistan
“The elected government’s authority remains notional in several areas – particularly those concerning the intelligence agencies” – Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan Representative, Human Rights…
Celebrating the Word
By Nadir Hassan At first glance, the second iteration of the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) was a rerun of the first, with the same…
Behold the faithfulness of spring
The red rose, which tears its cloak to shreds — I for one know its motive. The willow has let down its branches in…
Is Islamic Mysticism Really Islam?
By Omid Safi There is a lovely story from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, remembering that a mysterious visitor came upon him and…
Dynasties and Clientelism in Pakistan
THE hallmark of Pakistan’s political elites is their narrow base. A limited number of families have dominated Pakistan’s legislatures since the country’s inception in…