Taking The Men Who Stare at Goats Seriously

The goal of Invincible Defense Technology is to enhance the peace-keeping capabilities of the military, adding a "non-lethal weapon," a kind of national armor that would ensure the security and invincibility of their nation.

Why MQM Wants To Enter Punjab?

A conversation with British journalist on politics of Karachi.

Pakistan People’s Party and Urban Pakistan: Reasons for Erosion of Support

With the media explosion, the middle class sentiment has been given a collective “voice� which has the potential to change the political landscape for better or worse.

Vision21: Waziristan Strategy or Pakistan Strategy?

Pakistan and Waziristan were not always like this. How we have come to this pass is crucial to analyse, but even more urgent is to assess that are we prepared enough to win this battle?

Writ of the State

Some might argue that Pakistan became militarily and strategically more powerful by the policies of that government, but states can become outwardly very strong, but with a very weak and vague paradigm to hold it up.

Self Rule For Gilgit Baltistan

The enforcement of self rule regulations in Northern Areas and other current Pakistani measures are a visible sign that Kashmir and Kashmiri people are no more in Islamabad’s policies and priorities like the previous decades.

On Reason, Freedom and Democracy

In the absence of a self-educating, self-reflecting public and the resulting movements for social change, what we know as ‘democracy’ is one of form only and not of substance.

Waziristan Operation

If military operation could pacify any country there would have been no Vietnam or Afghanistan or even 50 plus expeditions into Waziristan since 1890s till to date.

All Boys

While America is grappling with gay marriage, we sat celebrating the second Queer Pride Parade in Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.

Human Psyche...Soul or Mind?

Since human body was mortal human beings believed in immortal soul and connected that belief with the belief of immortal and eternal God. In the last few centuries there has been a third model that is becoming more popular in the world. It is the secular

GHQ Attack-Serious Questions

The enemy is not in Waziristan or Afghanistan. The enemy is our own damn inefficiency and complacency. It merits serious thinking at all plains , tactical,operational and strategic.

Afghan Widows

Amazed not be at the sex they sell
for their survival,
for more or less, where isn't it sold,
can anyone tell?

An Hour at Datta Darbar

There were loud speaker warnings about the pick pockets and jewelery theft. The shrine which reflected the beauty and sacredness of God’s love suddenly became a classical reflection of all our social evils.

Book Review: The Shadow of the Great Game – The Untold Story of India’s Partition

Well-researched, demolishes many myths and presents an intriguing perspective on India Pakistan Partition

Uncomfortably Numb

I see with my eyes wide open
Yet I don’t see your suffering
I hear your cry of agony
It’s just another sound to me

Who are the Power Elite

The Power Elite does not refer to people conspiring together in a coordinated way rather it is about the dominant positions in the dominant institutional orders (military, political and economic).

Our Piñata: The Western Culture

Oh the kids have settled very well in their school, he said. The only problem is this Western culture; we don’t want our children to get influenced by this decadent lifestyle so we are hammering in the notion that all these are Kaafirs.

Tariq Ahsan: A Forgotten Foot-soldier of Democracy

This kind of interrogation ought to be banned everywhere, since although it leaves no marks or injuries on the body, thus making it difficult to recognize it as a form of torture, it does irreparable damage to the mind.

Gilgit-Baltistan : A Deprived and Subjugated Region

The PPP led government of Pakistan has, through the enactment of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order 2009 of August 29, opened yet another Pandora’s Box in the already complicated dispute over the status of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian Technical Recession

Over last decade or so, engineering institutions have produced mostly bankers, some managers but very few engineers. Even if some opted for technical career, it was for teaching in some US university.

Women and the Process of Decolonization

Colonizers came to these lands for resources, cheap labor, and new markets. What they left behind were mutated societies trying to redefine themselves by shedding away colonialism.

An Indian Abroad

While not being jingoistic, I realized that it is only in a foreign land does one realize the worth of one's identity.

MQM, Mainstream Politics and AJK

After winning two seats in AJKLA the MQM has entered into wide-ranging politics of Pakistan. The AJK case could be a base for its political rise or downfall simultaneously.

Secular Spirituality

I have read the descriptions of spiritual experiences in the religious and holy books but this is the first time I read a biological, neurological and secular description of spirituality (Dr Jill Taylor’s book, My Stroke of Insight)

Indo-Pak Menu

The other day I visited a glittering shopping mall in Noida, a suburb neighboring New Delhi, where I saw this restaurant with a unique name: Indo-Pak Kebabs & Tikkas.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement: The Lost Promise

There is a tendency in the media to brand MQM as a liberal party, frankly it is not. Yes it has secular credentials but it’s also a party with very firm roots in ethnicity.

Student Politics

While government does away with the ban on student unions, can that alone suffice to address the campus realities?

India’s Nuclear Fizzle

Suspicion has now turned into confirmed fact: India’s hydrogen bomb test of May 1998 was not the fantastic success it was claimed to be.

Of Mausoleums, Tombs and Gardens

These man-made wonders, passed on to us by luck of draw, are at the verge of extinction, thanks to our deliberate neglect and lack of respect for our heritage.

When India Banned Thought

While Singh has shifted ground from supporting a nationalist right-wing party to intellectual liberalism, Jinnah moved from pursuing secular, liberal policies to rallying the masses with hard, communal appeals.

Jaswant Speaks Out

The controversy over the book written by Jaswant Singh, Jinnah: India–Partition–Independence, in which he has painted Quaid-i-Azam in a positive light, does not seem to be dying down.

A Letter to God

Light of my heart, help me speak so that hearts can talk. Those hearts that wear a shield of iron around them, those hearts who dare not speak their truth, hearts who believe that there is no love for them...

Minorities and Blasphemy Laws in Pakistan: A Legal Perspective

In Pakistan, the blasphemy law dates back to original 1860 Indian Penal Code in which Articles 295 and 298 inserted keeping in view the religious sensitivities of the inhabitants of the sub-continent. But then blasphemy was not an offense punishable with

My Midnight Companion

Our dear lives won’t stay till then.
Greet and meet
Have a seat.
We are all but mortal men.

Shrinking Shadows

One charmer turned politician is panicking for want of accomplices to his confusion. He is increasingly terrified of wilderness he has wrought himself into.

Independence Day

Ramanand Tiwari rounded the corner at a brisk pace – the achhoot well was now visible. He made a long peripheral detour around it.

A Freedom Of Pain And Hope

Sixty two years of suffering compounded by dismemberment and defeat, plagued by debilitating extremism and war speak for the courage of Pakistanis who still strive for peace and prosperity with hope and vigor.

A Tale of Two Pakistanis

This is my version of an attempt to “defend reason� in a useless war of words that seems to have erupted between Nadeem Farooq Paracha and Zaid Hamid.

Pakistan Crisis - Seven Problem, Seven Solutions

Pakistan is experiencing a major existential crisis. But crises are mixed blessings which can lead to regression or progression. They can cause a breakdown or become a fertile ground for a breakthrough.

Gojra Incident ... Shame

I have no regret to mention that I am ashamed what had happened in Gojra with the minorities living in Pakistan. I am ashamed of those who did this criminal act for whatever the reason. Shame! Shame on all of us.

The Arrival

He felt that the poison in his blood had begun to mix at a slower rate, gradually even slower a few moments later. The world around him seemed to begin to fade into grayness.

Bombay Lefties

You can still find some of the old vanguard sitting in the garden at Horniman circle in the Fort area of Bombay, discussing the murder of the Communist MLA Krishna Desai.

Maoist Insurgency Rocks India

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoist uprising as ‘the biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country’

Let’s Be Serious

“Pakistan president Asif Zardari bans jokes ridiculing him� – Daily Telegraph, London, 21 July 2009

The State And Its' Wars

Pakistan is engaged in a series of debates arguing the role of constitutionalism; of independent judiciary; of free media and civil society’s responsibility, but not yet began to debate the role of the Pakistani military within Pakistan.

The Politics

Politics is beauty, the endangered specimen
Us, the proponents of change and progression
Inspect we must ourselves it’s still time

Corporate Social Responsibility At Its Best

Corporate Social Responsibility is the act of giving something back to the community by organizations that operate in a certain society. Mobilink's recent work with Internally Displaced Persons in Pakistan is a prime example.

Shumaila Rana’s Theft Episode

If there was no Televsion footage and TV stations like GEO, or security cameras, no power on earth could have proven her guilty.

Vindictive at Their Best-Pakistan Army

Pakistan's three infamous A's: The Army, Allah and America. We blame the Islamic fundamentalists and USA for all the chaos in Pakistan. But if we take a closer look the real culprit seems to be Pakistan army.

Neruda and Faiz: Great Contemporary Poets

One was honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature and the other with Lenin Peace Prize. Both Neruda and Faiz, like many others, notably Nazim Hikmet and Mahmoud Darwish, were essentially anti-colonialists and anti-imperialists.

Around Us (Betrayal of Conscience)

Around Us depicts those events that are currently taking place in Pakistan and how it has weakened our moral fabric, the intangible conscience and all that makes us what we are not.

A Leaf From the Book of Life

Now when I look back I feel as if I was in awe of her like she was a deity descended form the heavens above who could only be seen and revered and observed but not spoken to.

Local Government System – Incompetence vs Competence

I fail to understand why people blame the system for their incompetence? MQM has proved that with any system they could work and contribute because of their commitment, competence and honesty.

Morality Undefined

There is a man standing in the aisle a little up ahead from my seat. He is standing next to a woman, who shouts and tries to shelter the little girl next to her...

A Prescription for the BJP's Revival

You should also take this opportunity to redefine hindutva to give priority to cleanse sacred rivers like Ganga and Yamuna and to rejuvenate forests dearly beloved of ancient rishis and munis.

Book Review: Flight of the Falcon

Sajad Haider’s (SJ) name made headlines, both in war and peace. The former remains his legacy, faithfully revisited every September. The latter became a fleeting moment in history, which no one talks about.

An Encounter with Green Zone Living

In every person there is a centre and at the core of this centre is the green zone.

Watching Poverty Grow

The whole city of Karachi was without power for longer than 24 hours. Load-shedding of electricity for a few hours daily is the norm, all over the country, but consumers will see a minimum raise of one thousand rupees on their monthly bills.

Cantonment in Swat : Wrong Solution

I believe the solution to the Swat problem is much simpler and less costly: well trained and well armed Police, functioning courts and elimination of status of Swat as Tribal Area

Seven Reasons to Kill

It is ironic that in the contemporary world, leaders of religious, spiritual and secular traditions claim that their ideologies and philosophies promote peace, but we see their followers continue to kill each other.

Me Against Myself

“Seek to win from yourself, and within yourself, rather than from the world you cannot control.�

My Grandmother ~ Obituary

I learned from you the power of humour, and how a single laugh can sometimes be more pleasing to a human heart then a carefully crafted melody.

It's Yet Another Pakistani Nuclear Anniversary Today

People of North Korea gained nothing from their country’s nuclearisation. But they cannot challenge their oppressors. But, we Pakistanis — who are far freer — must ask: what have we gained from the bomb?

Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth

Margaret Atwood proposes that debt is like air - something we take for granted until things go wrong. And then, while gasping for breath, we become very interested in it.

Interview: Nafisa Haji

A voice of first or second generation immigrant motherhood, trying desperately to be protective by passing on fading family traditions.

Angels and Demons

Even before this movie was released, the controversies had began. A priest has said that the church does not want to be associated with murders. Others allege there are anti-Catholic sentiments in the movie.

No Quarter For Half Wits Please

Humanitarian disasters are bad because they kill people. Extremism is a menace because it kills people. Again I ask, why is there so much fuss about how we die and not how we live?

British Wheel of Anglo-American Axis Coming Off

On April 30, in sweltering heat, after six years, Britain formally handed over control of the Iraqi port city of Basra to US Army command.

A Leader of Speeches Only!

Few newspapers reported that, “his wife has filed a divorce petition against him just because he spends all his nights in rehearsal of the next day speeches by standing in front of mirror that is fixed in his bedroom.�

No Room for Half-Truths and Quasi-Morals

If the rest of Pakistan should ever hold a mirror to their face, they should see the reflection of turbaned and bearded hooligan.

Obama's 100 Days of Presidency

Wipe off that smile please,
Your pleasant face does not excite me
Any more.

Speculations on Female Sexuality and Religion

Confronted with an attractive female, compounded by our lust and resulting rejection, is this fear, guilt and anger at what we cannot have possibly manifests itself in our holy books?

Urban Middle Class’s Steady Descent Into Conservatism and Religious Right

The latest stance being that terrorism is just a “reaction� and nothing else. The most banal argument is that if Pakistan stops attacking their “own� countrymen, the hardliners will throw weapons.

Militancy, a Product of Fragile Social Fabric

The major chunk of our youth population is alienated to the extent that they have least trust in state, lack in sense of belonging, alarming level of cynicism.

Sufi Muhammed...No More a Joke

It was a small headline on the back page of Roznama Jahng. My father had passed it as a joke. “Sufi Muhammed claims that if the government does not instate sharia law in Pakistan, he will attack Islamabad.�

In My Veins, In My Blood

It’s our turn; we will not remain in fear
If challenge is to come, then embrace
We will, as failures not an option

The Prevailing Sensibilities

I produced Talking Faith out of my complete conviction of demonstrating that the religious barriers can never hamper the natural ways of human living.

The Gentle Power of the Sufi Tradition

Although Sufis are now widely considered to be a Muslim sect, their history goes back to long before the advent of Islam.

There is Nothing "Mystical" about "Mystical" Experiences

If you had weak eyesight and you put on prescription glasses, and now you can see things clearer for what they are; would you think this was a mystical experiences?

If God is the Same then Why is God Different?

The answer to this question came after many years of searching.

Negotiating Aid Package

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Gillani may have done something historic by categorically declining to accept US aid with conditions that are not in Pakistan’s national interest.

Islamabad Nagging

The changed attitude in Islamabad reflects dissatisfaction of the military and the ruling elite, over the US demands for democracy, transparency and the sovereignty of civilian rule.

The Long Road to Talibanization

The perpetrators of religious terror in Pakistan are not just the terrorists, but also actors embedded in state and society, and neither have been made answerable.

That emptiness, that nothingness, what lies beneath?

as we sit in large glass window living rooms in gated communities and mimic what we see on TV

The Other Wonders of Khanpur

Lately, we’ve seen a flurry of first-rate fiction as young Pakistani writers begin to confidently address turmoil and change in their societies in a refreshing, contemporary way.

Is There a Redeemer?

Is there some one from among the Pakistani leaders who can stop this calamitous down slide and reverse the dreadful drift?

The Stranger

Once she made sure her bedroom door was shut and securely locked, she went about her recently cultivated routine of applying lotion to, and spraying foundation onto, her legs...

Painting in the Sikh period

It was Sikh period when the painting style started to turn from aboriginal stylized miniature style to the western realistic one and provided the foundation to the “Company Painting�

Pakistan Faces Unprecedented Water Scarcity

There are successful examples of private citizens addressing sanitation issues on a local, community level. For instance, Dr. Akhtar Hamid Khan is the force behind Orangi Pilot Project.

My Younger Sister Has Died...

Death is reality of life, but sometimes it has devastating affects not for the near and dear ones of departed; but even for the ideas which prop and sustain our lives.

Jihad for the Sake of Environment

The Water Table is dying. Without constant cooperation now the Earth will begin to die bit by bit. Like the Vedanta Brahman, all Humanity is One. The Earth is One. The People are One.

Company Style: Indian Painting under the British Rule

Under western influence and out of the centuries old tradition of native convention of miniature painting ‘company style of painting’ evolved with local artists working for company projects.

Phantom Passengers

Some time ago I witnessed with horror how wantonly a 12 year old bus 'page-boy' was hit by the bus conductor for having negligently given the signal to move the bus prematurely.

Democracy, Pakistan Style

Unlike 1990s, when demonstrations were carried out by PPP or PML hired thugs, today’s rallies are full of people, Pakistani citizens demanding accountability and full restoration of democracy.

If the Deal in Swat Works

Swat will be a lesson for other regions of the country. It has already given the message that in Pakistan one can make his demand accepted only through the means of guns and brute power.

Little Zizou

Mira Nair has always presented thoughtful movies. This one has an added dimension of entertainment. Watch 'Little Zizou' to know what you have been missing in life - a good laugh.

A Brief Survey Of Pakistani Novels In English

Should we include those writers, like Khushwant Singh, who were born, brought up and educated in areas which are now in Pakistan but later migrated to what is now India?

God of Many Needs

I am infinite
I am a god;
Self-sufficient
Creator
Shaper
Destroyer

Mr Zardari is Fighting a Losing Battle

Ironically, more people have been killed by Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan than by the three “enemies� of Pakistan (India, America and Israel) put together. But no one talks about this.

Nightingale of Pukhtoonwala: Rehman Baba

The old Pushtu poet
Carried in his words,
The echoes of peace and music

Demystifying Slumdog

Any film about the ‘East’ that gains recognition at the global level (read: Western), must fit the frames constructed by the West, frames that deny the ‘East’ a place in ‘modernity.’

Fitna : The Proverbial Dutch Foot

Response to Geet Wilders Speech 2008 on Dutch Movie, Fitna

Al-Aah: The Lover's Sigh

They have tried hard to tell me you don't exist,
That you are a figment of my imagination
And what is my imagination?

Self and Architecture

Open your doors, roll up your blinds. Let air, light and noise drop in. They mark life. After all, you do want your Taj Mahal to be something more than a cemetery!

Islamic Justice or Talibanisation of Pakistan

The Swat agreement between the provincial government of NWFP and the Taliban led by Maulana Sufi Mohammad is of greater significance than what the government has perceived.

How it Became Bakistan

A brief political history of Pakistan, from Jinnah’s idealism to Bhutto’s socialism and from dictatorships to present day Islamic fundamentalism.

Oh My God

Every few days Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs or barbers pop up out of nowhere claiming that their sensibilities have been hurt.

Book Review: Daniyal Mueenuddin "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders"

Finally, a major publication by a talented young Pakistani with an eye for Pakistan's rural society and an ear for its rural dialects.

Leadership Crisis of South Asia

Asking people to choose from amongst the likes of Narendra Modi, Bal Thackeray, Sheikh Hasina Wajid, Khaleda Zia, or the assorted Nehru-Gandhis, Sharifs, Chaudhries is an exercise in futility.

No More Gods

The surgeons were no more “God� but they remain some of the most respected, courageous and wisest of doctors and persons from whom one can learn.

How Greed Ruins Academia

Naked greed is now destroying the moral fibre of academia. Professors across the country are clamoring to lift even minimal requirements that could assure quality education.

The Nightmare Must End

Today, Pakistan bears the brunt of the Taliban fallout, thanks to short-sighted Pakistanis and Americans who thought routing the Taliban militarily in Afghanistan would ‘root out the evil’.

In memory of the Swat valley

One has to go no further than the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar to hear the tales of woe of the people of Swat and other parts of the NWFP.

In Search of Political Will: Fight Against Militants in Swat

Not only the state of Pakistan has the right to take arms against these elements but rather has a duty to curb these elements with all of its might.

The Smile of Dinah

She seems gazing at me with a mockingly triumphant smile, head drenched in blood, eyes fixed upon me as if saying, ’You are a lair, dastard, unfaithful retard.’

In the Gallery Of Pakistan

What had happened here? All those pictures were mutilated as if some anti-art psychopath was unleashed. There was blood, hate, violence and death written with bold letters everywhere.

Imagine Life Without Government

The mobile phone company was responsible for providing me a service for Rs. 85 it had charged. The government on the other hand was not accountable to me at all, for the Rs. 15

Obama's Surge in Afghanistan: An Indian's view of Opium trade

Why such importance to this tiny country. The Jihadies have already gone into the caves of Wazirstan. Then Why? Is it the poppy and heroin trade?

Humanity at a Crossroads

Humanity is passing through an adolescent phase as is at a crossroads. All of us have to make certain choices. We can choose the path of collective suicide or the path of peace and harmony.

A Third View

Bendre had come to Mumbai to see his son. Suddenly, a Marathi movement against north Indians in Mumbai rose to peak level fueled by politicians and there were violent scenes in Mumbai.

A Proven Approach to Make Pakistan's Defence Impregnable

If there are no internal or external threats, there are no enemies. No enemies, no conflict. But how could such an ideal goal be achieved in Pakistan where tensions are so high?

What Happened To Tania?

Tania! My daughter… Our dream daughter, Sara’s and mine. It’s been six months now since she had gone. Where and why, I don’t know?

Slumdog Millionaire ... what should movies be like

Should cinema expose harsh truth or should it portray a carefully sanitized picture of society? This question has again come to the fore front with release of Slumdog Millionaire

Compromised Freedoms

untamed confessions
Driving out…
knotted wounds…
And healing…
Compromised freedoms

Bye Bye Preemptive Wars

It remains to be seen how good will Obama’s administration turn out; one thing is certain though that the wheel has started turning up after reaching the lowest point.

World Bank Help For Pakistan’s Education – A Poisoned Chalice?

What Pakistan needs from the Bank is help for improving the dilapidated infrastructure of ordinary colleges where the bulk of Pakistani students in higher education study, not more half-baked universities.

Why Be Good?

The question is why do we strive to be good? Believe it or not, the answer lies in our genetic make up.

Human Trafficking: The Great Commodity Exchange

While no comprehensive study of forced and bonded labour can ever be completed, there are estimates that the trafficking “industry� touches 20 to 65 million Indians.

That Blue Dove

Adapted from Ashfaq Ahmed’s Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay : Neeli Churiya

Civil Society Pleads for Peace

As tensions between Pakistan and India continue to see-saw, citizens in both countries are stepping up efforts for peace through initiatives

Heed Tariq Ali's Voice

A veteran on the South Asian scene, Ali has clinically diagnosed the post-partition developments with a sympathetic mind without losing the desired element of objectivity.

Cathartic Militarism

Threats of bankruptcy and widespread anarchy in the nation and the prospect of war with India has instilled a deep feeling of euphoria and panic in citizens of Pakistan.

Swat Calls For Civil Society to Act

Government writ is a faded vision; elected councilors and Nazims are killed, women no more allowed to visit bazaars; markets are deserted, police stations vacated.

The Many Colors of Indian Corruption

Unless the complex multi layered system of Government inherited from the British is simplified, corruption will continue to thrive.

Journey to the Center of Our Souls

Jerusalem was considered the fountain of wisdom because of the shared knowledge of our three traditions. I hope and pray we will one day learn to share that knowledge again.

The Other Side

There is not much value in trying to judge the world and maybe slightly more in trying to change it. But real power lies in understanding people around us and their motivations.

Man And The Sun

For these troubling times, a dialogue between the morning sun and a man on a mountain about what is the essence of a human being.

In Search of Identity : Tribal Warriors

We have to shed our colonial identity imposed on us and undertake a fresh challenge, an IDENTITY-altering venture that allow us to paint the happenings and experiences of our existence and our dreams.

Sharp-Eyed View of a Mohajir

These immigrants (in Bengal and Sindh) were to play a great role both in the development of these provinces and also in generating political instability.

No Short Cuts to End Terrorism

There was such a huge feeling of outrage against the lapses of the intelligence and security services, the custodians of law as well as all the politicians and officials.

Nothing Queer About It

Homosexuality is demonstrated in all species from fruit flies to donkeys. Humans are no exception to this rule and the fact is that sexual orientation is an inborn combination.

I Am A Pakistani

(India, America) These are countries that I carry in my heart but do not carry their passports. I am a threat to the safety of their people. I am a threat to my friends.

Proud to be an Indian

Like the memorial to the Unknown Soldier; we need a way to honor the unknown citizens of all hues – the ones who really make us proud to be Indian

History & Origins of Pakistan's Nuclear Program

By September 1976 one hundred acre site near Kahuta was personally selected by Dr. A.Q. Khan. Kahuta’s secretive work was known as Project 706.

Terror Unlimited

I Hope that God’s wrath doesn’t fall on Punjab because we, the inhabitants of NWFP, are truly suffering from the wrath of militants and other criminal elements, terror unlimited as I call it.

Hop Aboard the Interfaith Express

Ironically, the main organizers of Interfaith conference at UN was His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, country with the worst record in history on religious tolerance.

The Indian Obama!

The question 'Can India produce an Obama' carries significance in the context of the Happydent White television commercial doing rounds on Indian channels since August or so.

The Correct Turn

Like most movements of the 20th Century that adopted what is called Political Islam as its calling card, the Kashmir militancy too collapsed under its own weight.

The Muslim Protagonist and the Past Three Years

What better a movie to begin with than Rang De Basanti? RDB will stand out for long as ‘The Generation X Movie’ in the annals of Bollywood.

Sonal Shah to Help Divide Obama's Victory Spoils

It is ironic that both Emanuel and Shah, with close ties to far-right politics in Israel and India, have become part of the supposedly liberal elite assembled by the Obama campaign

Effects of Climate Change and Bio-Energy

In Asia, temperatures are expected to rise 2-8 degrees Celsius in next 8-10 years affecting climatic variations like decreased rainfall, crop failures and more floods.

The Way Out

Much of the responsibility for the failure in Pakistan rests with the people themselves who have not played their part in protecting their rights.

It’s Not the Economy, Stupid!

From the march in Alabama to the victory speech in Grant Park, the nation has come this far in such a short span of time is nothing hosrt of a miracle.

The Capture of Christianity

No execution in human history has been as minutely researched as the crucifixion of Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago. There has also been no myth like the story of his resurrection

Reckoning Time for HEC

The new HEC head, yet to be appointed, has a difficult task ahead. One hopes that he or she will have the dynamism and eloquence of Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, but not the flaws.

Supporting Moratorium on Capital Punishment

Almost 30 of the 60 ‘Islamic’ countries have abolished or have moratoriums in place.

The Modern Morlocks Emerge – Muslim Americans

Obama, that biracial, African American son of a Kenyan with an Arab name, is apparently now a “Socialist with Islamic background� according to anti-Muslim McCain supporters

General Colin Powell – A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Why blame the selection of Palin as one of the reasons for parting with McCain? Was this selection any worse than a warholes such as Wolfowitz, Ashcroft, Rove, Bolton, Cheney

Miley Sur Mera Tumhara

These days it is not enough any more to be a Hindu alone. No – indeed you have to be a particular kind of Hindu.

Seeking a way out of the 'war on terror'

The calls by decision makers for political engagement rather than military means to end the ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan reflects a major change in US policy.

Post Colonial English Language Writers

Post Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist a whole raft of new Pakistani novels are due to appear, all of which have already caused considerable pre-publication stir.

Are the Converted Tribals Really Hindu?

Several reports confirm that many tribals have cynically accepted the tonsuring of their hair and the mouthing of Vedic prayers as a small price to pay to get back to their villages.

History and Origins of MQM Part II

Emigration of Hindus post partition left a vacuum which was filled by the educated Muslim immigrants from India. In 1981 census only 6% of Karachites identified themselves as Sindhi.

Cockroaches of Disruption

The process of peace, the process of change
As the deal are struck, as deal are brokered
Through rumors and disobedience
To the nation, the silent witness

MQM - History and Origins

The Mohajir-Sindhi alliance provided the only real chance to thwart the Punjabi dominance in Pakistani politics.

Reforming Religious Fundamentalists

What would you do with religious fundamentalists, especially those who adopt militant practices, have violent consciousness, and have become involved in armed struggle...

Whose Dog?

The way the Sangh Parivar has co-opted the working class and youth militants while serving the interests of the rich and powerful is a phenomenon which has torn India apart.

Coming to America

It's both surreal and frightening that these two (Palin and Zardari) upstart political figures could very well be significant actors in deciding the fate of global relations.

Pakistani-Americans or American-Pakistanis?

How long will it before Pakistani-Americans will let their voices be heard as a group?

The Marriott Bombing: ‘Pakistan’s 9/11’?

The message was clear: they can strike Pakistan’s capital, and they care nothing for democracy or for religion.

Boot Point

Party chief Altaf Hussain and the MQM Rabita Committee cancelled Liaquat's membership after accusing him of "spreading religious hatred through his TV shows"

National Survey on Student Politics

A vast majority of university students (63.6 percent) wants reserved quota for girls in the student unions, according to a recent national survey on student politics.

The Prejudices Pakistan’s New President Faces

Asif Ali Zardari's presidential nomination was widely condemned - but the fact is that he is now the democratically elected President of Pakistan.

Is Mumbai a hub of dirty politics?

After rejection from West Bengal Trinamool Congress, Tata received invitation from Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to start Nano project from Maharashtra.

A New Kind of Charity this Ramadan

Being vigilant and demanding transparency is not optional but imperative. We must learn to treat our donations as investments in the future of Pakistan.

Alcohol and Teenagers: A Lethal Mixture

If one can Vote and join the Army and sent to Iraq when 18, why not being able to buy a beer in the USA?

Faith and Religion

Though I have a Muslim name I am a non practicing Indian Muslim who does not believe in any organised religion.

Black Pencils

jehad in a woman?
daggers in a jar full of berry-nectar
pleasant as honey-sugar
ordinary, crowd senses as usual.

In the Face of Adversity

Three courageous persons who are in compromised positions –physically, financially and socially, but have not lost their spirit.

Remembering the Jallianwala Bagh, Gandhi, Churchill and Jinnah

Reviewing positions of three key players on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre - the watershed event of India’s independence.

The Aftermath of Musharraf’s Departure

After Musharraf’s departure, there might be some respite in the escalating insurgency and intensifying turmoil in Pakistan’s Northern scenic valley of Swat and Tribal regions.

Global Warming: Green with Controversy

Its effects will happen 30 years down the road, and then you say, "Okay, do something about it."

Toward a Pakistani Media Strategy

Being disgusted with the way things are is not a sufficient response, and the Pakistani community needs to take the lead in changing its own image.

Olympic Dreamers

A famous American novelist Henry Miller once wrote, “Humans work while gods play�. But there are some humans who like to become gods as they love to play all their lives.

The Tribal and I

We, too, like the British lump up all tribal setups into a single category and generalise. Basing our understanding of 'their' culture on our 'feeling' towards them and a sense of superiority.

Here We Go Again

But it’s really a wet firecracker without Army’s intervention, because sehba auntie or shareefudding peerzada can’t jump the gates of PTV and take over.

From Marx to Mao to Jintao

The world's eyes are focused on China today as Beijing plays host to the 2008 Summer International Olympics Games.

And then there was The Impeachment Issue…

A smug looking Mian saa’ab and the ever dramatic Dark Prince, announced at a joint press conference, their plans to pursue the Impeachment of President Pervaiz Musharraf.

Karachi Monsoon

The rains are now bound to start where it’s almost non-stop. Half the roads are dug up. The drains are not complete. And the energy problem is only going to increase.

Quarter No.5

It had been raining for two hours. The heavens were in a generous mood that day. The sewer behind the 'servants' quarters' was overflowing with rainwater...

The Labour Struggle

The current upsurge of labour strikes all over the country has once again brought to the forefront the same rhetoric of 'work harder instead of complaining'.

Fissures in the Middle

Pakistan is at war. It is a conflict of ideas across the country and Pakistan’s bourgeoning middle-class is at the centre of it.

The Tunnel

We aren’t the people of these bright lights and we will never be, we’re people of the docks. A fish cant survive on land. Don’t you ever forget that.

Kashmir Experiencing Hyderabad

In January every year all India industrial exhibition is held in Nampally, Hyderabad. Most of the businessmen taking part in the exhibition are from Srinagar.

Why is Karachi Turning Into a Sell-Out?

Isn't this the same city that lost 20,000 of its young men in 1990's at the hands of this same military establishment that we seem to be so fond of these days?

Of Medical Students, Passports and Religous Tolerance

Who am I to declare that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Quadiani is an impostor nabi? Why on earth am I even being asked the question?

An Ode Called Amritsar

On hearing that I was about to visit her ancestral city, my mother gave me instructions to reach her childhood home from the railway station...

Edward De Bono's Point C: Situtation in Pakistan

Capital of a nuclear power now plunges into darkness daily, for 5 to 6 hours. In small cities, this duration is 11 to 16 hours. With hottest months of the year still to come.

A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian in Pakistan by Farzana Versey

It (Indian Muslim) happens to be my identity. And this book is about the identity question in large measure - my identity, the Pakistani identities.

London’s Knife-Crime Epidemic:

Such is the horror in Britain at this new phenomenon, that the Police have declared tackling knife-crime to be their new number one target surpassing even that of terrorism.

Muslim Ghettoisation

The perception among Muslims is that they are unwelcome in Britain is undermining efforts to help them integrate into wider society.

The Unbearable Lightness of Seeing

Lately his wife seems to be depressed and irritated when he comes home in the evening. The children look cold and withdrawn. Sohail Khan himself feels a shift in his moods.

Yet Another Immigrant Story

I arrived in the US about eight months ago, to get married in Houston and move to Maryland, where I live now. My last visit had been less than a year ago, during which I met my husband.

Nirad Babu's Ghost

His (Nirad C. Chaudhuri's) discourse could effortlessly vacillate between, say, the role of the Kama sutra in the Indian psyche to the merits of a Chateau d'Yquem.

Anti-Americanism in Pakistan and the Taliban Menace

The Taliban are waging an armed struggle to remake society. They will keep fighting this war even if America were to miraculously evaporate into space.

Muslims in America

I am all for Muslim identity but frankly what I don’t get is the overbearing role dogma plays in every action of the Muslim community in America.

Music: Muslim Madonna

Performing seated alongside notable ghazal maestros of the subcontinent was the eight years old Deepika Thathaal known by her stage name Deeyah.

Nawaz Sharif’s Moment of Truth

Nawaz Sharif disqualified to run for the national Assembly by none other than the Lahore High Court. How should he react to it? How should he take it?

The 'One God' Religions of Revelation

The success of the `One God’ idea was its ability to use fear to empower the professional priests enabling them to command the absolute obedience of their followers.

Restoring the Civil Rights of Ahmadis

The persecution of Ahmadis even under the present mangled constitution is patently unconstitutional.

The Cruel Expulsions

Reaction to “Twenty Three Students Expelled From Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad�

Twenty Three Students Expelled From Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad

On Thursday, June 5th the principal of Punjab Medical College in Faisalabad expelled every student who belonged to the minority Ahmadi community from his college.

Dancing With Madonna

Dancing helps in developing, not only a beautiful body, but also a healthy mind, and should be encouraged in society.

Paper Trail

To produce five sheets of 8 x 11 inch paper we use the equivalent energy of an 80 watt bulb operating for an hour; but at a cost far greater than that of electricity.

Please De-stabilize the System

Who are we trying to save the system from anyway? Why are we STILL sugar-coating this?

The Emerging Threat

According to some people, Mangal Bagh has the full backing of government. If this is true than another Frankenstein is in the making.

Pakistan (private) Ltd.

‘Why could you not have been brave enough, why do you not have some courage, why did you not ever go to jail, why did you never kill someone, why did you not ever embezzle money – ’

Pakistan's Nuclear Test - Ten Years Later

Today we are at war on multiple fronts. But the Bomb provides no defense. Rather, it has helped bring us to this grievously troubled situation and offers no way out.

Delayed Justice

Centre’s decision to award a compensation package totaling Rs 330 crores to the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots can at best be described as a pre-election effort at applying a healing touch.

Confessions of a Religious Fundamentalist

I just want you to understand that never mind the beautiful facades of different ISMS, at the base of it all we are all religious and all fundamentalists.

Logotherapy: Humanism In Psychiatry

The heart has reasons that reason does not know ... A reflection on Victor Frankl’s “The Unheard Cry for Meaning�

Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State

"I have not found a single period that I could in all honesty say I would trade for my 21st-century existence as a Muslim living in a secular democratic society."

Life Long Commitment vs. Singledom

Marriage, I think, is highly overrated. Marriage being the perfect happily ever after and the solution to life’s problems is ‘just a myth we’ve been fed since childhood’

Building a Dream House

This Saturday was a very pleasant day . It rained in the afternoon, and as usual, Islamabad after a rain on a summer afternoon, was the perfect place to just drive around.

Persecution of Religious Minorities In Islamic Countries

Meaningless protests over stupid cartoons do not achieve anything. Speaking up against injustices in their own countries does.

Myanmar Disaster

“Dedicated to the people of Burma in their hour of need………but stands there, the government and its obstacles “!!!

Bridge Mania

Myrtle Bennett of Kansas City shot her husband John to death on September 29, 1929, over a bridge hand. Her husband had opened the bidding with one spade.

PPP Isn’t Convinced!

Pandering to the presidency, appointment of Mehmood Ali Durrani and Rehman Malik, failure to remove Malik Abdul Qayyum, are signs that establishment isn’t blinking just yet.

Race to the Finish

60 years ago, when Jackie Robinson, first Black Man to play in US Major League Baseball, walked onto the field, he was taunted, ridiculed, and booed, but despite all adversity, he delivered.

The Power of Faith

Religion has become a weekend thing, where offering Friday prayers means immunity from everything that is required of a Muslim.

People of Gilgit Baltistan Waiting to be Heard

A week after sending this letter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, emergency was imposed in Pakistan, constitution was suspended and the Chief Justice was deposed.

Harold and Kumar Escape From Gitmo

This time the duo attempts to explain the difference between a Bong and a Bomb aboard an airplane to Amsterdam in a post 9/11 environment.

Benazir’s Legacy

How could Pakistan’s all-powerful president and chief of the army staff be dislodged -- other than through the political process?

Is It Treason to Question

In the General Hospital in Lahore, in the top most brain surgery institute of Pakistan, people lie in verandas in unhygienic conditions.

Europe and the Film Culture

Despite the speculated aggressive reactions, the film “Fitna� was released on the Internet on March 27, 2008.

Spinning the Public Beating and the Mob Justice

You really need to be a bad administrator or power usurper that people are so full of hatred for you that they can’t help but beat you.

The ‘shoey’ Side of Politics

People had not shut their ‘shocked’ mouths at the treatment meted out to Arbab Ghulam Rahim when they saw Sher Afgan being roughed up by the black coats.

How to End Politics of Hate and Intolerance

The man behind the politics of intolerance and hate, symbol of discord rather than harmony as president of State, is responsible for present state of affairs.

Student Movement Revisited

Dr Haroon Ahmed and Saleem Asmi, two stalwarts of the first student movement in Pakistan, the Democratic Students Federation (DSF) write to set the record straight about DSF.

A Staircase Connecting Three Worlds

This is a world where hopes are pinned, dreams take form and life’s problems seem to somehow droop their heads like tired banners on an old banyan tree.

Late Afternoon at Masjid Wazir Khan

“Aapni ki Bengali�? I asked him as we finally reached the lattice worked balcony that encircled the minaret from where the muezzins have been calling the faithful to prayers for centuries.

Power to the People

There is suddenly a change in the air, amidst all this chaos which still continues to remain, still there seems to be something blooming, dare I say optimism.

Of Sin and Crime

I was fervidly persuaded that day by my neighbour molvi sahib to attend this Jum’a congregation in a madrassah near the city centre.

Mosquito Music

That’s one form of music
That makes me quite sick,
whose notes are malaria,
dengue or filaria.

Starting from the End

Wapda and the ministry of power have implemented an emergency load shedding plan to plug the gap between electricity supply and demand leading to more misery for millions.

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa Agha on Pakistan Military

Stay out of politics, it is good for you, good for us, Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa Agha advises Pakistan Military.

Student Politics in Pakistan: A Profile

Student politics in Pakistan has had a history of mixed fortunes and shades. Though extremely tumultuous, it is also a history of rich democratic traditions.

Reinterpretation of Islam in Turkey

Reinterpretation of Quran (and Hadith) is allowed in principle although no effective reinterpretation has ever taken place in the Muslim world.

An Unnecessary Interview with History

Tonight we have an unnecessary interview with ex- Chief Executive, ex- Chief of Army staff and soon to be the ex- President of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharaff.

The Spring of Discontentment

As of today 27th Feb 2008, the USD has touched its record low against Euro (1.50) while Oil has touched its record peak of 101 dollars.

Ralph Nader Joins 2008 Presidential Race

Attacking both Clinton and Obama in an interview, Nader said, "Obama is an overly cautious captive of his handlers and Clinton is a panderer and a flatterer.�

My Top Ten Novels by Desi Writers

I am a prose stylist and all my choices reflect this bias.

Talking to Jamil Dehlavi about Infinite Justice and More

Jamil Dehlavi's film “Infinite Justice� recently opened in Britain. The Indo-Pakistani-French film maker was born in Calcutta to an Indian father and French mother.

Monday Morning Blast in Rawalpindi ... An eyewitness account

This morning marked the first day of classes for the current batch of officers chosen from around the country to take the Unit Command Course. Five of them never signed-in today.

A History of the Pakistan Army by Brian Cloughley

Brian Cloughley has made an honest attempt to present things as they are or as he perceived them to be with whatever facts he could lay hands to.

Taliban, Pashtoons and Pakistan

The militants have become so bold that they have started to fight pitch battles against the Army instead of employing hit and run tactics that were the hallmark of tribal battle skills.

Pakistan's Universities - Problems and Solutions

300% jump in research publications, nine new engineering universities with European faculty, 3000 Pakistani students sent overseas for higher-degrees...self-serving lies, half-truths and deceit.

It's ME on Both Sides!

I was told that my dad had been by my mother's side when I was born but left only after he found out that his child was a girl.

Rashidabad: Beginning Charity at Home

Irrespective of race, religion, language and ethnic background, all children in the hostel and the orphanage are provided equal opportunity to prosper.

Surplus Majors and Jerk Chicken

Yesterday, when I went to collect my monthly dole from my local council, the officer in charge was apologetic, ‘Sorry Mr Nazir this is all we have for you at the moment,’ she said.

Sounds from Within

Walking in the woods today
I talked loud and low,
To the ever listening trees
I said my silent woe.

Eight years of Four M's: Musharraf, MQM, Muslim League and Mullah

After eight years of these M’s Pakistan has transformed into a hell filled with price hike, ethnic tensions ... scarcity of basic necessities and above all reactionary suicide bombers.

Ashes in the River

...at that stage all the differences are really wiped out.

Revolutionary for Sale

Clothing plastered with the portrait of socialist revolutionary Che Guevara is possibly one of the oddest and most self contradictory phenomena's of the 21st century.

Psychology of Men's Honour and Women's Sexuality

When Eastern women become financially and emotionally independent their husbands start losing control and become abusive and violent

Movie Review: The Kite Runner

Khalid Hosseini, like many Afghan’s is a poet at heart. Here with the assistance of screenwriter David Benioff, the essence of The Kite Runner remains intact

Interviewing Ayman

I came across the “hilarious news� that Al Qaeda would be now conducting an open interview. Yes my friends.. good old Ayman will be answering your questions.

1857-What Really Happened-A Reconstruction

A brief analysis of the claims about 1857 as one hears them in today’s Pakistan.

Mass Difference: The Bhuttos and Civil Society

Populist, mass-oriented politics can effectively cancel out the two most prominent anti-populist strains in Pakistan i.e. the politico-religious and the elite-bourgeois.

Islam as a political weapon in Pakistan

Manipulative Politics through the Bhutto and Zia Regimes

Saatchi, Musharraf and Britney Spears

‘Is there any chance of your catching Osama Bin Laden? That will definitely put you right back at the top of the charts...’

Benazir Bhutto: Death of Hope and Dilemma

She is an even more significant loss for the West that myopically supports personalities rather than masses and institutions in the countries of interest.

Catharsis

A walk through fire
Eyes shut tight
Stepping on red hot coal
Mind overcomes pain

The Real Issue Facing Pakistan

A cursory look at the main characters in the tribal insurgency would show their strong links with the army in the past.

Interview: Imran Khan on Elections and Boycott

Participating in elections will only give legitimacy to an illegal action.

The Good Monster: Musharraf's Cultural Legacy

A leader’s true legacy tends to be more accurately deciphered when studied through the effects his ideas and policies have had on the cultural mindset of the people.

Chicken Biryani

Almost halfway to his house, the bus came to a halt. A lot of buses stood there, vacant, the passengers forced to stand outside. There was some trouble up ahead...

Search for Origins of Mahayana Buddhism

The land of Pakistan is blessed with one of the most important treasures of the world, the glorious civilization of Buddhism flourishing in the North Western areas of Pakistan.

I thick therefore I am

I wanted to show off my intellect by writing a piece on current situation of Pakistan but decided against it.

Enlightened Mediocrity

‘He (Musharraf) is better off than the Queen you know,’ I continued, ‘considering that even the poor lady is answerable at times...’

An Insight Into Pakistan Army and Musharraf

A combination of threat perception and indispensability strengthened his quest for legitimacy till it consumed his reformist self.

The Plan To Topple Pakistan Military

Its not about Musharraf anymore. This is about clipping the wings of a strong Pakistani military, denying space for China in Pakistan, squashing the ISI, stirring ethnic unrest...

Talk with Shandana Minhas author of Tunnel Vision

Why would I sell to western readers? My loyalty is to the story. As a storyteller you don’t choose the story, the story chooses you.

Six Minutes

The changing world,
Continuation of destruction
Through volcanoes and winds

Privatization of PTCL: The Redundant Employees

As many as 40,000 people will quit the job through Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) offered by the PTCL management.

Dispensation of Justice is the Main Pillar of Democracy

The three constitutions, framed in Pakistan, proved to be just pieces of paper; their sanctity frequently violated by the men with guns, and by those who authored and approved these documents.

Go Jamiat Go

The students have announced loud and clear that they no longer want the Jamiat over their head.

Secret Life of Gays in New Delhi

On all other days, Pegs N Pints is "normal" - strictly straight. But on Tuesday evenings as the clock struck ten, queers start trickling out of their closets.

Why the American War on Terror is Failing Miserably

USA's counter terrorism effort in the Global War against Terror is frankly creating more terrorists than it is stopping.

Foreign Factor in our Higher Education

Our whole system of education is working in such a way to produce good high-tech workforce for European and American markets. Irony is we do this at our own expense.

Artifice of Scholarship : CSPI on FrontPage

Where will Mr. Warner hide when faced with the ignobility of logic deserting his beloved Christianity? What will he do when the devil of duality is discovered in his own sacred texts?

Whither Emergency

General Musharraf’s self perception of being indispensable to Pakistan is now compounded further as the US affirms him as the most valuable partner in the ‘war on terror’.

Searching for Qurratulain Hyder in a Delhi Kabristan

I was looking for a grave. In the next hill perhaps? For Qurratulain Hyder. She was an Urdu writer who died on August 21.

Overcoming Learned Helplessness and Apathy

The shackles of “learned helplessness� can only be broken if all the political parties and intelligentsia join hands to restore rule of democracy and the independence of judiciary.

Capuchin Monkeys : The Paradox of Choice

If we are smart how did we end up making such a stupid mistake? If a mistake is made, how could we call ourselves smart? Psychologists call this Cognitive Dissonance.

The Proposition

The halala was solemnized. At 11, Iqtidar had his first experience of the flesh. Naghma was facilitated in her return to the man she really loved.

Religiosity, National Ethos and Governance

Suggestions for modifications in the system of governance in Pakistan.

Hisab Barabar

She is a regular in the gym. She walks with a lazy step, does halfhearted aerobics, and barely moves on the bike. On the treadmill, her whole body heaves with an energy-less movement.

Imran Khan at LUMS

Amidst speculation of the imposition of emergency in the country by the state, Imran was here to speak about the role of the youth in the country’s political future.

Emergency:What Lies Ahead For Pakistan?

The politic body, already decimated, raped and largely turned into a mob of opportunist has yet again been put on the dissecting table for surgical procedure by butchers.

The Roving Stones

My lords have announced they will cause revolutionary changes, changes that will cause a grass root level change. But how could they?

The Other Woman

She was a friend who just happened to be a woman...or, was she?

Of No Importance

I need to move,
To some other place
Away from all this mayhem

Daughter of the Beast: The General's New Clothes

Benazir is eager to show that she is not doing deals with Musharraf but, as Ahmed Rashid points out, despite the army’s dwindling popularity she needs the army because it controls Pakistan.

Communists and the Making of Pakistan

History of the last years of Punjab under the Raj

Media: A Catalyst for Social and Political Change

Media should connect the public spirit of politics by encouraging the people’s participation in political decisions.

Jeenay Do BB

A piece of satire targeted on Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan.

Can Religious Leaders Redeem the Future of the World?

138 prominent Muslim scholars have written an open letter to Pope Benedict XVI calling for religious harmony between Christians and the Muslims.

A tribute: To Revathy Gopal

We talked just once on the phone
I, the hopeful poet,
you, established and acknowledged,
friendly, kind and encouraging.

Shattered by the Status Quo

The recent pro Musharraf decision has been rationalized on the grounds that we need him for keeping democracy on “track�.

Bernard Lewis and the Neocon view of Islam

Lewis has had such a profound influence that according to the Wall Street Journal, “the Lewis doctrine, in effect, had become US policy�.

Farewell to Shimla

Life was normal in early 1947 till June when sporadic incidents of ethnic violence began. In July of 1947, the Muslims started leaving Shimla for Pakistan.

The Gust of Suspicion is Not So Kind

Forcing its entry like a wanton thief
It steals from Heart the jewels of belief

The Melting Pot

We weren’t surprised when we went to the reception and the guests sitting next to us asked us if the groom was Muslim or not.

The Ramadan Ordinance

In 1981, the Ramadan Ordinance was issued by President of Pakistan Zia ul Haq, whereby eating, drinking and smoking in public during fasting hours in the month of Ramadan was declared unlawful.

Old Wine, Still Older Bottles

If the people of Pakistan don’t take to the streets, the politicians are themselves to blame. They have chosen the politics of convenience and non-agitation.

Metamorphosis

He was terrified of anyone spinning the cocoon off him, terrified of anyone looking at him closely.

War of Independence or the Great Mutiny

A review of William Dalrymple's book, The Last Mughal

Law of Necessity… A Logical Recourse

All military interventions in Pakistan have a distinction of getting legal/constitutional indemnity in two phases. First, the judiciary legalises the intervention...

A Sad Day for Pakistan

September 28, 2007 was a sad day for every citizen who hoped that the courts may finally bury the doctrine of necessity.

From Lahore with Love

Collection of poems written in Lahore, somewhat inspired by the Baba Bulleh Shah, one of the first modern poets of the Sub-Continent.

Musharraf the Out-smarter

A lot is being said and written these days for and against Musharraf who first introduced the concept of ‘Pakistan First’ (keeping Pakistan before self and all).

Confronting Ahmadinejad in U.S.

University authorities failed to draw clear-cut distinction between criticism and insult. Free society does have few limits too.

An Alternative Approach to International Development

Although many nations have promised 0.7% of GNI to relieve suffering and secure the enjoyment of basic human rights, no one is able to hold them accountable.

Musharraf and Pakistan: A Message for the Secretary General of the Commonwealth

Let not the Commonwealth make Musharraf 'an exception story'. Call a spade a spade. Tell it how it is.

A History of Failure: The Rise and Fall of Military

Is military rule the solution to Pakistan's problems? Is Musharraf any different than his predecessor generals?

Local Knowledge, Capital, and Social Change in the Age of Globalization

Whether it is selling vegetables or tourism, the local agent does not, by definition, possess anything that cannot be brought from elsewhere in the globe.

The Chair

At no cost, I will leave
This chair and its power

Limits of Multiculturalism

The question of reasonable accommodation with cultural minorities has erupted with increasing frequency and friction in almost all countries with multicultural minorities

A Writer's People and earlier works of V.S. Naipaul

Naipaul was once a penetrating and unpredictable literary critic, but here criticism has been reduced to a series of spikey provocations.

Neuro Politics

When self-talk is not monitored cautiously it can lead to drastic effects on one’s personality, mentality and psychology.

The need for De-Bhuttofication of the Pakistan People's Party

In the last 5 years, PPP in the assembly at least has emerged as a strong force against obscurantism.

Chunari vs. Topi

When will we learn that the 'Daag' isn't imported and not on the 'Chunari' at all.

The Power of Ideas and the Modern University

Ideas rule the world, drive our actions, inform our beliefs, and unleash mighty revolutions. How must Pakistan’s higher education system change for it to succeed?

An Unconditional Commitment to Pluralism

It means accepting a Hindu as a Hindu, a Muslim as a Muslim, a Jew as a Jew, an atheist as an atheist, an unbeliever as an unbeliever and it means respecting that choice.

Sex Education For the Next Generation

Sex education based on science, medicine and human psychology rather than cultural and religious superstitions help make rational and responsible choices in life.

Mother Teresa’s Moment of Truth

Soon afterwards the doubts and skepticism, not about her missionary work but her faith, began to assail her mind and lasted until her death.

Twin Blasts in Rawalpindi leaves 27 dead, 70 injured

A chilling response to Musharraf's military operation in tribal areas

Mushy is Done!

Jawed Hashmi is a stand-up politicians amongst a wide variety of political midgets that we have right now, and I hope that he is sincere when he advises his party to be humble and serve rather than rule.

India's first Citizen Journalists Meet held in New Delhi

Citizen journalists participating in the meet shared their views and ideas to take the country ahead into the next 60 years of independence.

Violence, the Indian Media, and 'Non-Violent' Indian Society

Coverage of violence appears to be motivated by the profit margin, and often veers on the sensationalist. Issues are also prioritized based on their populist appeal.

Book Review: Killer Tune by Dreda Say Mitchell

What is race? Is it the colour of our skins, or the faith of an individual, or is it the rebel within?

Cellular Cancer

Cell phones have erased distances and brought people closer. But each step in the cellular direction is bringing us closer to physical and mental problems.

This Is For The Men Who'll Roll Their Eyes

I’m waiting for the day when the word feminism will not be a synonym for extremism.

Qurat-ul-ain Haider Has Passed Away

An obituary of a distinguished writer of Urdu literature.

India: The Empire Strikes Back

In 1600 India produced 22.5% of global GDP. By 1870, India had been reduced into a Third World nation, thanks to the Raj.

Mobile Phone Ideas

Philip Koetler, the marketing guru wrote that products that succeed are the ones that meet human needs, definitely not true for mobile phones.

Rise of Hindu Right Wing Ideology

Today, when a Hindu shouts an obscenity at Pakistan the Indian Muslim has to shout two to show their patriotism towards India.

Stephen Gill on his Writing and Diaspora

Multiple award-winning author Stephen Gill was born in Pakistan, grew in India and has settled in Canada after staying in Ethiopia and England for a while.

Emergency: From Behind the Sandbags

Emergency at this time serves Chaudhri Shujaat more than it serves Musharraf, who wants to play this final card not so early.

Celebrating Pakistan's 60th Anniversary

What better way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Pakistan's independence from Britain than poetry from Iqbal, the man who is Pakistan's ideological founding father?

My Life Story

When I close my eyes in solitude and think about the goings-on in my life during the past 17 years, I realize that a big part of my life is gone, withered away, wasted...

Why Doxiadis Cries for Islamabad

A planned capital sinks through the neglect of its basic infrastructure at the cost of new wasteful projects

Weapons of Mass Empowerment

The one point agenda for underdeveloped nations of the world to secure real freedom from the exploitation of the imperialist nations.

The Deal and Our Responsibility

Does the deal between Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto really matter? And will we sit and let others to continue muddling with the affairs of Pakistan.

Khuda Ke Liye

"In the Name of God", it is about us - the people of Pakistan warts and all.

The Corporation That Changed The World

A book exposing the illegalities, tyrannies, immorality, rapacity, frauds and every kind of misfeasance practised by the East India Company.

Al-Qaeda In My House

After two days of intense negotiations more like US-India nuclear talks that failed, our negotiations bore fruit. We decided that we will bomb the place.

Tribute to a Master

A book dedicating the contributions of the great Indian littérateur Premchand

Moral Policing is the Same Everywhere

The Lal Masjid\'s occupants might have changed, when will the moral policing system in Indian subcontinent change?

The Choice of Leading a Gay Life

‘forcing them to marry hoping he or she will change’ – such a approach invites anger, irritation, tensions and worse absolute breakdown of relations.

Smile, for the camera?

One day, years later when the event itself is forgotten and the photo somehow emerges, they will laugh at what they believe to be a real moment.

As The Drama Unfolds

Mulana Abdul Aziz calls for Jihad one minute and runs for his life the next second.

Rest in Peace Pakistan (1947-1974)

You cannot understand Pakistan until and unless you understand how the demise of the ideal of Pakistan was brought about by its own people

The Actor

Radhamohan Bose hated being called “Radha”, “Radha-da” or even “Radha-babu”. But very few people would take the trouble of pronouncing his full name.

Bandit Queen

Shall we ever understand why a woman, so violent, got so much support and protection in rural India and made it to Parliament? Shall we ever unravel the mystique of power of illiterate, landless masses in bringing about so profound a change?

Musharaff Finds a Way Out

An election year usually carries lots of surprises in it and this one, perhaps the first official one since 70s, is no different.

Demystification of the Other

A spiritual journey to places of worship--mosque, church and synagogue

Dormant Embryo

There’s a world within me, a culture of cherished dreams
Lurking gloomy shadows, unheard unanswered screams

Section 144: Ban on public gatherings

The section 144 has its roots in British constitution of 1938. British needed it to secure their imperialistic interests. The question is whose imperialistic needs it is serving now?

Daughters of Hajar

Hajar was Prophet Abraham’s wife and the mother of Ismael. Abraham took them to Mecca (at the site of the Masjad-al-Haram) and abandoned them there (at Allah’s command?). Identifying herself with Hajar, Asra chose to call her organization 'Dau

The Silent Majority Speaks

I have not yet seen or heard that an excellent bank manager, an efficient medical doctor or the most qualified air steward has been made a Corp Commander or an Air Marshall. I have however see many armed force officers in positions where they are not supp

The Indian American

A mixed up amalgam of diluted Indian traditions and strong western ideas, the Indian American appears to be a rootless, yet confident, brown entity aspiring to be something it is naturally not.

Who Is the Target Here?

The never-die judicial-issue is spinning out of control and irony of the matter is that every player dealing with this is made to believe that he holds the trump card.

Hindus in J&K: Elated in minority

Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, who have been at the receiving end of militancy in the state are elated over the proposal of the UPA government to bring about a law which will decide the status of minorities on the basis of state population.

Search for the Missing in Action

A diary of the 14 day trip to Pakistan to search for MIA in Pakistani jails- an appeal for help.

Coffin Ride of the Classics

The creative classics of every genre are on life support systems and those who get them in the form of sequels, re-dos, movies etc make it to the modern flashy minds. Yes! All that flashes is gold today!

Female Image in the NWFP

A drive through Peshawar’s main roads shows the most perverse affects of gender selectivity.

Deweaponise Your Thoughts

“..Because of the perpetual — and all-too-real — fear of being hurt, or of death, or of unbearable loss, or even of “mere” humiliation, each and every one of us, the conflict’s citizens, its prisoners, trim down our own

The General vs. the Judge

The attempt to browbeat a Judge has released a new fissure in Pakistani society. The violence in Karachi makes compromise difficult for both sides. There is an easy solution...

Guard of Honour

The outcome of the match between Eaton FC and with Weymouth FC did not evince too much of interest amongst the English football enthusiasts but for the fact that the world was to watch a ‘footballing genius’ one last time.

Secularism, Positive Communalism and the Pluralist State

What form of secularism works in a pluralist state? Is it the one that bases itself in inclusiveness or that which is premised on insularity of state from religion?

What Next After Karachi’s Carnage?

Although Musharraf denies that he wants a postponement, a lengthy martial law may now be his only chance for a continuation of his dictatorial rule into its eighth year – and perhaps beyond.

Citizenship and Identity in Pakistan

Before the British colonised the subcontinent, the people of this region existed in overlapping sets of multiple identities, where contending sovereignty of identity groups was negotiated and power was shared at several levels. When the British came alon

Guddi

'Am I forever destined to wish better luck to others when nothing good ever comes my way?'

Betrayal of Great expectations?

The absurdity of the theater that we find ourselves in never ceases to amaze even the most insensitive amongst us

Skins On Sale

Adam, a scared man in his millennium, hesitantly entered the shop, and stood alienated from the buyers. He was wrapped in a white cotton sheet that made him conspicuous. He watched the sale of skins with curiosity.

Live Earth - A lesson to be learned

There should be a series of concerts that can take place in all major cities of Pakistan and they should carry ONE message, so that the awareness of that issue is raised.

Façade of Pseudo Feminism

Pseudo feminism unlike positive feminism is guilty of bringing disaccord to human social lives rather then contributing more to the good of every one.

The Secret Is: Don’t Worry, Buy Happy

Then mankind became a bit smarter and said no god. But that meant more and more people would ask questions and not do as they are told. So mankind had to be taught to believe in god again and ignore the really difficult questions of why we kill, why there

Our Tolerance of Comical Illusions

The only superpower in the world claims that it is fulfilling its majority’s wishes but does exactly the opposite. A third-world plutocratic state wishes to better its citizens living standard by investing in a policy that benefits only a privileged

Violation of Civilians by the Army in Pakistan

How the army controlled security abused my mother and my brother in front of the whole world.

Pakistan Shinning III - Population and Literacy

There is no precedent in history of any nation demonstrating double-digit (or even high single digit) GDP growth while spending next to nothing on its human capital.

Girls Gone Wild

The kidnapping of civilians and policemen by the students and teachers of the madrassas associated with the Lal Masjid, as well as recent events in Tank (NWFP) is evidence of a real, escalating and dangerous movement within the ranks of the religious righ

Marine Drive Makeover

Marine Drive is Mumbai’s best known landmark. It has its own natural beauty. That is why there is need to pause and ask whether it is necessary to spend crores of rupees to dress it up further.

Industrial Dieting: The Myth and the Madness

The idea of a quick fix has taken hold of the global psyche through massive advertising and we struggle to buy a box, a pill, a bottle, a program, a spray and a thing to solve our problem

Johannes Kepler – A Mysterious Cosmographist

He lived his life in poverty and misery but he immortalized himself by formulating his three laws of cosmology. He was a humble person who said, “there was nothing I could state that I could not also contradict.”

Child Prostitution in Arizona

Although the Task Force is focusing its efforts on the supply, mainly prostitutes and pimps, there’s a practical problem of how to help these children.

A Nation Reborn

Just when I thought my people would once again silently ignore this new form of oppression, and resign themselves to a fate written by politicians and generals, they responded! They awoke! They said in one voice, “enough is enough!” I have ne

On Zillae Huma Usman

What good is the facade of encouraging educated women to be at the forefront at the expense of their life?

Monar Jomban (part 1 of 4)

“Esfahan what can I write about you which has not been written before.” I quote a forgotten writer who was apparently jailed and then killed, perhaps for his writings. He was an Esfahani. I am not- but I realise that big cities and old ones, h

Women’s Day 2007

The modern woman’s struggle isn’t simply or solely about securing absolute equality... This struggle, and its an on-going one, is one of identifying our changing roles within society and our homes, it’s about understanding and accepting

What is it going to take to have a Clean Bombay?

If we are to ever look civilized in the eyes of the world, it has to start with ensuring that our major cities are clean.

Karachi: The Descent Into Alienation

Surprisingly as many would think, the people of Karachi have not shown themselves to be suffering from mass paranoia, even after this newest series of suicide bombings in the past few years.

Pakistan Quarters

The name probably symbolized the fact that it gave shelter to the families of most of the government servants, keeping the administration of the newly formed nation running, Karachi being the capital then.

Thar Desert Festival puts Tourism Ministry to Shame

Let no one, however, be under the impression that Umerkot has nothing to offer.

Those Pesky Little Creatures

My personal best score is an astounding 20, of what? If you may ask, I am not talking about basketball or cricket.

The Dispatches On War: Part X

Metternich And the European Politics of Power: 1815-1850

Pandora Box of Television in Pakistan

How can dozens of TV channels run profitably in a country, where the total volume of the advertising industry is not more that six to seven billion rupees?

Rethinking Disability in the Third World

Much like sexuality, disability is a taboo subject even when considered as part of a serious debate. It is the unnamed pink elephant in the living room that no one is comfortable talking about.

My People!

I am outraged because I care and I care because it’s my country and I care because it’s my people.

Double-Click for Lit

a bookworm-now-blogger’s view on the digitization of literature

A Nation without an Identity

During the last few years the political tendency among Kashmiris gave heavy emphasis on religion. Whereas, the indigenous Kashmiri struggle when it started in 1989-1990 was provoked by the socio-economic factors and a growing sense of deprivation.

What Ails the BPO Industry in Pakistan?

Problems and the challenges which made Pakistan unable to appear anywhere on the map as a preferred destination for the BPO sector

Get over the Victim Syndrome

The real issues that affect our daily lives are never addressed by opposition or the government, instead we are enamored with non-issues like huddod ordinance, attire of mushy, Kashmir, women’s face on hoardings, music in public buses and other crap

Why Assam to be Asom?

In the early nineties BJP politically aired a new slogan—'Indianization of big cities' since old names, to them were, symbolic to either Mughals or British slavery. The idea later became cheaper for all political parties with much vote bank credits.

The Princess and the Alley Cats

Shilpa Shetty - A clash of cultures or simple racism?

Untouchability and Sex

No one practices untouchability when it comes to sex.

Electric Illusion

Everyday we are taking another step to form what is so called “emotional attachment” with the machine which humans created. Instead of forming bonds between humans, we are forming this relationship with a machine to create our own perfect worl

Out of Sight

It was a fine morning of March 1963. Humayun was engrossed working in his office situated in Reagal. He was a successful businessman – a well known social-climber with all the success the previous sixteen years had given him.

Is it time to recognize Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians?

It is interesting to note that of the 30 million Catholic Christians in India, more than 20 million are said to be Dalit Christians who are also descendants of the converts and have lowly professions.

Ejecting Parasitic Armies – Sea Cucumber’s Lesson

The animal kingdom teaches some ingenious tricks on how to get rid of parasitic armies.

A Strike Against Strike

What is one reminded of when he or she sees things like unattended garbage dumps, blackened billboards, burning buses and broken windowpanes? Things more frequently witnessed during strikes.

An Untouchable Apology

The untouchables of Hinduism are a wretched lot. While it is not at the level of genocide, it is an institutionalised social discrimination over a very long period of time.

No Romancing the Mohallah

Recently, I declined an offer to watch a mujrah by someone who claims to value the arts and culture -- not because I am prudish, but because there was something disturbing about watching a video taped mujrah in the comfort of American suburbia.

The Quality Of Pakistani Research

A first glance at the publication lists that are now popping up will lead anyone who is not a domain expert to believe that the HEC’s strategy of throwing money at the dismal state of higher education in our country is bearing fruit. However, a clos

Computer Literated: Writing Preliterated?

What is the future of handwriting in a world when one in three children has a computer in the bedroom.

The Globalization of Spirituality

When Soros became socialist and Bill Gates generous, we all knew something big was happening. We theorized, we fantasized and we said,’aaha, perhaps intense consumerism leads to something good—philanthropy!’

Fruits of Western Civilisation

The first psychiatrist he saw, at age 7, decided after a 20-minute visit that the boy was suffering from depression.

A Humanistic Approach Towards Mental Illness

We need to see a day when people with mental illness can live respectfully and peacefully and do not fear to be persecuted and penalized because of their emotional problems.

Recognising Student Unions

Prohibiting political parties on campus is in actuality curbing students’ rights. That is why there are clashes and conflicts as well as demonstrations and strikes by these so-called ‘banned’ or rather, half-functional student parties.

A pragmatic rant about Immigration in America

A pragmatic rant about Immigration in America

Dessert

Come.
I want a bitter taste of you.
Bring.
I want to ride the shallow depths of you.

Thanksgiving as Tragedy

Thanksgiving: a feast as a prelude to a massacre.

The IIT experience

You are surrounded by people who are very intelligent, very hard-working, very committed, and very competitive. It is a tough environment, and it is very sobering to realize that it is so.

Educate Because You Can

For close to an hour, she ranted and raved about how schools were merely places meant to “corrupt” and “modernize” innocent Pakistani children, how educating girls converted them into prostitutes.

Are Artists Really Mad?

Creative people are are more at risk to suffer from mental illness than general population as creativity and insanity are genetically transmitted in the same families.

Hala – City of Crafts

Once you’ve seen what poor, almost rag-tag, artisans can do with the paper, glass, cotton and wood you get convinced quite easily that art has no limits.

Indian Muslims

The Sachhar Committee report, to be released in end-November, states that the condition of the majority of Indian Muslims is worse than that of even the Dalits. It recommends, among other measures, an allocation of 15% of all government funds for schemes

Excursions into dystopia

It is an irony that we have dozens and dozens of TV channels out there with pretty liberal programming policies, the whole concept (or ability?) of quality seems to have flown out the window.

A Tribute To Heritage Of Poonch

It may sound little ludicrous that had there not been this building in the decade of 1930s, the geopolitical shape of this region would have been entirely different. It was this building which enticed a royal ruler who agreed to send the son of the owner

Innocence, Loss and Nagan Chowrangi

Barron swerved the car through the Nagan Chowrangi, took the turn toward 'Karachi Broast' and parked in front of the non-descript house. He called Farah on her cellphone. 'Open the door, we are here'.

Dilemmas of Creative Children

Creative children prefer to follow the trails of their hearts rather than the highway of tradition. If their efforts are supported then their trails become the highways of the next generation

Musharraf’s Coup - Seven Years Later

Some had feared – while others had hoped – that General Pervez Musharraf’s coup of October 12, 1999, would bring the revolution of Kemal Ataturk to a Pakistan firmly in the iron grip of mullahs.

The Star or the Sail?

Holderlin says that the man has God’s most dangerous gift-language, which is given so that he may tell who he is. It is not known what the stone would say if it started forming a philosophy of life.

One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer, but Ten Million Make a Swarm!

Sub-continental minorities are still looked on with suspicion and there is no true secular treatment, such as the lack of a uniform civil code.

Why Vice Chancellors should belong to Academia

If law and order situation is that bad in universities in Pakistan, I suggest that retired army officers should be appointed as chief security officers so that they can enforce law and order at university campuses. Appointing them as vice chancellors kil

Electric Dreams?

A country in darkness - the escalating electricity problems of Pakistan

Industrial Food

Industrial Food is not just about food production, but also about globalization. Multinational corporations affect food production all over the world. Food has been contaminated all over the world with synthetic chemicals

Dont Expect Brown to be Softer on the War on Terror

Will a change in leadership bring a change in British foreign policy?

Guess who is staying for a Thai dinner?

Since 1992, after widespread protests, democratic rule was established and it seemed that the time has come for liberal democracy to come into play in this idyllic South-East Asian country. But on September 19th 2006, the military came back and is now ru

Revolt in Paradise

The ongoing debate on the policies of the President Bush’s administration seems to be reaching its ultimate boiling point before the mid-term elections.

Infallibility No guard Against Stupidity

I’m not sure what is more vexing, the fact that the pope said what he did, or the calim that he didn’t mean to cause offense.

Mullahs: Dulha Bhais of the World

The flames of hatred are easy to fan and difficult to extinguish. When the flames are stoked by religious fervor, they are even more dangerous.

Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rising Trend?

There is a growing interest in businesses taking a lead in addressing those issues in which they have an interest where national government have failed to come up with a solution.

Blair’s Last Hurrah

Going, going, gone - the end of the road for Tony Blair

Knowing Kashmir, Officially

The official website of the state designed and hosted by National Informatics Center and maintained by the Department of Information is a MUST NOT view site if one is looking for timely information.

Saving Pakistan with the Constitution

When the regime breaks the citizen’s contract with its people – that of the Constitution – do the citizens have every right to break away from the state?

Lock on a coffin

Does a lock on a coffin says something about the military goverment’s fear?

Sehra

Sehra ki bheegi ret meN, maine likha aawaargi.... I was puzzled. The words made no sense to me. Sehra always meant to me a flowery veil that an Indian bridegroom wears therefore the song made no sense. When a friend told that it also means desert

Vignettes from the Cellular Jail

The cellular jail is a hugely understated monument to the sacrifices in fighting British imperialism for what is now India , Pakistan and Bangladesh

Facing the Inevitable (Part I)

How different are China and the US anyway?

Minorities in the Western Societies

Certain basic steps that must be taken by the immigrants as well as the host countries to affect peaceful and harmonious integration.

Children of a Lesser God

The US Military officials caution against seeing the cases of abuse and murder as part of any broader pattern, noting that the incidents in question are isolated and rare! But as Bush himself has said, “we are different from our enemies” ̷

Science, Psychology and Spirituality

When temporal lobe of right side of the brain is stimulated, human beings have special experiences that are known as ’spiritual experiences’ in religious traditions and literature.

Dreaming of an Indian Renaissance

In an era of unprecedented upheaval and transformation in India, one young man is making waves with his vision for the future called Dreaming Of An Indian Awakening (DIA) through which he aims to usher in an appreciation of India’s rich cultural her

A Requiem for the Victims of 7/11

As individuals we suffer and grieve and perhaps throw a few crumbs through a charitable organization for the victims or sometimes even offer our blood, but as a society we create conditions through our silence when it becomes a sin to remain mere spectato

From Kerala to Islamabad (A Journey of Nine Decades)

Memories of a life which they can only recount to their children with the hope that they will keep alive traditions they brought with them, but which are now dying away slowly

Baptism of Jesus Christ

Baptism before Jesus Christ was a simple act of immersion in the waters of River Jordan. Jesus was baptized in this way but an element of divine intervention was introduced in it asserting parting of the heaven, a dove descending from heaven and declaring

People of Gilgit Baltistan: The Political Orphans

The government claims that giving constitutional status to Gilgit Baltistan will be a detriment to the Kashmir liberation movement. So, I am sacrificing for my Kashmiri brothers and sisters. I will never be able to have my name on the electoral list of

Is the economic turnaround worth it?

Is it fiction? I wish it to be, but it is not. It is story of my home, of many other people. But it is definitely not a story of Pervez Musharraf or Shoukat Aziz’s home. Had it been the case, there wouldn’t have been any such story.

Writers Writers Everywhere, Not A Teenager Around?

We are supposed to be acting adults, showing our worth to not only our country, but also to the world.

Selling Spirituality

The biggest tragedy is that there is an increasing number of simple, innocent, naive and gullible people who follow these pseudo-mystics and after wasting a lot of time, money and energy realize that they were misguided and mislead.

War for Peace

These wars will not end, they cannot end until the ’military metaphysic’ (the near religious dogma of these power elite, the driving force of their view of the world), the military definition of reality, an effect of institutional fusing, the

Student Politics In Pakistan

From the heydays of political activity in the 60s to the politically dormant entity of the 90s, a lot of change has taken place in student attitudes towards political activity. Who and/or what factors have been responsible for fomenting this attitude of a

Blasphemy, Photocopy and Electromagnetic Theory

One of the strategic assumptions made by him was that the “Puraana Daur” is back. “Puraana Daur” signified the old times when students, backed by corrupt local politicians, walked on campus brandishing guns, acting like mafia guys.

Valentine

The politics, which is practiced in Pakistan, has no bearing to the reality that exists in Pakistan and thus, the political debate in Pakistan is limited to a few personal arguments of the political parties in opposition and the government in power.

How do you Define a Citizen’s Identity?

In many countries around the world, being a citizen is driven by religion, one can change his religion to get citizenship or is forced to live a life of shadows and hiding just to have any chance of being a citizen, as well as have some form of self-ident

Reservaion: Interest of Urban-Upper halves

When Mr. Arjun Singh came with some comprehensive plans to implement the reservation, the upper and urban echelon of the society have come up with the protest not for the loss of the standard and efficiency but a sheer fear of losing their monopoly and he

Lament of a Disillusioned Citizen

You know how Wasi Zafar could have scored major brownie points in my book? All he had to do was come out and say: “Pervez Musharraf won’t take off his uniform until he damn well feels like it and there isn’t a damn thing anyone can do ab

My Ride to Work

How and IT man spends his day

Happy Days are Here Again

Who hasn’t experienced rejection? I know I have. There was that guy in class six who didn’t understand the signals I was sending him (I really should have waited for him to hit puberty first). There was that editor at the biggest daily in Kara

Was Jesus Christ Married?

Such speculations become more credible when they are viewed in the background of concerted efforts of the orthodox Christians to falsely tarnish Mary Magdalene’s character.

Gods of War

With atrocity upon atrocity piling up in the US war against terror, one has to wonder if the world’s most self-righteous nation will ever have the courage to be morally righteous or not.

A Rant Against Reservations

Facts on education in Pre-British India leads to the conclusion that Backward Classes (OBCs) are responsible for their own backwardness and for not transferring to the schools that the British opened in India like the Upper Castes did who had the most to

The Height of Higher Education

Pakistan studies should become a part of the study of world history without recourse to jingoism and ‘patriotic excesses’. By doing so, two major sources of confusion and non-critical thinking will be removed from the domain of universities

Prisoner of Conscience or Conscious Prisoner?

V.P.Singh is back with a new Jan Morcha. Look at the timing. ‘Mandal 2’ is staining the streets. Is he capitalising on the wave? He says in this interview, “We are sitting on a volcano. The very backward are looking up to me. In 15 years

Suffering from Writer’s Block.

Islam, Prophet and Blasphemy

Looking Back, Thinking Ahead..

I remember my excitement knew no bounds when I would fantasize of a room for myself, things of my own, night shows, boyfriends, mental peace (what I believed then, I never got at home), freedom to do most things, in fact all things my own way

South Asian Socialism

Who in the world is lending Uncle Sam all that money?... When Pakistanis, or Indians for that matter, come and sell their souls to the West, they all too often forget the reality from which they have come

Kill for a Pill

And then call this patriotism like Hitler
Then call it “christianity”
And murder, “sanctioned by jesus
And god bless America”

World View and Expectations from Pakistani Universities

Why Do We Reject Our Past?

I agree with the notion that I was a member of Indic-civilization for 5000 years, Muslim for around 1000 and Pakistani for 60. I wish our leaders would give us the chance to appreciate and accept all of these great periods as our national identity

Bollywood and Gender Equality

Bollywood has been abused at the hands of the male dominant Indian Cinema elite that not only includes directors and producers, but also the Indian political elite who have shrewdly used cinema for their own interests

Celebrity Courts and Kangaroo Justice

I protest against this abuse of a cause by people like Aamir Khan, for it is gimmicky and counter-productive. News channels are behaving like nautch girls and social butterflies as the nawabs of vigilance. Page 3 justice is the latest fad

Siachen’s Non-paper and the Non-people

Calls for restoring road links between Baltistan and Ladakh, two perfectly peaceful places, have so far fallen on deaf ears in Delhi and Islamabad

Hidden Desires

Oh, chaste wither away! And set her lust free--
held incarcerated, long ago a romance ceased to be
to whisper a hymn of infidelity

The Problem Of Pain In European History

The system demanded faith, and the credulous agrarian populace gladly obliged. Thus the dream of an elusive otherworldly paradise justified flagrant slaughters and gross injustice, in return providing hope to the common peasant wistfully anticipating Grac

How Real are Reality Shows?

These shows are fired by sensationalism. Unless a complete 24 hour day can be shown, editing will ensure that the mundane will be subdued and the dramatic will be blown out of proportion. Contestants have complained that their personalities have appeared

The Modernity Conspiracy

While the progressive Third World elevates technology to messianic levels, convinced that there is no other alternative, it is equally reluctant to give up its own gods and pre-modern moral code

In the Dying Light

I do not see the dead bodies of Varanasi. It is like wanting to remember something that one has cherished as it was. I am not denying what happened, I know it is something that needs to be probed into, but I cannot get myself to even think

Anatomy of a Karachi Bomb Blast

With so many issues whipping the air like a tornado on the national canvas it is impossible to assign responsibility of such terrorism to any single group unless someone claims it and provides a signed affidavit to that effect

Unfaithfully Yours

Are we going to be ostriches or we are ready to face the reality, the truth of extra-marital affairs?

A Ghostly Night in Sunshine Hospital

Other ghosts sense that I’m a newcomer. One whisks me off to the mortuary, because, it hisses, ‘ it’s a good place to chill out in’. No luck. The mortuary has ‘dance-practice’ going on inside it

Muslim Sensibilities and Freedom of Speech

In such an atmosphere, clash between democratic freedoms and religious fervor, between criticism and tender Muslim sensibilities is a reality

The Mafia

This ‘hardcore mafia’ hangs out at all important events and parties taking place in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. They usually comprise of a group of people already very well known and established in the music industry

Heidi Fleiss and Shahrukh Khan – Spot the Difference!

Will Heidi’s male brothel empower women? In Shahrukh’s film why does the woman submit to a ghost only when he transforms into a look-alike of her husband? Why has it now become our overarching ambition to reveal liberalism mostly through the l

Old Capitalism is Dead, Long Live New Capitalism

When ‘they’ the Walmarts, replaced the family business, some writhed, some cried but we all let it happen because we felt richer when we bought a $2 item from Walmart that elsewhere cost $20

An Ode to Euthanasia

The Muslim ummah is a myth. The myriad nature of Islamic and Muslim political thought defies such a myopic conceptualization due to the multitude of variances

Holocaust

It was the year 1938...and German Jews were being slaughtered...

Hamas Treads the Political Path

The remarkable success of Hamas in municipal elections and its decision to participate in the elections at the national level constitute events that have changed the fabric of Palestinian politics in an irreversible way

The Kingdumb of Far Far Away…

Divide and Rule I say. Every king in history has been exploiting the diversity of this land to Divide and Rule and continued to rule the kingdom whenever masses have been gathering into a unified force on any issue

Iran, Geopolitics and the Bomb

When Iran does not have a bomb and Israel has 200 of them why not threaten Israel with sanctions?

Elections and Security Certificates…Rhetorically Speaking

Sarmite Bulte is asking for my vote when Canada goes to the polls on January 23 so that she can “continue to work on your behalf'. These past couple of years has seen no indication of her “working for me”. Voters need to move beyond part

AMU at the Crossroads

On January 5, the Allahabad High Court took away the minority tag from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). The court upheld its judgment in October last year terming as “unconstitutional” the grant of minority status to AMU

Pakistan’s Territorial Integrity: Lessons from American Democracy

Kalabagh Dam issue divides us today. Pakistanis can take a leaf from the USA.What was true of American states in the 1770s and 80s is true for Pakistani provinces today. We must hang together or else we would hang separately

The Dispatches on War (Part VII)

Once, the power of the feudal barons had been checked and they were resoundingly defeated by the innovative combination of finances and technology, the sole obstacle towards unification of power in Europe remained the Holy Roman Catholic church

Urban India -- The NRI Viewpoint

Perhaps this wave of westernization and erosion of culture and values is limited to a few, a solitary blond hair follicle in a jet black mane?

Counterfeit Medicines: A Public Health Policy Failure

The responsibility to tackle this problem does not only lie with the government. All stakeholders must be involved and should join forces against this menace

The Question Drives Us

Is this architecture real?

Is This Why the Jews Are Disliked by Other Religions?

The stability of Jewish families, their success in business and in different professions, their skepticism as far as religion and dogma is concerned, all these must make them a disliked community

Laddo Ki Shadi

She would bluntly reply to the question, “ Will you keep me instead of my sister?” This was obscene when said to males, but not that she cared

Secularism and Liberal Democracy

The US Supreme Court recently touched upon something which goes to the heart of what we all know and love about liberal democracy. The issue was around whether or not the Ten Commandments should be displayed inside a US courthouse.

Superstitious Me: Pappu decides to marry for Allah

Pappu, my close friend, decided to get married for the sake of Allah Subhanahu watallah and to fulfill his deen.

Withdrawing from Iraq: A Disaster Waiting to Happen?

The anti-US public opinion will be quickly mobilized by the terrorists to weaken or overthrow the government

Children of Guest Workers

There exists a strong resentment amongst the immigrant youth against the German system; I see a highly polarised society

Changing Radio Stations

Did he, a mere clerk, teach me a lesson- an Amrika returned Pakistani who knows all- a lesson in equality?

Church Lures Gujarat Tribals to Christ

Poverty is forcing the tribal community to embrace Christianity

Nostalgia, Inc.

Jaipur: where thakurs can get you bumped off for a variety of reasons.

Why Doesn’t the World Care?

Instead of blaming the world for short changing us in our hour of need, we should seek to understand the reasons beneath this global apathy.

August 2003

Eventually I learnt to leave my Kraft cheese at home, stop talking about Luke Perry, and dress up to look poorer.

Chickens are Coming Home to Roost

According to washingtonpost.com, “John Hannah, an aide to Cheney and one of two dozen people questioned in the CIA leak case, has told friends in recent months he is worried he may be implicated by the investigation, according to two U.S. officials.

Night Out

Mrs. Da Cuhna handled death like she handled life. Head-on, with zest. Today was Joe, her husband’s funeral.

What Drives Men and Women of Indian Subcontinent to Infidelity?

It seems that there is a conspiracy of adulterers particularly in the midst of the Islamic communities of the Indian subcontinent.

Nobody’s World

Before death claimed him, he had finally become a nobody, a nobody who was owned by no one and who belonged nowhere. This feel of a nobody that he had seen on the face of that man on that footpath had given him his peace.

The State of the World and other ruminations

From Patna to Detroit (A true lifelong migration)

The night of 20th August 1947, which witnessed violent flames holding her family until they resolved into ashes. Her baba, amma, bhayya, apya, were burnt alive in her city of innocent smiles, Patna.

Freeze Frame

I posted on poetrydotcom
And they told me I won a prize
That made me happy
So happy I went out and ordered a pizza

Lynddie’s Smile

There’s something pathological about her ability to smile.

Remembering H.M. Seervai (1906-1996)

Those who are familiar with the legal profession know that his 4 volume work on Constitutional Law is the finest work on the subject.

Seemingly, God is Angry at America

In the past, people used to give human sacrifices to appease their angry gods. God of America has already taken His toll in New Orleans and other Gulf cities so, thank God, nobody probably has to offer any more sacrifices to appease His anger.

In the face of a Natural Disaster

The scenes in New Orleans, after Hurricane Katrina had struck, have been devastating. As an outsider, it was a shock to see that even a super power could not do much in the face of a natural disaster.

The Dance of the Damned

'We Dalits are like animals. The moment we are born we are on our own. There is no support system. We are constantly made aware that we are apart.'

Judicial Murder or Plain Manslaughter

On Friday, August 26, a military court sentenced five men to death for their alleged roles in a 2003 suicide plot to kill Pervez Musharraf. Four of them are civilians ...

A Cinephile’s Choice

These are films which I have watched again and again and which give me great pleasure whenever I watch them.

Ashiana-e-Ali

Mohsin bhai retired from the military service many years ago with the rank of Colonel. He must be approaching seventy now but what a spirited man I thought. Still going strong. The will to live, to accumulate wealth.

Saudi Government to Demolish Prophet Muhammed’s home

It has been reported that a majority of 1,000 year or older buildings in Mecca have been demolished for commercial development.

Through the Parsi Prism

Why don’t Parsis express their opinion on general political matters? They can truly be non-partisan representatives of minorities. But there is a feeling they want to retain the purity of their race. Chances are, they won’t be a race for long.

The Case for American Muslim Identity

In some cases, having a birthday party at the local community center is seen as 'haraam' simply because the concept of birthday party at the time of Prophet was unknown

Ayodhya: The Aftermath of the Terrorist Attack

Tired of emotive issues which affect their own lives and feeling cheated at the hands of these self-proclaimed upholders of Hindutva, people just did not care when the saffron brigade gave a call for agitation over insult to ‘Hindu identity.’

Jerry’s Pakistan

The jazba that there is for Pakistan seems to be entirely in the non-Muslim Pakistanis and they have a much better way of showing it too. No law-breaking, no gunfire, no silencer-less motorcycles, no women-teasing as has become commonplace on Independence

Husain Haqqani calls for Pakistan’s Acceptance of Global Realities

From the interview with the author of Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military

Karachi Odyssey II

those fishermen were true
               to their sea
these days it helps not
               being true

South Asia’s Clarence Darrow

An anglicized barrister who ended up founding a separate Muslim majority state is an apparent paradox but not really so...

Political Sustainability, Media Freedom and Women

The general’s regime has been utterly impotent to even initiate any semblance of a debate on real issues plaguing women in Pakistan, such as rampant domestic violence, education and the infamous Zina Ordinance.

Coming of Age

It’s been a decade since Pakistan wired up to the World Wide Web. The journey, somewhat jerky and problematic, has nonetheless been an extraordinary one.

Fleshened Bones

It was always love for me. Let me hold you in my arms, Sister, mother, fellow bitch, I won’t applaud you for your spirit

Is Secular India really Secular and Islamic Pakistan really Islamic?

Revisiting the History through the words of a Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen

Losing My Religion

When my son, aged 6, shortly after 9/11, comes to me and gingerly asks me – Mama, am I a Muslim? I am stumped. And immediately begin telling him he is ¾ Hindu and ¼ Muslim. That’s once again, my own insecurity about the world we live in.

How Free is ’free?’

The Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's August 11, 1947 speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, in which he talked about freedom of religion, is no longer censored, as it was for years.

Trunk

He took a deep breath; a sigh of relief perhaps, for this was the long lost glory that he had craved for all these years. Looking around himself, he felt hard to take in all the expanse of the empire he was about to find!

Far from the Maddening Crowd

I tell you…people get to me. It’s a cruel world with discourteous, impolite and rude people living in it. I hate it. Today, I feel so dejected…totally dejected. I don’t why they do this to me all the time. Read on and you be the ju

Doves

While writing to his old friend Fazal Din, Lobh Singh remembered that even in those days he (Fazal Din) used to correct him: 'You teach Urdu, Lobhe. Don’t you even know how to spell welfare?'

Who Tarnished the Image of Pakistan?

The Government placed her name on the Exit Control List thus canceling her scheduled visit to the U.S. with the President announcing shamelessly that it was done so that she wouldn’t blemish the image of the country. Her name was very conveniently r

Central Asian Backlash Against US Franchised Revolutions

After a meeting on 5 July in the Kazakh capital Astana, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (China, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan with India, Iran and Pakistan as observers) in a statement called on USA to spell out a deadline for withd

To sue or not to sue…

It has been a year since I was not allowed to board an Air Canada flight (AC-8087). I have had the case covered in the media and on Parliament Hill but to no avail.

A Moment of Silence

This poem seeks to draw a wider awareness to the anguish and affliction victims undergo every ticking moment on life’s clock.

Hightech Rumpus

It only takes a few of these 'outages' for a foreign client to actually terminate a contract based on the perceived inadequate infrastructure. Yet there is hope on the horizon -- a consortium, which includes PTCL, is laying down the SEAMEWE-4 cable, which

Who Created Pakistan?

In 1947, India was not expected to survive as a nation

Bunty aur Babli: The latest RSS-BJP tango

The con-game has been going on for over a decade.Advani was the RSS’ foot soldier who did all he could in Pakistan to lay the foundation for the return of Hindutva. He followed his brief well: Create confusion and fulfil the mission of the hardliner

The Alternative Muslim Identity

We are not planning on going back home someday. We are home!

Cold Flesh

Eesher Singh looked at Kalwant Kaur but unable to bear the heat of her piercing eyes, looked the other way.

The Genesis of Militancy in Pakistan

Militancy in Pakistan has many facets – ranging from military coups to sectarian killings.

Elusive

Nothing remains but a shallow core
Wobbling on the burning, hollowed floor
Sickness spreads; light folds
Essence rhymes gibberish crimes

Emotional Solitude

My heart and my mind are two worlds apart,
But somehow, somewhere they will have to meet

Yehoshua Opens His Heart

His eleventh book, Open Heart, was set in India. Before you ask, ‘What’s so great about that? Several authors, including E M Forster, John Masters, M M Kye and Dominique Lapierre, have used the subcontinent for their plot,’ please realis

Education: An Abysmal Situation

The sons and daughters of the most privileged class study in Cambridge system, the less privileged ones, in private schools and appear under metric system of examination; the poor, in so called “yellow schools” with ghost teachers.

On the Banks of the Wishing Lake

A lake protected by birds. Where wishes come true.

General Musharraf goes on Struggling for Legitimacy

On May 18th the Pakistani official spokesman said that General Pervaiz Musharraf, who also happens to be the Chief of the Army, would continue to hold office beyond 2007.

The SAT Scam

Cheating is going on in the SAT.. and everyone seems blind to it.

Power in Writing

Knowing the extent of the change Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brought with his words, I can’t help but pursue my own quest for change. As long as I have a sound mind and a pen with which to write, I am compelled to continue this process of thinking

2005 UK General Elections

The knives that did in Thatcher are being polished again.

Gimme Eat??

Sometimes I think its just me over-reacting. Maybe I am taking on these things more seriously than they ought to be taken. But I cannot stop myself from thinking that even after thousands of years of eating, we are still damn hungry!

The Long Shadows of Hindu Kush

What is finally left behind is a mosaic of different ethnicities - Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Baluch and Punjabi speaking Sikhs and Hindus and the mixing of some Arab and Mongol blood.

Gay Men and Mischievous Boys

“Yaargh!” said Cleopatra as she walked off stage. “She kissed me!”

Charity

He searched his pockets, a driving license, an American Express and a Habib Debit Card. “Do you have some money?” “No,” replied Nina who was wearing diamond studded set she had specially ordered for the wedding.

Two Poems: Attention Please and Say What?

'Take off your veil, woman!
you are drawing too much attention
Can you veil yourself without the veil?
Reveal without being revealed?'

Basti Yaqoob Shah

I left with a rather embarrassed and heavy heart. I wanted to express my sadness for the very existence of Basti Yaqoob Shah but his self esteem didn’t allow me to.

They Came From the Brothel

There was music, alcohol, hash and the prevailing dampness of our saturated lusts. Since Biblical times, lust had always been intimately associated with the idolatrous worship of Ishtar: the Babylonian goddess of fertility.

Soapbox Sania

Is Sania Mirza changing the impression people have of Muslims? She is doing far worse than all the veiled women put together with her hypocrisy; she makes it appear that the on-court clothes she wears is due to compulsions so god will forgive her

UNhappy times?

“We are outgunned. We are outmanned. We need help from outside groups. We need to be able to organize outsiders to work with us to write to papers, to appear on television.”

Chandni Bar

There’s no sex, there’s no physical interaction, there’s no stripping or lap dances. Just a few girls wearing skirts and flimsy blouses dancing away and staring at you... What reason could there be for 40-something men to waste their tim

Lahore Street Scene

On a hot summers day I see
A child cross the melting street
A load on her head
And no shoes on her feet

“Dasht-e-Tanhai” wins a Prize for Nadeem Aslam

His is a story of Pakistani conservatism in a liberated ambience of England, a story of a civilization clash within a family of blended values of liberalism and orthodoxy. “Eimaan mujhe rokay hai, tau khainchay haiy mujhe kufr” (Faith is compe

The Barbarians Within The Gates!

The time for half measures is over and there is no more room left to retreat before the creeping evil of religion in Pakistan.

The Easy Path to Publication is paved with Your Dollars

The phrase refers more specifically to the working of those organizations which claim to promote writers/poets and their work, yet in reality, their sole function is to extract money from them in the name of contests, services or anthologies.

Pakistan Travelogue I

This is the first ever visit to the land of my forefathers that anyone in my extended family has taken after the 1947 migration.

Brou’ha ha on “The Da Vinci Code”

“Not the Son of God?” a shocked Neveu asked. “Jesus’ establishment as the “Son of God’ was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea,” explained Teabing. “..establishing Christ’s divini

Pakistan Political Roulette

The game is simple to master, playing is pure fun and the rewards are enormous. Membership is open and the eligibility criteria are lax. There are no written rules or regulations. Once you are in, you are really “In”.

Half a Confession III

Strangely, yaara, I am happy even now -- except for this incessant pain that is eating me up -- even though it is taking me eternally longer to key in these words -- but this is still lightning speed compared with Stephen Hawking’s

Am I Insane?

Let me tell you about myself. I have a law degree, and got married straight out of University. My Prince Charming is no other then my Bhabi’s brother. Yes I made the mistake of getting married in a “Watta Satta”.

You are Not Ready for Desilicious

In a city long past “firsts”, it is New York’s first social space for queer desis to party amongst their own. In doing so, they have defied the accumulated traditions and prejudices of their native and adopted lands.

Shrinking Violets in the Global Village

They come on TV shows and accuse each other of chicanery; they create issues where none exist; they worry audibly about our morals while possessing none themselves; they embezzle our money and wail about the disastrous state of our economy; they nearly di

Talking to Sabiha Sumar about Khamosh Pani

Anil Saari Arora talked to Sabiha Sumar at New Delhi, where the Pakistani filmmaker and her husband, producer S. Sathanandan, have presently set up base.

Arey Larkay!

“Arey Larkay, go to the fourth room, third shelf from the right and fourth from the top, bring me the seventh book from the right.”

A Paean to my Family

Chachijan -- one of my earliest memories is one of those spool tapes on which my father invites her to sing with the words “Azra Apa, ub aap” – and she sang the Ghalib ghazal “Nukta cheen hai” for she had a melodious voice an

Public Toilet Legislation

Europe built its first public toilet in 1214 AD.

Two Score and Ten

Books that have somehow changed my life...

More on the Price of Love

They hailed from different ethnic communities, lived in different cities, and their family backgrounds were entirely different. But they met, became friends, and wanted to marry.

Black Longings

'Will you kiss me, please?' she pleaded. Are the desires and dreams of the disabled all bleak? I had spoken to two blind people to understand their concept of love and sex.Why should their needs and emotions be any different from ours?

The world of the Wise Lord

The other ancient philosophy emanated from Zoroastrianism which explained that a man’s life is a struggle between the good and the evil. Its monotheistic concept included a satan, a messiah, death, resurrection, day of judgment, heaven and hell.

Psychemanica

I screamed inside. I played cool on the out. “I am the messiah,” said I. “I am.” “I.” My, my, what delusion. Since when was I reborn? Since he died. But what then when I die?

Born Again

The rabid religiousness was infectious. It didn’t affect me though. I was more concerned with the weight of the knot of hair on my head and my asthma. I wanted to be born again, leave the knot of hair behind, shave off the hair on my face, leave my

Religiosity Vs. Piety

Despite the fact that Privates of the US Army engaged in conduct unbecoming officers Muslims have to recognize that they are not fighting Americans nor Christians but hate and sin.

Bharati Mukherjee : The American Dreamer

‘The experience of cutting myself off from a biological homeland and settling in an adopted homeland that is not always welcoming to its dark-complexioned citizens has tested me as a person but it has made me the writer I am today.’

Reforming Pakistan’s Universities -- II

Three years ago the first serious effort to deal with Pakistan’s chronically ill universities was finally initiated. Unfortunately, this effort by the Higher Education Commission has now become mired in an intense, growing controversy.

Reforming Pakistan’s Universties -- I

In this article I will look at the problems in our higher education system and why the HEC reforms are set to make a bad situation worse rather than better.

Branding Nations -- II

To achieve the aim of creating a positive Pakistani Brand there is need for a dynamic agency that can conceive, coordinate and monitor the brand building effort at the national and international level between all the role-players.

Religion in Politics

Contrary to popular belief that Pakistan was created to make an Islamic society, I have attempted to show that religion and politics are a dangerous mix particularly in the case of Pakistan.

The Dispatches on War

An ode to the game of war and those, who play it!

Lady Reporter

There is no simple answer to the question that people (mostly foreigners) often ask: how does it feel ‘to be a woman journalist in Pakistan’?

The Falcon’s Hearth

'Speak! for your lips are free,' as a bird
Speak! if you don't, you'll never be heard

Branding Nations

A country’s image is its ‘brand’ and building an image is like building a brand. No country or society is perfect. What differentiates nations is the perception about them and the quality of their ‘brand’.

Hey JC, won’t you smile for me?

Are we ready to believe that Jesus was not of virgin birth, he did not die on the Cross, he got married and was the father of three? As a woman, I find the idea of a male prophet who is vulnerable quite tantalising.

Bishop Spong’s Critique of the Traditional Christianity

Apropos of crucifixion of God together with Jesus Christ, Spong (9) remarked, “..any god who can be killed ought to be killed.”....

States of Matter

I find myself there
in the wake of
needs and wants

Proud to be a Pakistani?

Our leaders sitting in their big houses, driving their big cars...do not seem to bother as to what the future holds for ambitious students like myself who are made to stand at the end of the line at every job opportunity around the world because of the kn

Whorrible!

The film, part fiction, part documentary, was on the lives of prostitutes and was appropriately called Whore (Yo Puta in Spanish). Yo Puta should have correctly translated into I, Whore. It is based on Isabel Pisano’s eponymous book.

Judicial Murder of a Prime Minister

Bhutto was removed from the political scene of Pakistan to satisfy the power lust and perpetuate the rule of the vily military dictator General Zia Ul Haque

Machiavelli’s Amma

Chances are you’ve recently heard of that very tepid storm in a coffee mug – the arrest of the Kanchi Seer. The woman behind it all, “The Enlightened Leader” of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa, is one of those rare specimens - an interest

Dystopia: After the cliché

Dystopia. The opposite of Utopia. Or a Utopia gone bad. An idea and vision of a perfect world getting lost when translated into concrete reality.

Wise Chancellors

Since the rapid ‘generalization’ of our society, the function of ‘vice’ Chancellors too has been “generalised’. It is now possible to have a good ‘vice’ chancellor who was once good at say commanding a plat

Would e-commerce Replace the Traditional intermediary?

E-commerce has casued quite a stir among the supply chain partners and the grapevine has it that certain channels may be eliminated.

Stage Set for BB’s Prime-Ministership?

The political contours of Pakistan are about to undergo a paradigm change; whether the change is going to be conducive or otherwise, only the future will determine

The Mystic Masseur

How is ’finishing off’ a seer the same as finishing off Hindu society? If I had my way then I would most definitely book the Kanchi Swami for murder.

HREP: Bringing in the Little People

Initiated in Karachi almost ten years ago, HREP aims to foster education that contributes to peace and understanding. Their books are beautifully illustrated and produced, but cheaply priced, available in Urdu as well as English.

Shaukat Aziz’s Speech: Hypocrisy at its Best

Shaukat Aziz, if he really wants to achieve stability in the country, will have to eschew the politician’s rhetoric and work towards taking the state out of religion

God-shaped Hole: Contemporary Relevance of the Spiritual

From a world of certainty and solace provided by God– in the next world if not this one– the 19th century sciences, philosophy and political ideology plunged humanity into a crisis of faith and culture that has continued into the present times

The Troubled History of Jews

Historically, whichever society had welcomed the Jews to live in peace with it, it had gained not only in terms of scholarship and knowledge but also in terms of commerce, trade and wealth creation. So could the Middle East.

Jirga injustice

From an informal body meant to settle small claims, the ‘jirga’ in Pakistan has been allowed to emerge as a powerful extra-judicial force protecting the interests of the powerful.

My Family Reunion

My mother handed over both me and her gold ornaments to her sister. The arrangement was that if my mother made it safely across to India, she would take back both me and her gold, if not, my maasi was to use the gold to help her raise me.

Jacques Derrida, Founder of Deconstruction, is Dead

..Make it your last question because it sends deconstruction into paroxysm of rage. Yet the theory of deconstruction was the rage...

Ranchor Line ka Firangi

In Ranchor Line at night there is a kind of numb darkness that enshrouds the streets. On every corner and footpaths, scores of men sit and discuss life and shrills of laughter or the disquiet of loud words is heard almost incessantly.

Yasser Arafat

His resolute inflexibility led to the current despair and plight of Palestinians: from a charismatic lovable pariah to a hated pariah to an insignificant pariah he became a symbol of Palestinian impotency.

The Deadline

'Ah! You mean that deadline' I replied as I frantically racked my brain for excuses to offer. Hmm the dog ate my article, but I probably need to buy a dog first to corroborate that one. Or how about...

The New Beginning

My story is the story of many thousands of other people on both sides of the line. I regard myself lucky in one way that my family and I didn’t suffer any loss of limb....

Benazir Bhutto: Third Time Lucky?

Tea leaves readers and crystal ball gazing political pundits believe that BB’s persistence to seek yet another crack at office may be about to pay off.

Democracy!

Another victorious candidate from the state of Bihar was unavailable for comment on his win, even though he’d just won the right to sit in India’s Parliament. Why? Well, the prison rules didn’t allow for media visits.

Employment Equity in India’s Private Sector

While I am indeed in favour of introducing greater employment equity, I believe that there is a better alternative to the government enforced quotas.

Rape Of the Constitution

The very people who have sworn to protect the constitution have repeatedly raped it

One Day At a Time

For As’r prayers they do not thrust their staff in the ground like they used to in the days of Muhammed (saw). Today they look at the calculated chart and then look at their wrist watches. This is a simple but effective use of reasoning that

When the Orient met the Ox-ident

“Where are you going, sister?' asked Duby, a stray cat stuck inside a bogy of a train carrying people and merchandise from Pakistan to Amritsar. This particular bogy had a cow (an aged Bhagi), two horses (Timmy and Boby) and a mouse, Micky.

A Passion for Reading

With the number of galleries that have emerged and a throng of art lovers lining the halls, we can rest assured the same would happen if we were to create such a place for avid book readers who crave a literary environment.

The Dragon’s Teeth

There are many more like the man with the briefcase who walked into the Sialkot Imambargah. They did not develop their warped mindsets overnight -- nor will they be wiped out overnight by military means.

Servility

Her lips parted, only to breathe. Enticing me. And now, completely overwhelmed by her silent authority, I stood up and stepped towards her…to shield her…from everything.

Mathematics for All University Students

The role of mathematics in science, and society generally, is misunderstood by common folk. Such lack of understanding is also prevalent in educational policy makers

The Story of Fatima

Are you lost somewhere? he asked her atop. No I am not, she lied and he kept busy. Both of them were spent. They slept. He had her twice and she got sleep of a little more than six hours. Ah - One of those rare nights!

Culture Wars

Good Muslim, Bad Muslim is Mamdani’s most recent work. Inspired largely by the post Sept 11 scenario in the US, this book is one of the few important counter-narratives to the contemporary Western political analysis of Islam.

Bulleh Shah

A man, whose writings - barely understood, even by those who speak his language - contain, amongst them, such enlightening and powerful Sufianic philosophies that even Smith, Voltaire, Rosseau, Kant et. al. would have been proud to claim them, as their ow

Death of a Renowned Urdu Literati

He was a distinguished writer after the generation of Manto, Bedi, and Krishan Chandar.

Trailing End of the Middle Class at Shaadi Online

The Shaadi Online phenomena can revolutionize our society.....

We Don’t Need You Shaukat Aziz

Notwithstanding the fact that Musharraf has done more than enough for the Americans, he is still considered unreliable by them. Shaukat Aziz has been foisted on Pakistan as part of post-Musharraf scenario

The New Land Mafia

Army started by toppling governments, usurping power, and got into business and banking. Now the latest paradigm is being the land mafia and in the process committing human rights atrocities on its own people like a vengeful occupation force

Maniza Naqvi: Writing for a Cause

'Look at what the US journalists did to Pakistan over the last three years, portraying the people as though there is something genetically and religiously wrong with us,' she says.

Burning Dreams

This poem is based on the misery of young children starving in Somalia, a country already destroyed by years of civil war and anarchy.

Military Intervention vs. Institutions’ Growth

Jamali came with a smile and left with the same smile on his face. Between his two smiles nation lost some 19 months. Who should the people hold accountable for that?

Refugee for Life?

In any case, no failure will stop me to state that I am not a Muhajir or a refugee. This is my land as much as any one else born on it.

Does Wagah Have to be This? Or Could it be...

Why then it denies and overwrites the expectations and imaginations of people with a well-synchronized ritual of hatred?

Indira Gandhi Bunaam Bush!

Let us hope that the administration has the capacity to learn from other people’s mistakes instead of making their own and turn the Iraq misadventure into a bigger tragedy than it already is.

A Tale of Two Stars

Amitabh and Nadeem have never been rivals but they share striking resemblance.

Karachi Odyssey

we know so little
we know so much

Twilight of a Passionate Love Affair

O Canada!...Our home and native land!...True patriot love in all thy sons command……

Indian Womb, Pakistani Soil

Dr. Hafsa Khan is flaunting her son as a Pakistani. If she is deported will she forgo the child? Would that child be recognised as a Pakistani? Would her husband want that child? Would she then have the right to claim him to be an Indian?

The 20 Best Pakistani Pop Songs … ever!

Fuzon are still a new story and if they keep their egos intact and don’t fall early for the glitzy and amoral ways of corporate pop, they have a future that can only become bigger and better.

The Mystery of South India

There is a similar philosophy behind the South Indian saree. The unstiched drape enhances the shape of wearer and only partially covers the midriff. The navel is left unconcealed because it is considered a source of life and creativity.

Illiteracy (Ignorance) After Education Part II

Niece: “Who is that, Khala (Aunt)?”
Aunt: “Salman Khan. He is an Indian actor.”
Niece: “Oh, why has he kept a Muslim’s name?”
Aunt: “He is a Muslim.”
Niece: “Really? Then why doesn

Religiosity is the Death of Religion

Rituals, penances, processions and offerings packaged as joyous distractions cost much less than the effort of understanding and practicing the moral, social and philosophical tenets of any religion.

The Company Bahadar

In its 250 years, it expanded to rule most of India, founded Hong Kong and Singapore, held Napolean a prisoner on Saint Helena and had something to do with the Boston tea party. Its officers invented the games of badminton, polo, squash and snooker.

The Door To The Barracks

How to end the role of the military in politics

Disaster Education

The Kumbakonam school fire tragedy is yet another indication that we, as a nation, are not good at averting disasters or at being prepared for unexpected emergency situations.

Tight-fisted Urban Development!

We are looking for ways to accelerate growth so that poverty can be reduced and living standards improved. We go borrowing and begging to do this! Yet not many of us question the myriads of opportunities for investment that careless regulation stifles.

Beating History

We now have what has aptly been termed the ‘‘Musharrafian system’’ of government, which appears to be tottering on the brink of a precipice with an increasingly vocal and troublesome opposition led by the MMA on the one hand, and

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Children and women are being sold everywhere. Chinese children in Bangkok, Nepalese in India, Bangladeshis and Burmees in Pakistan and Pakistanis are trafficked to middle east for fulfilling sexual desires and in camel jockeying.

Club X

Ashish, the guy with the perma-smirk, was feeling happier with his life than he had right to be. Lately, he had been haunted by the fear of becoming engulfed into The Sea of Mediocrity. He had tried several diversions like paid sex to kinky sex to paid an

Protestant Introspection Is Destiny

Today the American-Black community is the envy of the world. The world is envious because introspection and self-criticism takes courage and requires insight that pierces.

The Commodity called Spirituality

Of all the blessings of capitalism that I have experienced to date, the one that I have found most amusing is the Spiritual Industry.

The Lost One

And watching his broad back getting smaller and smaller, Priya becomes aware, that some mighty power, somewhere long back, in a fit of cruelty, has seared one name deep on her heart............. Angad.

Open Letter to Prime Minister Jamali

Show us that you are more than just a docile ‘teddy bear’! Lead Prime Minister Jamali! Lead!

Lesbians vs. Gays vs. Hinduism vs. Modernity?

The only reason I am glad about the Girlfriend ’outing’ is because it concerns women. Lesbians have always been the secondary sex among gays. Patriarchy, even of the limp-wristed kind, still rules.

The Collage of Modern Life

The messed up conundrum: Stick to the scale. Even rock music is for sale. There is an E and an F and fiddling around B, and then back to E. Is it the perfect formula for ecstasy?

Role of Pakistan Army Under Musharraf Just Stinks

This situation is becoming perilously similar to the weeks and months shortly after the fall of Dacca in 1971 ...

The Need For Writing Across the Curriculum

But why is there a need to integrate writing into all areas of learning?

Karachi a Pawn

Today’s attack on the Corp Commander’s motorcade was the boldest attack to defy and challenge the powers. How bold was the attempt can be gauged from the fact that MQM which literally owns the city stays out of direct confrontation with the kh

A Mesopotamian Summer

The United States cannot avoid the usage of military force, as it does not trust the Iraqis enough to transfer political power to them.

Luring Muslim Vote

“No other party comes anywhere close in having Muslims at the heart of decision-making and influence in Britain today

Care Taker

'I work there,' he said as matter of fact.
'Work?' I was not expecting from little boy.
'I look after these things so that no one can steal it'

Khamosh Pani Breaks a Long Silence

“Khamosh Pani” (Silent Waters) is a unique Punjabi movie that is slowly making ripples in the cinematic world.

IT: Need to Get the Basics Right

First it was only information technology and management degrees but recently degrees in art, architecture law and medicine have also been put up on the auction block, for sale to the highest bidder.

Failure of Institutions in Pakistan?

There is nothing wrong with Pakistan’s socio-cultural institutions; they are working exactly the way they should logically be working, i.e., what they are meant for.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Remembered

Was he a Saint or Sinner or a bit of both?

Dreams

What are dreams? How can you explain the unlimited diversities with which the human mind dreams?

The Girl from Napoli

Al Ghazzali said that it is impossible to describe the pleasures of orgasm to an impotent man no matter how much one tries.

On Issues of Identity and Friendship

I wanted to find my own way without culture and religion dictating the way to me. I wanted to find out how other people perceive me without my pakistani-muslim label showing.

That Whore

'Angraizi chummi?…ughh… that is gross' she raised her eyebrows 'you didn't tell me that…'

Charnaamat

Prithvi Raj Chauhan fought Ghori at close by Thanesar. Shaikh Chilli’s maqbara that smelled like a pesticide and fertilizer shop was impressive

V. S. Naipaul

I know one thing for sure: If Naipaul’s not in conflict with himself, he wouldn’t be in conflict with the society around him. As long as he is not at peace with himself, it is not possible for him to be at peace with others.

What Is the Point of Marriage?

All went well until people began to fall in love with anyone and everyone.

In Search of Birth Places

He had left it when he was only one year old. Sure enough, as we make the final mountain turn, there is Kusik on the hilltop, visible from miles. The locals talk of it as Devi ka Mandar or Kusik fort. A 50-60-house village is located next to

A New Identity

You were not born Muslims or Christians or Jews. You were born human beings. They uttered the religious creed in your ear and mutilated your genitals and asked you to ignore your passport and assassinate the leaders of your country and obey religious men

Restructuring Identity

For the past twenty-three years, the meaning of my identity has eluded me. As a Pakistani-born girl brought up in Germany by an American Army community, I constantly questioned myself: am I more Pakistani or American? Can I preserve an Eastern culture in

Cosmetic Surgery

Karachi University Students must now wear black gowns while they’re inside the campus ...the decision was taken so that teachers could be distinguished from students, and not get beaten up during the occasional clashes between political groups.

Moving Beyond Talk: A Roadmap for Quality Education

This proposal provides a pragmatic mechanism aligned with the role of HEC (Higher Education Commission) as a supportive watchdog - providing reason, resources, and recognition for quality higher education in Pakistan.

History, Culture and the Mullahs

Once again Lahore is getting ready to enter into its most festive, cultural and colorful month... It seems however that Basant has suddenly over night become controversial for those in the city who are the self styled guardians of this country’s mor

Why BPO Will Be The Death of India

For 50 years we did the right thing. Invested in top-notch universities, created a huge talent pool of professionals. Built rockets, missiles, even a nuclear weapon or two ... Spawned corporate leaders who featured in Top 25 lists worldwide...And then cam

Is Dr. Qadeer Guilty as Accused?

Allegorically speaking, Musharraf has dealt as symbolic a blow to Qadeer’s aura and stature as the American ‘conquerors’ of Iraq did last year to Saddam Hussain’s by dismantling his bronze statue in Baghdad’s Firdousi Square.

Oh Myopia, Thy Name is Pakistan

Wisdom is the ability to achieve desired results in the long run; foolishness is the propensity to grab the immediate opportunity today and harm oneself tomorrow. Enlightened self-interest is not as dazzling as street-smart wizardry but it prevails in the

Only $5 Million

Despite its low price tag, our national pride satellite Paksat-1 is underutilized; according to reports from the finance ministry, it will continue to face and generate losses for its entire five-year lifespan.

The Nuclear Noose Around Pakistan’s Neck

Thirty years ago, fearful of India’s newly acquired nuclear weapons, Pakistan set out on its own quest to become a nuclear weapons state...Few could have imagined then that the move from buyer to seller of the world’s deadliest technology w

A Pakistani Woman’s Voice

'I have decided to dedicate my writing to women,' says Tahira Naqvi very determinedly. Ms Naqvi is an acclaimed fiction writer, translator and professor who considers herself to be a ’feminist’ although she finds the word itself to be quite li

Zen Pakistanis

The “Father of the Bomb” is undoubtedly realizing that from now on when they call him “Father of the Bum” it won’t merely be a mistake in pronunciation.

2004 Democratic Presidential Candidates and Pakistan

The race among the Democratic US Presidential hopefuls is heating up. With the primaries underway, the seven candidates hold debates and issue frequent policy statements on hot-topics such as the war in Iraq, homeland security and the continuing efforts a

Letter to an American Muslim

Now you are as American as the Poles who came to work like slaves in the steel mills of Pittsburgh, the Irish who escaped persecution in their homeland to inhabit ghettoes in Boston and Philadelphia … Now it is your turn to do what it takes to arriv

False Alarm

This true story is about how terrorism, coupled with an odd coincidence has affected my life.

Birth Of A Nation

Just like Eskimos are a snow based, as Venice is water based society, Desis are a Shaadee based culture. Without these functions we can not function. It is our basic right. You are asking the Pharoah to break the pyramid.

Black & White

You are the CEO of a modest little Oil company, you’ve just been told of a new oilfield discovery in a little country in the middle-east ... What do you do? Call the Emir, the ecology nut with very conservative opinions on modernisation? Or, do you

Right Time for the Small IT Guy

'Is there some law against sending unsolicited mail?” asked the naive 'e-marketer' of a Pakistani firm. Actually, who ever thought about consumer protection and all that?

Of faith, Engineering and the Human Visual System

The creator of the human body must have had perfection in mind when he sat down on the drawing board.

Times to Come...

The non-conformists who retained their attraction for the opposite sex were subjected to derogatory and condescending looks; their families disowned them; the public ostracized them; they were the social outcasts; they went hiding behind closed doors and

Seducing The Devil

PPP and ARD and PML-N have no one, but themselves to blame for their political marginalization in Pakistani politics.

Reality and Illusion

After passing the door, four times his head bumped into a wall and four times he turned left and passed another closed door. This happened again, and again, and again, and again. But with the unwavering resolve and confidence that he would find an open do

Why is Santa Not a Woman?

Have you seen him cry? Have you seen him complain and crib? Have you seen him lose his temper? Have you seen him throw a tantrum? Have you seen him get hysterical?

Charbagh

Entering Gulgee’s gallery is like stepping into a wonderful surrealistic painting in which odd shapes, images, and objects stare at you as you pass by, giving you the feeling that you’ve turned into Alice and are stepping into Wonderland.

Will Persecuting Hashmi Help?

It takes only one armed unit to overthrow a civilian government. But experience of past dictators has proven that the military finds it exceedingly difficult to retain direct control of the polity because of international impediments, domestic political c

Who will be the next PCB Chief

If Musharraf is still interested in appointing another general as PCB Chief, why not to appoint Imran Khan as Corps Commander Lahore? To me both cases are identical.

Destruction of World’s Eastern Heritage in Iraq

There was an international cry and outrage in April and May, when following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime, US armed forces as the occupying power, had allowed the heritage Museum in Baghdad and other museums in Iraq to be damaged and looted al

Pakistan under its Ethnic Shadows

Unless one can sufficiently and satisfactorily answer the question “What does Pakistan mean (Pakistan ka mutlab kya)” in the affirmation of a nationhood, the desirability of a “Pakistan” as a viable entity will remain questionable

A Gory Tale of Lies, Greed and Deception

Apply whatever mode of calculation you like, the tragic truth is: Pak Army has killed manifold more Pakistanis than those who have hitherto fallen to Indian bullets.

Mapping Karachi’s Charms and Contradictions

Kamila Shamsie spoke about ‘spider-plants’, the literary scene in Pakistan, an absence of ‘stone throwing fundamentalists’ in her work and inevitably about Karachi.

Widows of Banares

The tradition of widows gathering, sometimes willingly, other times unwillingly, is based o the Hindu belief that those who die in Kashi, or Banares will go to heaven.

Jaipur Dreams

If my father was an Indian until the sixties, what does that make me?

Almost...

a late night walk, a scare and muses on injustice

Gardens of Secularism and Soapboxes for Orators

The fact that I jogged in Kannur, Kerala in the early mornings before traffic got heavy was a matter for constant and amused comment

Quashing Time Pakistan: A Parody

The following is an excerpt from what led to the ban of a popular current-affairs talk-show episode. But according to official sources, what you’re about to read - never took place…

Hypocrisy of Musharraf Lovers

When BB/NS deploy their own people at important positions then it is corruption and they are just trying to keep their favorites happy. But if any post is given to Generals it is only because they are ultra competent and really deserve the job!

What time is it? Marriage time

In comparing these two systems (East & West), many people point to India’s low divorce rate and therefore claim innate superiority. However, the analysis is inconclusive when taking into account the cultural stigma associated with marital termin

Low Intensity Conflict

The two-nation theory, the very foundation of Pakistan was a revolutionary and radical theory during the period of low intensity conflict with the British Raj and the Hindu vested interests.

The Village of Kheruddin

You will see the shine of lust in the eyes of men and women and morality will stand aside on that day.

Primetime Pope and the Maverick Mother

Can we pull up the Pope for human frailties...and what was Mother Teresa doing in a paddy field?

Of Enmity, Freedom, And Other Things

It is a sad fact that many of our educational institutions are being abused for purposes that are not only unacademic but are also generating enmity and paranoia among people.

Do Foes of Gay Marriages Simply Fear Joy?

As these couples embraced their future together, we couldn’t help but feel sad for Canada’s gay and lesbian couples who are being pilloried for seeking the same happiness.

Waiting For Fatwa

Do not be distracted by those who would deflect and criticize her lifestyle. Be fair, think and judge her on what she has written.

LUMS -- Lahore University of mis-Management Sciences

If this is the level of planning in a university that is teaching management, god helps those who graduate.

Fake Encounters

Once Charlie Chaplin went to a fancy dress party where the invitees had to come dressed as Chaplin. Chaplin got the third prize, beaten by two other fake Chaplins. Recently, famous Indian painter, M F Hussain, mistook three copies of his works as original

Muslim League’s Politics (1937-1947)

League’s transformation from a Nationalist party to a Separatist Party. Author's note: I want this to be first in a series of articles by Pakistanis and Indians to unemotionally reconsider the events of that very important decade in our history whic

Online Education and Less Developed Countries

Bringing up the literacy rate has been amongst top priorities of individual nations. It is time now to make a combined global effort to bring up the literacy rate worldwide

An Hour in the Life of a Soldier

An imaginary walk with a soldier on patrol

The Karachi Airport Ayatollah

Pakistan will somehow and eventually explode the Earth

Ilogs

It helps you “read, write and think”. With such indulgence you can only derive pleasure……mental, emotional and intellectual and certainly not carnal as in pornography.

Border

Did he release the string on purpose
To send a friendly message across?

Discipline - And That’s An Order!

It appears that in our country, the only uniformly disciplined institution after the Armed Forces is the doodh patti chai industry...

Call to Action for Oil Spill

Please cut and paste the following text and email it to the Karachi Nazim, the Prime Minister and the Presidents offices. This is a call to sign a petition

LFO, Security Council and then Bijli Gaee...

One of the best things about living away from home is living away from home...

Transfer of Power from the British Raj & The South Asian Politicians

While the common man went about his routine daily chores, the future of South Asia lay in the hands of the politicians of the Congress and the Muslim league.

A New Constitution for Pakistan

Pakistan needs a workable and flexible document which is practical and can be sustained over a longer period of time.

General’s Dress Code Confusion

I maybe an inverted snob but am not so thick as not to understand what the General’s clothes are being set up to convey. If I am correct, it strikes me as a rather ill-founded strategy

Searching for Identity in Our Little Corner

Where is our Solar system located? What is our identity, no matter how inconsequential, with respect to the vast cosmic ocean?

Bus Baby

A poem for Noor Fatima

The Last Trumpets

The choices are whether to adopt a presidential or a prime ministerial form of government and the second set of choices are whether Pakistan needs to be governed as an administrative state or as a democracy

Dislodging a Dictator

Why Benazir Bhutto is Pakistan’s best hope!

New LFO Ultra

Whilst extending my heartfelt gratitude to His Highness (HH) General Pervez Musharraf for delivering the genuine democracy to this unfortunate nation of ours, I wholeheartedly condemn those traitors who refuse to tender unqualified submission to him.

The Writer’s Block

Tolerating Sexuality

Crime and Sex

Women and Divine Decrees

No other law in Pakistan, other than the law relating to blasphemy, has led to such heated debate and controversy than the law relating to the evidence of women

The Quilt

Translated from Urdu, Ismat Chughtai’s ‘Lihaf’

Carnage and Casuality

Mustering up my most objective, nonjudgmental demeanour, I asked him what difference it made, since those who lost their lives were innocents. He said that they may not have been criminals but they were kafirs.

It’s a Miracle

Faith runs deep in our veins. There are a few if any ‘non-believers’ amongst Indians, in fact in the whole subcontinent.

My Hajj Sojourn

It all started with some weird, undefined, ambiguous changes in my daily routine. I slept uneasy… dreamed of unidentified, surrealistic places... woke up with an outlandish burden on my heart… and felt alienated the whole day. This went on for

Terminate This

How ironic is it that Arnold Schwarzenegger was sent on a morale-boosting tour of US bases in Iraq.

The Razor’s Edge

The United States seems to be losing the proverbial battle for the “hearts and minds” of the Afghans. The biggest problem was that the United States was not prepared for the post-war situation and had no plans to tackle the problems

On the Miltary Farms, Okara

The Government’s inaction in the face of the reported brutalities carried out by the Military authorities and Pakistan Rangers in forcing the tenants of the Military Farms, Okara to execute the new “cash rent” system is criminal.

The Conversion Chiaroscuro

Didi became a Hindu. Long before the RSS and the Pope got into a tiff about conversions. At that time it meant nothing to me.

The Realm

I am a self. That’s the only way to describe what I am. I used to inhabit a human body a long time ago. More precisely, a human nervous system

Qui a Tui Daniel Pearl

This must be a first for chowk. To try to review a French book without knowing much of the language oneself. So, this review is based on a post reading discussion with three friends and a close family member who are, how do we say it, parle vouz the Franc

Of Damn Pakis and Deregulation

Is the Pakistani public not yet mature and responsible enough to be introduced to a deregulated source of Information? If it is, then how can a censorship be justified? If it is not, what is the pride in bringing X-hundred cities online? Pornography on th

The Scandal of Fake and Madrassa Degrees

a federal minister whose only real qualification is an O-level certificate

The Follies of the Natives

A circus called Pakistan

History Rehearsing: Dark Ages of Islam

poor masses hopelessly in search of a savior

For Better or Worse

Compromise is the key to a successful marriage but what happens when neither party is willing to do that?

Land of the Pure

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan found that in year 2000 a women was raped every two hours in Pakistan, and that hundreds were victims of “honor” killings, domestic violence, burnings and murder

The Visitor - Part II

The Visitor returns to reveal more of his purpose

Terror in Okara

Pakistan cannot bear the shock of nearly a million of its own people being dispossessed

Qualitative Education

By educating ourselves out of the Third World Mindtrap, we may not necessarily become wealthier nations,

The Beginning of the End of the Kashmir Problem

Do not underestimate either the love or the hatred that the peoples of the two countries are capable of having towards each other

Takht-e-Bahi

Takht-e-Bahi is famed for the quality of the kebabs available here.

Mutant Muslims

Another case of art imitating life?

On the Assertion of Rights

Why Pakistan’s institutions are ass backwards

Air Cdre Rizwanullah Khan Shaheed Memorial Trust

how will we make sure that the contribution to this world happens anyway, in the name of the dearly departed

When Democracy Failed: The Warnings of History

The 70th anniversary wasn't noticed in the United States

Survival of the Fittest

If Pakistan is next then what are the options?

Doctors or the Disease

Analysis of the khaki-clad messiahs of Pakistan

Origins of the Modern World Capitalist Economy

An Answer to the Pro War Surrealists

If you feel that your way of life is better than us, than live it, but stop trying to impose it upon us.

A Stable Political Order in Post-War Iraq?

A new political order in Iraq is likely to be strife-ridden

My Beautiful Rizwan

Such was the overpowering presence in my life, of Rizwan - my husband, my friend, my soulmate, my shaheed.

The Great Game for Central Asian Oil

The Imperialist Ring from Yugoslavia to Afghanistan

Loitering with Intent in Ayodhya

My basic contention is that Indian Muslims never had a claim to the Babri mosque...

Living Through War

if we were less advanced a civilization these days of war would have been easier

They Shoot Kashmiri Pandits, Dont They?

They say they will act as a “buffer against the export of jehad into India”. They who ran away?

The Visitor

If aliens came to Earth, why would they come, and how?

War and Terror

Is use of precise weapons of mass destruction justified to destroy imprecise ones?

Pakistan The Land of the pure - A Myth or Reality

Land of the Pure

French Fries vs Freedom Fries

’One tuna wrap and one coke. Would you like a side order of freedom fries with it?’

Gujrat - The Verdict Of God

Excavating India

I say, thank god for Babar, for the dear departed Mughal badshah has revealed how the purring cats are jumping on a hot tin roof.

Three Arguments Against a War

As America prepares for war, I want to present three arguments for peace:

Travels through America - Deep Thoughts

Finally, it was one sight that took my heart and left a lasting impression on me of the beauty and simple innocence of a human being...

Stop Indian Atrocities in Kashmir

Lets put an end to all atrocities - without being selective.

IS Waging Another War on Iraq Justified?

More than 500,000 toddlers and infants have died due to the consequences of the sanctions (UNICEF, 1999).

Let There be Light...

So is childbirth the ending of one story and the beginning of another?

Muslims in India: Communalism vs. Backwardness-Minority Syndrome

Today, it is imperative that the Muslim community fights the ogre of communalism

Revolution of Regression

Establishing an Islamic Caliphate in New York

Basant in Lahore

Lahore Lahore Hai!

In Search of Peace and Flowers

personal perspective on the January rally

Preventing Military Take Overs

Military Reforms

Dam it?

Protest against the extension of Mangla Dam continues despite the mainstream media's ignorance

Rightsizing of the Armed Forces

the huge Pak Army fulfils few strategic functions

Saira Votes for Peace

The police didn’t let the incident get into the papers—and the only news that made it was about the bomb.

The Urdu Press in New York

We never thought we would flee America

Towards Greater Tolerance

Anti-Pakistanism and neo-Indian Nationalism

The March of Folly

Is It A War On Islam?

What, then, should be the strategy for all those who believe in a just world and are appalled by America's war on the weak?

All The Bridges Are Burning

The United States’ foreign policy has historically oscillated between recklessness of unilateralism and the cautious nature of multilateralism.

USA and Muslims

Muslim extremists generally dislike non-Muslims and they hate various people at local level

Standing Up to a Bully

America has all along, despite Iraq’s acceptance, said it is highly sceptical of Saddam Hussain’s assurances or promises

A Work In Progress

Jinnah put Pakistan in such a location that the future state would always be involved in the geo-politics of world

Khaki wisdom -- One-way ticket to Hell

the world came closer to a nuclear exchange during the recent standoff between India and Pakistan than at any time since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis

Antarctica

Once again the world was engulfed in war. For what reasons no one knew, least of which the soldiers, for the reasons had been so contrived and ill supported that they were also soon forgotten.

The Case For and Against The Satanic Verses

Evaluating Diatribe and Dialectic as Art

Why I Am Not A Muslim?

Life is spent in the fastidious guarding of a few empty possessions that sit around like a congregation of useless whores

Wanderings in the Twilight Zone

Serialized Novel

Little Big Men

Fanatic five-year-olds with Firearms

The Unmaking Of Gujrat

The key players in these elections and therefore Indian polity seem like characters in a drama of the absurd.

Generals: A case study (I)

For generals, on the other hand, any deviation from regimental loyalty and unquestioning obedience is sin

Husain Haqqani at UC Berkeley

Pakistan has to revisit its relationship with India

My Little Bit of Hindu

I made acquaintances with a consciously unknown, but subconsciously known part of myself, the little part of me that was Hindu, so to say.

If Army acts like a Political Party Why not a Forward Bloc in it?

what is a bigger and more deplorable sin: to be a prostitute or to be a pimp?

Games Generals Play

the General deserves to be applauded for forcing a semblance of democracy to the working of political parties

An All-Inclusive Rejoinder to All the Chronic Complainers

there are few nations on the face of earth blessed with such an omnipotent uniformed force

Closet

obviously there are thousands of Khurram out there with their conflicting mind sitting in the darkness of the closet looking for the light

The End of The World

It will then begin scanning in the minds of those who wish to participate

Islamic Utopia?

Reconciling Islam and Modernity

Lessons from Constitutional History

But we never seem to learn from history

Sir Syed Day in Northern Calfornia

Event Coverage

Perfect Women. Imperfect Men

women should also be able to fulfill their responsibilities towards their homes

Analysis of Stunning Gains by Religious Parties in Pakistan’s Elections

Pakistan’s Elections: An Unintended Consequence of US War against Terrorism?

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 5 (The Diplomat)

Carl Davis had just lost one group of swing votes in his home state. He was going to make sure he did not lose the other group also.

Sobho: the struggle continues

I still believe in the revolution, in a society that provides justice for all

Election in Pakistan

unprecedented election results in Pakistan

Myopic, Malevolent, Megalomaniac

Musharraf knows that PPP (P) and PML (N) would not like to join hands with MMA because it displeases USA

Military, Musharraf and Magic

Political experts can opine all they want. They can criticize Musharraf, the Military and the short-term nature of US support.

Unraveling Pakistan: Taming The Shrew-Mare

Pakistan’s Army has become a wild mare. It has to be broken into. It has to be re-taught to walk, run, trot

1 Giant Leap - Music Review

Democracy is Like Virginity

The Kal Aaj Aur Kal of Secularism

There is a generation growing distant from religion, and yet engagingly indulgent of it. Not so much as a pathway to salvation as much as a familiar lane of the past.

Truth Hurts

Ironic. Our indigenous culture is now being imported.

What I Saw In Okara

An investigation into the Okara land dispute

All The Way To Maine

How some Pakistani and Indian kids found out that the enemy has a face.

Were We Too Hijacked by 9/11?

Al-Qaida had to be bombed, to let the Taliban be was not an option.

The Day Of All Days

Pakistan will re-take its first fledging steps towards democracy

The Discovery

A young office worker makes a discovery

Road Blocks in Normalising Relations

If cross border terrorism ceases, facilitating a dialogue between India and Pakistan, will a dividend of long term peace follow?

ISNA 39th Annual Conference

More than 32,000 attended the 39th ISNA conference in Washington.

Organized Irrelevance

Are Muslims hopeless? With the OIC, they are...

The April Fool Referendum

a critique of the April 30 referendum and what it may mean for the coming elections

Peace in South Asia

Arundhati Roy gave the Pakistanis a glimpse of what free-thinking is

San Salvador

The lander stood like a giant gleaming egg against the orange sky.

India’s Potential Lose-Lose-Lose Scenario

India may actually be helping Pakistan in the long run, not harming it, with its current war hysteria

The Hindu Right

Advani’s yathra in an air-conditioned Toyota left a trail of blood in its wake

The Right To Bigotry

as long as government and courts and police and diplomats and moralists approve of it

The Myth of Autonomy

The bomb blast had blown off many leaves from roadside trees.

Search for Identity -1, Saeed Anjum’s Short Stories

The day you kill me.
in my pocket you will find
a ticket to Loveland.

Does a Bachelor’s degree mean education in politics

Can an election that disqualifies 98% of the country’s citizens be legitimate?

The Quarterbreds of Californet

What choice is left in the face of such enmity?

Of Errant Politicians And The Kashmir Cause

In politics being good is not necessarily good enough

Kashmir Fatigue

I still have a home there and I am looking forward to my permanent return

The Last Crusade

Sharon’s visit finally removed the façade from the Israeli diplomacy

Confessions of a BJP Supporter

Why was the philosophy of the Sangh Parivar attractive to so many urban middle class Hindus?

My Ruined Breakfast

After that they would like votes, please.

A Contrary Opinion

why not give the goodwill to someone who has only been brutally honest with us

The April Fool Referendum

The military may win this battle but it will destroy the very nation it is so proud to rule

Another One Bites The Dust

General Musharrafs ‘political correctness’ made it easy to ignore questions

The Aga Khani

Since the Aga Khani does not fit a stereotype the believer cannot be recognised

Regarding the Stupid White Men

Subjugation and domination of others, is part of the human psyche

Deja Vu

General Musharraf should be open and honest

Cry, the Beloved Country

There is much that the murdering mobs in Gujarat have robbed from me

We, The Muslim Americans

We envisioned a happy co-existence

From Across The Border

full of the likes of us who grow up in an ideology laden environments

Whose Iqbal — Ours or Theirs?

As if I am the traveler as well as the destination itself

Riots

Here are people afraid of their own

The Panel of Vendettas at UC Berkley

A true hero would make a radical notion and never back track

Why Are We Killing Ourselves?

What mentality burns a human being alive?

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 3 (The Prostitute)

“Do you play chess, Mr. Prime Minister?”

The Wages of Obedience

The systemic failure of a whole class of people to think honestly and seriously, in short a failure to do their job as political analysts

Empty Vessels And All That Jazz

do you think he is up to task to rid us of feudals next?

Pakistanis in Afghanistan, Nothing New

The more the government cuts back on the opportunities available to the Mullah to interact with the citizen, the more the government is cutting back on the Mullahs sources of revenue

The Future Is Another Country: 2050 And Beyond

Osama bin Laden has his own vision of a perfect world and millions will die

A 24 Minute Journey Between Paddington and Slough

simultaneously sending text messages to irate wife’s and lusting girlfriends

The King’s Gambit: Chapter 2 (The Soldier)

“Do you have one more left in you, Michael?” General Yitzhak inquired

The Identity Crisis of a Modern Muslim

this over-emphasis on religion clashes with their other identities

1971: A Forgotten Story

We ‘forgot’ to ask for our men to be returned

A Reason For Change

What is really interesting about Marianne Pearl’s interview with CNN is not what she said

Taliban : An Analysis

an ideal Islamic society.

India, Pakistan and America’s Mixed Signals

War is the last thing that we need there

Beta Chala Gaya

The journey for self-discovery takes us through interesting landscapes.

Enough is Enough

Some of us, like Noah’s family, will be saved

Running Naked

Looking at the current India, Pakistan conflict as Manto would have

Reaction

Terrorists Breeding In Your Gentrified Neighbourhood of Ft. Greene, Brooklyn.

Is Jehad Passe’?

it is too early to say that the military has changed its spots

The Passion of The Pacifist

An interview with Asgharali Engineer

Muslims and The West After 11th September

America has exacted blood revenge for the Twin Towers

An International Failure

do the Pakistanis know who they are themselves

The Clash Of Un-Civilizations And Osama-ism

It is misleading to think and give an impression that these issues will just disappear if Osama is captured or killed today.

Here Are the Muslim Feminist Voices, Mr. Rushdie!

Muslim women HAVE been speaking out against the obscurantist Islam he decries

Whither Democracy?

Musharraf appears to have killed two birds with one stone

A Journey Into Afghanistan

Aside to President Bush: Afghans have been conquered and made to submit by only two men

Benazir Bhutto in Sacramento

the terrorist’s greatest fear is the spread of information, social equality and democracy

A Decision to Regret

the Afghans have always resisted a government imposed from abroad

Jihad: Paradoxes and Defining Moments

There will always be a lunatic fringe in the Muslim society

Violent Changes

I will let life go on

Love On The Line Of Control, a Story by Col Dharam Pal

There seems to be a lot of acrimony and bad-blood between some Indian and Pakistani contributors ...

Bahr-e-Zulmaat

a mother who wears the hijab suggested to her 28-year-old daughter she take it off

Explaining it to an American Friend

godspeed and prudence in this time of grieving

Black Tuesday: The View From Islamabad

CNN and the US media have so far made little attempt to understand this affliction

Implications for India

India needs to show maturity

Caught In Between

Pakistan is on the defensive almost constantly

Just the End of the Beginning

... will the arraignment of Osama BL be the end of the story?

My Last Chappu

it was a real beauty!

Top Ten South Asian Pieces of Music

What to take in the event of natural disaster

The Real Jehad

Birth control and Education together should be the focus of our Jehad.

A Predilection for Grand Burglary

Daughters also inherit from their mothers an affinity for burglaries!

My Sahib

An English translation of Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Mera Sahib’

Why I am leaving

There is just so much wrong with Pakistan today that we, the educated youth, find life here unacceptably difficult

The Nature of The Sea

I mean, the boy was dead.

The Evolution of Urdu Literature in the 20th Century

Literature is the narration of time

No Fault Of Mine

We nurture a strange vision of patriotism in India these days. As Pakistan yells at us, accusing us of misdeeds, we must shout louder still. Meantime, Kashmir bleeds. So do we all.

A Medley of Internal Contradictions

Shedding tears for the plight of Indian Muslims is also a case of internal contradictions

The Countdown Begins

... the contours of Pakistan’s emerging political scenario point to the first signs of an uneasy coexistence between the military regime and the political forces ...

The Indo-Pak Summit, Kashmir and the Taj Mahal

One cannot expect a solution from just one summit on the complex Kashmir problem ...

Group Captain Cecil Chaudhry, SJ

An interview with a war hero ...

The Quest for Power

It took General Zia 14 months after the July 1977 coup to assume the Presidency, while General Musharraf waited 20 months to do the same

Talking to Vajpayee

Vajpayee has demonstrated that he can be different

Little White Pills

Warning (Mature Content ) - He said goodbye to Rahul and his misery.

Reforming the Armed Forces

Like any institution in a status quo society, the Armed Forces badly need reforms as well.

Mocking the Frontier: The Baba’s Dargah and Chamaliyal

What would the Baba have to say ...

Welcome to the Dark Side

Uncensored .... But until we openly debate and denounce the corruption in journalism, we cannot really condemn it in other institutions.

The Winds of Change

When the world’s only superpower changes direction, smaller states, especially those located on the periphery of potential conflict, have to be nimble in adjusting their policies.

Karachi Dreams

Karachi thrums like the strings of an electric guitar

Why Pakistan?

why should we persist in our self-flagellation?

The Shah of Chicago: A Novel

Will you purchase more narcotics?

Across the River

Why are the poor poor?

The Chicken Hawks Of Pakistan

The military should accept the fact that it is a dictatorship

Refusing the Sitara-I-Imtiaz

...look at our generals – they get a shovel-full of impressive medals each year that they proudly wear on their chests. But tell me how many wars have they won?

Why I Began Paper Making in Pakistan

greatest issue for true development in Pakistan

Obsession with Borderline Issues

pre-occupation with insignificant extremes in the name of religion is misplaced

The Meaning of Pakistan

Metaphysical Politics of Pakistan

Our Blind Nuclear Prophets

why did Indian and Pakistani defence budgets go up, rather than down, after the May 1998 tests?

The Damned And The Damnable

They left because they were out of the ‘right things to say.’

Goodbye, Allah Rakhi

“Thank you” one last time

A World Upside Down

can the United States honestly determine the reasons behind the tragedies in Washington

The Garage School

The garage school does not discriminate on the basis of religion.

Democracy in Pakistan: The Missing Link?

Democracy has long been a buzzword in Pakistan

The Soft Option

How can we say that Pakistan is misrepresenting the term ’jehad’ with regard to Kashmir when we Indians are doing the same?

Anything But Vacant

I would like some thighs, cut the fat, I want it lean

Pico’quant Tales

A case of bad writing versus good writing

Elections, Pakistani Style

One moment we were leading, the next we fell behind

Bigotry, Racism and American Media

all of us have vividly seen that Israeli security forces consistently breached all international human rights standards

A Different Story

The winds of change are slowly whispering their way across the South Asian sub-continent

Should Pakistan Honor the Lahore Resolution?

why Pakistan failed to become a confederation in accordance with the spirit and content of the Lahore resolution?.

The Autonomy is for India

greater autonomy for states is the only way

The Imperatives of Power

A physically injured leader has won hands down against the leader of a psychologically injured nation in the world of diplomacy

Hidden Hindus

What is it like?

Protest in New York!

Stop killing Christians in Pakistan ...

Negotiating Human Rights

arrested in Pakistan for saving the life of a battered woman

Women in India: Are We Better Off?

What should the wife do if her husband beats her and troubles her?

Computers for Pakistan

Hidaya Celebrates Independence Day

Is the Language of New Fiction Androgynous?

Does literature too have sex?

1971 in 2000

... this singular event is consigned to the dustbin of history.

Faith, Religion and National Direction

A winner makes commitments, a loser makes promises

India Unvarnished

An unemotional examination of some of the main questions about India’s history

Lahore Notes, March 2000

I took the famous Bus to Lahore

Lets Live For Another Day

Pathways of darkness flowing, to a distant ray of light

Chowking the North South Divide

too much of memory and desire might be choking the human story of Kashmir...

Monday Morning

like a slow persistent ringing

Where Mountains Move

The Story of Chagai

The Flip Side of Democracy

The US public allows its government to make decisions that can alienate a billion people

Waterfalls

you should wait a few years and then go back to India and marry a gaon ki chori...

Indians and Pakistanis Must Start Anew

The richest resource on the earth can only be human resources

The People’s Initiative

Exposure to ordinary people serves as a powerful perception changer ...

Bullock Cart to IT Bandwagon: India’s IT experience

Pakistan can learn much from India’s progress in Information Technology

Negotiating Peace in Kashmir

President Clinton should also exhort the Indian leaders

Law, Development and How Not To Do It

Think of the world of investments as a beauty contest

Celebrating death and union in Wadi

Prayer is better than sleep

What a Day !

I lay my first steps into the ’educated world’...

What’s the future of India and Pakistan?

there are only two solutions to this problem[Kashmir]. A Change of attitude or war

When Pakistan Defeated Herself...

there was no way for it [India] to convincingly prove that Pakistan indeed harbored territorial ambitions on i-Kashmir

The Puppet

His icy glare froze the puppet back into the shape, forcing the sap out of it’s wide-open eyes.

Just another cry in the dark

In our 53 years of turbulent history the country has seen nothing but thieves and self righteous leaders

Looking for Razia

Razia (Zafar) Chaudhury, are you out there?

A Rumor Of Lies

Pakistan, as a nation, seems to have entered a political terra incognita from which it is unlikely to return

Where did Pakistan go wrong?

...you will find that in the course of time Hindus will cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims...

Touch

In the West, by the way, that is where our son will eventually go to study...they brutally electrocute an animal to death...

TIEcon 2000 Generates Hope

Entrepreneurship in the 21st. Century

Game Theory and Pakistan

the elite in Pakistan are nothing short of omnivorous parasites

Open Letter to General Musharraf

Field Marshal Ayub Khan was forced out of power after extensive rioting . . .

Eqbal Ahmad: Post - Pokhran Days

The mountain had turned white. I wondered how much pain had been felt by nature ...

Can Clinton Stand in Front of the Taj?

Vices or not, Clinton certainly got to go as far as India

Mecca or Mohenjodaro?

A living religion is more eloquent than a dead civilization

Pakistan - The Way Forward

An Activist’s Appeal

Pssst...This is Rest of South Asia speaking