On India, Pakistan, politics and religious extremism
Recorded in April 2018 when I was invited by graduate students at Kennedy School for a talk. …
Raza Rumi recites Fehmida Riaz’s ‘Tum Bilkul Hum Jaise Nikle’
I recited Fehmida Riaz’s ‘Tum Bilkul Ham Jaise Niklay’ – Watch the full video below tum bilkul ham jaise nikle ab tak kahan chhape…
Nawaz’s sixer?
Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif’s recent statement on the clear succession plan has killed many birds with the same stone. Amid uncertainty…
Interview for My Muslim Friends
“In 2017, I visited Boston and My Muslim Friends interviewed me” I had been writing for nearly 10 years for the Friday Times and…
Students for Labor Action holds worker exploitation teach-in
December 13, 2017: Students for Labor Action holds worker exploitation teach-in Six speakers discussed experiences that they said made them feel exploited in the workforce both inside and outside of…
The relationship with US matters whether we like it or not
Despite the tough posturing by the United States and Pakistan, following the announcement of Trump’s South Asia strategy, both countries have resumed diplomatic engagement…
Regime change — the final act?
It seems that the ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PMLN has entered the final round of its power struggle. With its party head…
Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan
November 26, 2017: Islamist protests are a tried and tested way to bring change in government in Pakistan (The Print) Saturday was a day of…
Raza Rumi Whether one agrees with her not she was a thoughtful woman Baano Apa ❤ R I P
Sharing an old video of Baano Apa. Golden words of Bano Qudsia . She was indeed a thoughtful woman. Rest in peace aapa!…
Commentary: Trump needs to end this protracted war
August 30, 2017: Commentary: Trump needs to end this protracted war (The Ithacan) During his election campaign, President Trump had vowed to end the foreign…
With Trump’s Empty Afghan Strategy, Up to India & Pak to Play Nice
US engagement in Afghanistan, in its 16th year now, has been complicated by the involvement of regional powers. Donald Trump’s so-called Afghanistan strategy suffers…
Talk Point: What are the implications of Trump’s statements on Pakistan & Afghanistan?
August 22, 2017: Talk Point: What are the implications of Trump’s statements on Pakistan & Afghanistan? (The Print) In his first comprehensive public pronouncement on…
In search of Jinnah’s Pakistan
As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s creation, it is important to revisit the key questions that have befuddled the country. What is…
The state may be hedging that mainstreaming JuD will wean its cadres away from militancy
September, 2017: The state may be hedging that mainstreaming JuD will wean its cadres away from militancy (The Print) In the fourth of a four-part…
Can India and Pakistan continue to blame the colonists for their failure to liberate its people?
Independence Day in India and Pakistan is a strange moment. Celebrating the end of racist imperialism comes along with the underplayed horrors of a…
Sharif underestimated impact of Panama on public opinion, relied on legal arguments
August 1, 2017: Sharif underestimated impact of Panama on public opinion, relied on legal arguments (The Print) Judges were not oblivious to public opinion and…
Nawaz’s forced exit redraws power matrix
Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification was not an unforeseen event. The situation since last year had been leading towards a grand finale and his forced exit…
Accountability or regime change?
Another déjà vu moment is knocking at our doors. The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on the Panama Leaks case implicating the…
Media portrayals of Muslims fuel xenophobia
Scholars who undertook a study on how Western media covers terrorism have confirmed what we had known for some time. The news media wield…
Five myths that need to be buried for good
Popular narratives in Pakistan regurgitated by civil and military leadership with the support of mainstream media suggest that certain things have changed over the…