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About a time when friends were real and life was simple
One of the most vivid memories from my early teen years is of my best friend at that time and me, sitting outside his building near the pavement, drinking Coke and eating sandwiches. I used to take a...
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Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray, who will win the US Open?
As the tennis season nears its conclusion, attention turns to the boisterous city of New York, home to one the most unpredictable Grand Slam events - the US open Championships. Rapper Jay Z called New...
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DSP Qasim Ali Khan Ghouri: He was my baba and he died serving Pakistan
I’m writing this article in the memory of my khalu (maternal uncle), Shaheed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Qasim Ali Khan Ghouri, who was martyred at 8:30am on August 15, 2013. This is not...
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Red Ant Dream: A documentary about Kashmir, India and freedom
A few years ago, I watched a documentary film. I watched it till the very end. Once finished, I played it again – for I searched for meaning; the meaning of ‘azaadi’ (freedom), which to me, before...
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‘Re-virginising’ in a tube: ‘Purity’ for sale at Pakistani pharmacies
A few months ago, I noticed pharmacies in Karachi were carrying topical cures for lost virginity, “re-virginising” in a tube. These over-the-counter fixes were everywhere – counters in large...
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I am Bradley Manning and you should be too!
As the sentencing hearing gets underway for Bradley Manning, who faces 136 years in prison after being convicted of 20 charges including espionage and theft, it’s hard not to feel that a travesty of...
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How the corporate sector turned me into a hypocrite
To become a part of the corporate world had always been my dream, and ever since my graduation, it had become my vision to enter this grand realm and use my knowledge to cater to its needs. However, it...
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Sindh local government elections: Bureaucrats have no place in politics
The upcoming local government elections could provide an opportunity to address issues of governance in Karachi provided the local governance system is strengthened to compensate for the division of...
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Five things Egypt can learn from Pakistan
Discussions over Egypt’s future have almost become a coffee table routine for many across the globe. Shock, grief and anger over the violence and death, combined with the fear of a looming civil...
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Allama Muhammad Asad: The first citizen of Pakistan
“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This is an oft repeated quote in relation to our current abysmal situation and it reminds us to look back and analyse our mistakes. Rather...
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Dear Prime Minister, please make the right decision on the YouTube ban
Dear Mr Prime Minister, Congratulations on taking the office for a coveted third time. The country has once again reposed its trust on you for steering it through these unquestionably trying times....
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Monsters University: As good as the original, if not better!
After waiting for a good 12 years, Pixar fans are now able to experience the magic of ‘monsters’ on the big screen. These aren’t just any ordinary monsters; this is Monsters University - the prequel to...
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Living with Misophonia
'What’s that awful ticking noise?' 'Who’s tapping their feet on the floor?' 'Why can’t people eat without making that annoying chomping sound?' 'You sip your tea, you don’t slurp it.' 'Make it stop....
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You and your cursed tongue
“Rashid, nooooo! Stop! For the love of the Almighty, stop!” My incessant pleas fell on deaf ears. By now my voice had transformed from a high-pitched wail to a dry, hoarse moan, stuck deep in my...
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Making sense of the Musharraf indictment
On Monday, Nawaz Sharif addressed the nation. He spoke of staggering challenges: a paralysed economy, a crippling energy crisis, the existential threat of terrorism. The implication: there’s much to...
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Dubai: Look beyond the glitter to see the sorrow of migrant workers
Dubai has undergone a massive transformation, from a fishing and pearl diving centre on the shores of the gulf, to an ultra-modern city-state of today in a matter of just a few decades. Modern Dubai is...
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In the name of honour, a woman can be a breadwinner but cannot vote?
Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote. In primitive societies, women have always been denied basic rights, however, the struggle to snatch what is theirs has never ceased. The movement for...
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Javed Miandad or Hanif Mohammad: Who is Pakistan’s best batsman?
The Karachi Parsi Institute lies in the heart of old Karachi. It is hallowed ground, a place where history was made some fifty-four years back. On a sultry Karachi afternoon with a few thousand...
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How do you explain ‘the lota’ to a foreigner?
We miss many things when we’re living away from home - mangoes, bun kebabs, paan, the dust, the loadshedding. Okay, okay, just kidding! We miss some of these things, but we manage without them, one way...
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An authentic Parsi feast: Rice and lentils with prawn sauce
Good food, good health and a good life – this is the profound Parsi belief. For us, good food doesn't necessarily translate into an elaborate meal; it generally refers to a more simplistic and balanced...
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