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Karachi is blasphemous, Lahore is not
If blasphemy is defined as ‘irreverent behaviour towards anything sacred’, Karachi is blasphemous; a city where something as sacred as human life is irreverently and disdainfully extinguished. As...
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Predicting the winners: And the Oscar goes to…
When we talk about the Oscars, we mean good, quality films. During the previous year, we have seen some of the best cinema ever made. Topics that had not been dared to be produced before have admirably...
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Live Blog: And the verdicts out, the Oscar goes to….
This is the time we have all been waiting for. Thought you would miss it? Well buckle up ladies and gentlemen as Laaleen Khan gives you all the Oscar updates you require right here. Before the event...
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Oscars 2014: ‘Her’ deserves the Best Picture award
In an era of re-boots ,superhero franchises and weak attempts at capturing the ‘essence’ of classics , very few films stand out as being relevant to the complexities and issues of the modern world ....
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Blaming women for divorce in the name of Islam?
This article is in response to the very illuminating, thoroughly informative, thought-provoking essay by Ahad Kashif in The Express Tribune titled Pakistan and high divorce rates: The girl’s parents...
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Lessons from Abbas Town: Stick together, whether you are Shia or Sunni
In a town where Shias and Sunnis had lived together peacefully for years, worshipped just down the street from one another, played cricket and often sat together in the evenings to chat, a sign...
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How is Pakistan doing, you ask? Why don’t you ask the victims of Abbas Town?
“Oh you’re from Pakistan? How is your country doing?” Asked a classmate here at the London School of Economics (LSE) two weeks ago. The question took me back to a different time… somewhere in the...
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Reliving history, uniting a nation: Miandad’s “chakka” and Afridi immortalised
Ever since I can remember, people have spoken about the Miandad “chakka”. India versus Pakistan. The holy grail of all rivalries. A target of 246. The sacred Sharjah ground. Women and children prayed....
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Islamabad is the safest city in Pakistan? Not today…
I was tying my shoe laces, getting ready to go for a walk when the number of my children’s school flashed on my screen. My heart always flutters a little when I see this number on my phone and this...
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Mars: The perfect place for vacation?
On December 25, an aircraft was developed by Sheikh Hamza Jilani, famously known as the ‘Populator’. It was widely spoken about throughout the world. The news had greatly disturbed and pestered my...
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Stop making fun of people who stutter!
I had come to believe that people in our country had developed a better understanding of disabilities and that there was an increase in the acceptance for people with disabilities or minor disorders in...
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Lost in translation: 12 signs you’re new to Pakistani culture
Recently moving from Canada, where I’ve lived practically my entire life, to Pakistan, I’ve had to do a lot of learning. Here are few of the things I have learnt since coming to Pakistan: 1) My...
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What would you do if your brother was abducted?
In the words of Imam Baksh Nasikh, “Teri ankhein tuo sukhan go hain magar kaun sune, Kyun kar awaaz karein mardam-e-beemar buland?” (“Your eyes tell us everything, but who will listen, Why would a weak...
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Transgenders in Pakistan: An identity card hasn’t accomplished anything
We, as Pakistanis, have a profound lack of empathy for individuals that suffer from a Gender Identity Disorder (GID). These individuals have, perhaps, faced the severest form of discrimination from...
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Don’t just fret about a channel you dislike, report it to PEMRA!
Following the uproar caused by the controversial episode of Abb Tak’s show, Khufia, where the host, Uzma Tahir, forced entry into the home of a transvestite couple and tried to film their life, many...
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Afridi: Back with a Boom Boom!
We have all seen, admired and enjoyed the likes of Gilchrist, Jayasuriya, Gayle and Sehwag destroying bowlers with their powerful shots which could ruin the careers of bowlers and change the scenario...
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Don’t cheer for Pakistan’s cricket team if you are in India, you may be...
In a bizarre demonstration of overbearing nationalism, a university in Uttar Pradesh suspended 67 Kashmiri students for cheering for the Pakistani cricket team. This may be a clinical sign that the...
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Aerial firing: “If Shahid Afridi’s brother can do it, so can I!”
After an indubitably glorious victory against India in the Asia Cup this past Sunday, ardent Pakistani fans, all across the world, have indeed found various ways to celebrate this euphoric occasion....
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Is it a crime in Pakistan for a boy to drop a girl home?
A few days ago, as a friend was dropping me back home after dinner; we were pulled aside by the cops on main Khayaban-e-Shahbaz road in Defence, Karachi. No dark corner or shady alley but while driving...
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Has our parliament been reduced to liquor, hashish and immorality?
We all remember the incident when the former defence minister outrageously slept through while the former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was addressing the parliament. It was hard for everyone who...
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