Ninety years of a full life [Part – II]
In Lahore, the 1960s began with devastating news for all progressive and left-wing activists. Hassan Nasir, a young communist leader, was arrested and tortured to death by the goons of…
Distrust in politics
Former US President Donald Trump bitterly questioned the fairness of presidential election having lost to Joe Biden. It is the second presidential election in recent times that would go in…
Whose bus is it anyway?
THIS was a week the PML-N was so indignant about not being given izzat (respect) for kaam (work), it forgot to raise slogans for the izzat of its vote. But…
Sialkot no surprise
IT’S a hallmark of the times we live in that we must document everything we do; from vacations to functions and events — down to our breakfasts, lunches and dinners…
Changing priorities
It is quite clear that America’s priorities have changed in the South Asian region. The Pak-US alliance, which started from airbases near Peshawar and went all the way to SEATO,…
Dual nationality is not a crime
Welcoming Prime Minister Imran Khan to a meeting of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) at Peshawar some time ago, I had asked that the country utilize…
Honouring a brave man
Last week, Senator Usman Kakar was laid to rest after a historic funeral at his hometown Muslim Bagh in Balochistan. I was among the tens of thousands of people who…
Setting national standards
After a long haul, this month’s (April 7) decision by the Council of Common Interest (CCI) to have uniform food standards in the whole country might be a step in…
Bazaar traders in urban Punjab
The informal economy in Pakistan is one of most-understudied phenomena despite its huge prevalence. Marketplace (bazaar) traders are an important part of the informal economy of the country and sociologist…
Empowering consumers
In the existing bureaucratic food regulations to ensure access to quality food, a consumer cannot get a food sample tested from an accredited laboratory and, if found not in accord…
