Ubiquitous inequality
Inequality has become a buzz word in development circles as even rich countries are not exempt from it. However, in Pakistan it has taken another dimension. Emaciated bodies pulling carts…
Marx’s enduring appeal
Karl Marx’s ideas of public ownership of land, banks, enterprises and communications, progressive income tax, free education, economic planning, have little resonance in our country. For a large majority of…
Cursory knowledge
A BOOK is a human mind compressed between two covers. A library is an orderly arrangement of books. And a virtual literature festival is an aggregation of authors, on screen,…
Preparing the nation
On a recent visit to rural Punjab, it was a painful to see village after village falling to greed by the vandalizing acts of urbanization, particularly in the colony districts.…
Reading manifestos
I have finally figured out why all those intelligent analysts and brainy anchors on television shows, arguing all through the evening till midnight and beyond, with incredible stamina I might…
Different kinds of corruption
We have seen political corruption under focus for the last many months, almost immediately after the PTI government came to power last year. Of course, all of us want corrupt…
A vision for the future
IT is difficult to support any political party in Pakistan for an obvious reason. They are so full of corrupt, uncaring and incompetent leaders that associating with them comes across…
Budget box of goodies
The ides of June are upon us, and Caesar is surely in trouble. Belonging to the small segment of honest Pakistanis, very small actually, who have always disclosed their true…
The dream house
AFTER Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Naya Pakistan Housing Programme had received considerable publicity, I asked Sakina Bibi if she would apply for it. Sakina is a housemaid, and her family…
The Sheedis of Sindh
Every society has marginalised groups of people, who are separated from the mainstream and whose social and cultural contribution is not recognised by traditional historians. As a result, they are…
