Greater role for women in decision-making
Last week, I was invited to speak at a seminar on ‘Exploring the Gender Friendliness in Democratic Institutions’ orgnaised by The South Asia Partnership…
Towards a decentralised Pakistan
Without civil service reform, devolution of policy setting will be unachievable and the current reform may just not achieve its intended purposes On July…
Beo Zafar – Pakistan’s ace-comediane
A short piece that I wrote on Beo, Pakistan’s ace-comediane whose talents are diverse and ever-blooming. Beo [Khala] as I have known her for…
Throw Away the Books – Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah (1680-1758) of Kasur in Central Punjab is an extraordinary voice that provided a mystical message beyond caste, institutionalized religion and ideologies of…
The other way
Today’s The NEWS: civil service structure must deliver and there should be many models such as the Jhang variety. Much has been written about…
Pakistan’s crumbling institutions
Published in The News (Sunday) Pakistan’s instability is a clichè, almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. All the theoretical ingredients for stability are there: an elected…
Wandering between two worlds – Karachi Literary festival
Ghazi Salahuddin’s write up for the NEWS makes interesting points about the festival and also mentions me as one lost between the English and…
Loveable Murree
I was recently asked to write where I would spend my summer. For a few minutes I kept my anguish at Pakistan’s situation…
A special message for Jahane Rumi
Sometimes I am most touched by such messages concerning my blog. I am posting this message not because I want to beat my own…
On Buddha, Silence and Impermanence
The celebrated artiste Vidya Rao from Delhi has sent this tender and profound letter after reading my post on destruction of Buddhas in Swat (and the painting that…
My painting
This painting was inspired by a dusk view of the Qutub Minar.…
Journalism
Ahmed Rashid’s Website Guardian Independent UK Khalid Hasan Online Pakistan’s Drift into Extremism Robert Fisk Svaradarajan Tariq Ali Tariq Rahman’s Website Uri Avnery…
Poetry
A Strange Problem? by Kunwar Narain Adieu Naguib Mahfouz Blake Golden Sufi Hafiz-e Shirazi Omar Khayyam Poet Seers Poet Seers Rumi Poet of the…
Photo Stories
Indian Glory Kenny Irwin photos Mystic Lens @ Flickr Pak Pics Raza Rumi at Flickr Towards Pakistan Treklens (Yasir)…
Urdu Literature
Aligarians – Urdu Poetry Aligarians – Urdu Poetry Bayaaz Best Ghazals Best Ghazals Dabistan-e-Urdu Famous Urdu poets online Ghalib Iqbal Iqbal Medieval and Early…
Sufism and Sufi Poetry
Abdal Qadir Jillani Al Ghazali Amir Khusrau Website Annemarie Schimmel Golden Sufi Hafiz-e Shirazi Huzoor Khawaja Gharibnawaz Intl Association of Sufism Islahijamaat Islam Understood…
Published in The Friday Times
Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi Amrita Pritam Delhi’s able daughter Inhospitable Reception Into the Box or else Letting loose in Luzon Mustafa Zaidi On Delhi On…
Godless Bullets
Salman Taseer’s killing reflects the fight over Pakistan’s soul (OUTLOOK INDIA) AMIR MIR When Punjab governor Salman Taseer stepped out of the Table Talk…
From Lahore To Gwadar: Flawed Development Model Undermines Citizens’ Rights
For years, the local Baloch population has been complaining about their non-inclusion in the medium- and long-term development plans. Towards the end of 2021,…
Will Sialkot Tragedy Change The State Policy Of Appeasing Religious Fanatics?
The Sialkot tragedy should be a wakeup call for the incumbent government as well as the all powerful establishment. The brutal lynching and burning of…