The Reluctant Fundamentalist – Book Review
Mohsin Hamid’s second novel is out. It has made to several bestsellers’ lists and invokes a theme central to our times. I am posting…
A painting on Pakistan
I have been working on this painting albeit intermittently since May 14 – when the shocking events in Pakistan stirred me to paint these…
Jal gaya tha ik roshniyon ka shaher
Aggrieved by the recent sinister, senseless violence and brutal murders in Pakistan, this is my feeble attempt at poetic expression. I have also trans-created…
Visiting a Primary School in Sindh
I was in rural Sindh (in Pakistan) after many years. Met interesting people and many members of the ever expanding middle class. We also…
These strange times
Found lovely photo from taken near the Hiran Minar built by Emperor Jahangir. This monument was built by the Mughal Emperor in the memory of Mansraj, his favourite antelope.…
India-Pakistan Peace Train (the journey must continue)
One day after the tragic bomb blast on the peace train, life goes on. The resilience of people in our part of the world…
Thoughts on Basant from a reader
Zia from Islamabad writes: Read it here >>…
Dating in Pakistan (rambling on the Valentine’s Day)
Mayank Austen Soofi in Delhi is an interesting character. A good writer and a prolific blogger, he is also fascinated by Pakistan. One of…
Why I love Pakistan? Top 5 reasons
The Civilization Pakistan is not a recent figment but a continuation of 5000 years of history: quite sheepishly, I admit, that I am an…
Remembering the evening glow in Murree
Yasir’s beautiful image of the typical evening glow in Murree brought back all the memories of my life there. I lived in this hill station…
Indus Valley Civilisation – another discovery
There is more to the Indus valley civilization than we think. “The discovery of rare objects during an excavation expedition in Cholistan desert by…
Karachi – “Bright Lights”
Each time one visits Karachi the sprawling metropolis seems more run down. Crumbling infrastructure, notwithstanding the recent improvements, and a sense of neglect are…
Pakistani Civil Society Confronts Extremism
Thousands marched in the blistering heat on the streets of Lahore; and similar demonstrations were held in Islamabad, Karachi and Peshawar. Full entry here…
Murree’s best kept secret
Tamania visited Murree on a weekday and found the ambiance charming despite the senseless “development” that has taken place at this Pakistani hill station.…
The Clay Bird
A moving tale of a young boy and his family trapped in the circumstances of rural Bangladesh and the turmoil of late 1960s. I…
Blue Kashi Work of Multan
The history of Multani arts and crafts also goes back to medieval period. Kashi work the glazing and hand painting of ceramic products is…
Visiting Dhaka- “We are strangers now?”
The warmth of people and the magic of old Dhaka overwhelms you. Having said that, Dhaka is bursting on the seams with a gushing…
Two pictures – many stories
Nearly eight years ago, this image of General Musharraf made headlines.. And today I saw the following image here where Ms Bhutto is pampering her dog..…
Threatened Ancient Buddhist Stone Carvings
A friend sent this disturbing news-item today. Disturbing that it took a German archaeologist to alert us of this and sad that no one really…
On Rumi, Iqbal and ‘Dynamic Sufism’
Pakistan celeberates Allama Iqbal’s death anniversary on April 21 with the usual lip-service. The key messages of Iqbal seem to have been lost in…