Hyderabad nostalgia
“NEVER in my life,” said Mir Laik Ali, Hyderabad’s last prime minister, “had I ever seen Mr Jinnah emotional except on that day.” Pakistan was fighting for its survival in…
Shrinking runway of Flight PK-1947
For years, both Pakistan’s most passionately patriotic daughters and sons as well as Pakistan’s most dyed-in-the-wool enemies have kind of grappled with the same question: how much more runway does…
Rest in peace: Marr ke bhee chaen na payaa…
There is that famous Urdu couplet that says “Marr ke bhee chaen na payaa tau kidhar jaaenge? [If we can’t even find peace after death where will we go?]” This…
Temples and tourists
LATE last week, a joint team of Italian and Pakistani archaeologists, working in the Swat region, announced that they had discovered a 2,300-year-old Buddhist temple. The temple is located in the…
Reflections of a systemnik
The recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban poses a grave danger to Pakistani society and state – but these dangers are not what a typically Westernised lens on Pakistan…
Remembering Bhutto the writer
Today marks the 40th death anniversary of Z A Bhutto, arguably the most intelligent and well-read political leader Pakistan has had in its 72-year history. A lot has been written…
Makers of history
From a very young age, we Pakistanis are fed an official diet according to which individuals are made out to be almost exclusive makers of history. In the standardised version…
Manufacturing history
“Who controls the past, controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past.” — George Orwell, 1984. The collective memory of our nation has transcended into something of a spectacular…
The sale of Saiful Maluk
For years the eco-system of Balochistan has been mercilessly plundered by visitors from rich Middle Eastern states. Trampling upon large tracts of our territory, each year they indulge in mass…
Linguistic clashes
WHILE the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was trying to spot the new moon, another phenomenon was brewing on social media. Pakistanis took to their Twitter accounts and Facebook status updates to call…
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