1971: the forgotten silence
Published in The NEWS This week marks the 37th anniversary of the tragic events of 1971 that led to the dismemberment of Pakistan and…
Of saints and sinners
James Astill writing for The Economist says that the Islam of the Taliban is far removed from the popular Sufism practised by most South…
Is it just cricket? Indian team should have come to Pakistan
“The tour’s cancellation means that terrorists have won; this is what they wanted to achieve.” I was quoted in a piece published by Hindustan…
Even Tamas is online now
My dear friend Bhupinder alerted me to his post that talks about Tamas, a great novel (and subsequently a gripping TV serial) on the…
Unfullfiled Civic Longing
Written for The Friday Times, Pakistan After Mumbai, I have stopped watching television. I will not participate in the senseless jingoism of the Indo-Pak…
Struggle for the soul
– Ayeda Naqvi While it is tempting to give in to anger, it is more important to take a deep breath and remember that…
Celebrating Eid with Rumi
It’s a habit of yours to walk slowly. You hold a grudge for years. With such heaviness, how can you be modest? With such…
A new book on the Partition saga
Changing mindsets by SYED ALI NAQVI One might cry out, humanity is dead if there was any, in disgust and disbelief after going through…
Who will win the game?
I have been amazed at the reaction that my little piece, “Policy shifts not war” published on these pages on Dec 4 has generated…
Data Ganj Baksh: Lahore’s oldest guide
Perhaps the greatest of the experiences at Data Darbar is to find oneself connected to a stream of humanity, shoulder to shoulder, with a…
The best of Mumbai posts
My friend Annie’s post on Mumbai is a remarkable piece of writing. I am cross-posting it here: The other day, I went shopping for…
Policy shifts not war
First published in The NEWS The dastardly attacks in Mumbai have irritated the old wounds and replayed the familiar, jingoistic tunes across the Indo-Pak…
Islamabad: This too shall pass
Bemoaning Islamabad’s fall from grace Not long ago, Delhi and Lahore were vulnerable to hordes of foreign invaders. The Mongol fear was overwhelming and…
The native returns
Unaffected by the prophets of doom, a Lahori decides the city is the place to be Twenty years ago, I left Lahore. Excited by…
Nayyara singing timeless verses
Meray Derd ko jo Zuban mille Mujhe apna naam o nishan milay Mujhe raaz jo ye pinhan milay mujhe Kainaat ki sarvari Mujhe daulat…
Christian Fundamentalism, the Global Crusade and Muslims
Yoginder Sikand, the Indian analyst sent me this well written expose on problem that we all confront – of coping with fundamentalism. Now let…
Amir Khusro’s lasting tryst with love
PRANAV KHULLAR writing here At the heart of the Sufi mystical experience lies the Zikr or remembrance of God. In its musical expression through…
On Damadam Mast Qalandar
Renuka Narayanan writing for the Hindustan Times So many wake-up calls The unrelenting terror trail across India recalls young Pakistani author Raza Rumi’s wistful…
Fahmida Riaz: A neglected genius
Whilst my earlier piece on the IMF programme and the tremendous discussion it has invoked deserves a rejoinder, I want to write on a…
More on the debate on IMF
I had posted my piece on the forthcoming IMF programme and expressed fears as a citizen. The op-ed that was published in the NEWS…