Aliya Anjum

I often turn to social media if I have to gauge public opinion or listen to voices that shape public opinion. Pakistani social media leaves me horrified, to say the least. The dominant theme that runs across Pakistani social media is domestic politics or rather conjecture, the blame game and conspiracy theories surrounding domestic politics. […]

A young man burned the Holy Quran under the aegis of the Swedish authorities. This time round, the global ummah did not respond as violently and militantly as it had in the past. Pakistan called for action by the United Nations and a meeting was hence convened. There were peaceful demonstrations in Pakistan and abroad, […]

These days, Indians are basking in the glory brought by the Russia-Ukraine war. The US and Europe are courting India. From the common Youtuber to India’s foreign minister, tongues are rolling against Pakistan. Indians seem to be gloating over Pakistan’s financial situation — smug in the false belief that India is now far ahead of […]

Indian PM Modi recently visited the US and the optics were very good. POTUS Biden hosted a state dinner for Modi and the latter got the rare opportunity to address the Joint session of the American Congress for the second time. Only Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill previously held this rare honour. Sanjay Mehrotra, the […]

The common Pakistani is full of either angst or despair. PML-N created their power base by giving them ample panem et circenses (bread and circus) in Lahore and northern Punjab. Punjab got preferential treatment in resource allocation and opportunities. However, there was little for the common man beyond populist measures. Unsurprisingly, on May 9, 2023, […]

Hydrogels are three-dimensional water-swollen polymeric materials that exist naturally in the form of collagen or gelatin. They can also be made synthetically. The everyday jelly made with custard at home is an example of the hydrogel. The seemingly innocuous hydrogel now has very diverse and sophisticated usage. Hydrogels are used in a wide range of […]

The late Ambrose Bierce, a prolific American author, said, “The partisan strife in which the people of the country are permitted to periodically engage does not tend to the development of ugly traits of character, but merely discloses those that preexist.” This sums up the events of May 9, 2023, which will forever be marked […]

The Western media often speaks of the need for an Islamic reformation, similar to Jewish and Christian reformation, which modernised these two Abrahamic religions. The reform of Judaism and Christianity is focused on political correctness. Some notable reforms are: female rabbis and pastors; the provision of divorce and same-sex marriages. Jewish and Christian reformation is […]

A famous Taoist Chinese fable from the second century BC tells the story of a poor farmer. S?i W?ng lived on the border and raised horses for a living. One day, he lost his prized horses. After hearing of the misfortune, his neighbour felt sorry for him and came to comfort him. However, S?i W?ng […]

General Wesley Clark – a former commander of NATO’s forces in Europe and a 2004 American Presidential Candidate- is the author of the 2004 bestselling book “Winning Modern Wars: Iraq, Terrorism And The American Empire.” He revealed that the Bush administration planned to attack Iraq first before taking action against Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Iran, Somalia […]