How I met Dr. Shreekant Gupta
That the conservative and often skin-deep Economist published the story – “The world’s most dangerous place” – was not surprising. The publication sings an…
Meeting Sidhu Saheb in Delhi
Before I could write about meeting a fellow blogger in Delhi, Sidhu posted this account of our meeting. It was amazing to meet a…
Tortured land
When I breathe, I feel guilty Guilty because she can breathe no more When I think, I feel guilty Guilty because she can think…
Not again –
Sometime back I had written a piece on the Kafkaesque nature of our history. The recent events though not altogether unexpected nor peculiar reminded…
Pakistan diaspora and the politics of the Hijab
The suggestion of violent disputes between a 16-year-old girl in Mississauga and her father over her desire to show her hair and live a…
Nahaj ul Balagha – Looking back to Get Ahead
Fahmida Riaz is Pakistan’s premier female poet. She became a sensation in the early 1970s when her bold, feminist poetry created a stir in…
Hazrat Ali’s letter on governance and citizenship
The common stories about Islam or Muslims have to do with the chopping of arms and killing of infidels. We are told that Muslims…
The Other Half – divided hearts meet in Kashmir
Thanks to Beena Sarwar’s updates, I read this moving account, THE OTHER HALF – in ‘Srinagar diary’ by Kalpana Sharma. … the Indo-Pak peace…
What goes around…No more saviours please
Now that the wheel has turned its back yet again, there is much to ponder. There are many who are saying that this is…
Effective Expression of Solidarity
TPS published this interesting post by Dan Tow “As I have viewed recent events in Pakistan from the safety of my home in the…
Of ignorance and knowledge – thinking of Professor Aghajari
I am a child whose teacher is love. surely my master won’t let me grow to be a fool* I have been told that…
The Post Office, Murree – an old image
General Post Office sits at the top of the commercial Murree Mall. The Post Office in Murree provided mail services to the British troops…
Indo-Pak film wars
Filming the Line of Control: the Indo-Pak Relationship through the Cinematic Lens; Edited by Meenakshi Bharat & Nirmal Kumar; Routledge 2008; Pp239; Price Rs…
The almost forgotten radical message of Iqbal
Yesterday was the Iqbal day- year after year it has become just another empty ritual. High sounding speeches and statements, visits to Iqbal’s tomb…
Lahore – that was
Intizar Hussain, the eminent writer of Urdu, recently mused on the Lahore of yesteryears and the literary and intellectual atmosphere. I am posting a…
On stereotyping
I posted an article on female stereotyping at All Things Pakistan blog. There was a bit of discussion but I was also chided as being…
October 18: Attack on Benazir Bhutto’s rally at Karsaz, Karachi (From the archives)
Despite the Tragedy, Extremism Will be Fought by Pakistanis Published October 20, 2007 (blogcritics) 180 are dead and more than 500 injured in Karachi…
The devastating midnight attack
140 dead and 538 injured – this little byline cuts through hearts and our future! Yesterday was the day of images – moving pictures…
“Saving the past from obliteration”
Murtaza Razvi writes in the daily DAWN: NOTHING is safe any longer from the malevolence of those who continue to bring death and destruction…
The greatest party on earth?
Declan Walsh writing for the Guardian: Pakistan’s tourism ministry designated 2007 as “Destination Pakistan”, the year when tourists were urged to discover the country’s…