A night for literature
I normally do not write on anything related to the corporate sector for two reasons. First, the corporate sector in Pakistan – or in any other country for that matter…
Not an elitist festival
Despite all the criticism for being an ‘elite’ show for ‘burger’ families, the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) organized by the Oxford University Press (OUP) remains a fest for those interested…
Ayaz Melo: pride of Sindh
Ayaz Melo in Hyderabad has become a regular winter festival for notable literati from across the country. For nearly a decade now, women such as Amar Sindhu, Arfana Mallah, Haseen…
Poetry in a time of terror
What they call Black Friday in the States is a Friday of big bargains for frenzied shoppers. It comes a day after Thanksgiving. This Black Friday came day before yesterday,…
Festival fever
If you attend literature festivals in both Karachi and Lahore, you can notice a few differences between them. First, the Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) is much more cosmopolitan. You will…
Truth will bring trust
Someone once said: “All unuttered truths become poisonous.” This is what we see happening in our land of the pure. The atmosphere is heavy with poison, venom, bitterness, spitefulness, malice…
Cultural terrorism
Destroying the imprints of history, culture and tradition can be termed ‘cultural terrorism.’ The recent attacks on cinemas in Peshawar and elsewhere weren’t simply acts of terrorism but also depict…
Whirlwind of intolerance
The wave of intolerance that has been sweeping across Pakistan for many years is now threatening to deprive society of the last vestiges of resistance to barbarism and insanity. Barring…
Memories of a sinister July
Today is the 40th anniversary of Gen Ziaul Haq’s toppling of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government. Forty eventful and some not so eventful years later, we appear to have learnt nothing…
