Adios my friend Naeem Ul Haqueon February 22, 2020I vividly remember my first face to face meeting with Naeem Ul Haque. He walked into the room wearing a dark chocolate safari suit. He accompanied my dear friend, late Ahsan Rashid, who looked immaculate as always. I was sitting with Mehmood Awan, known as “Mooda” to friends. He was then Chief of Staff to […]
Straight talk: keep draining the swamp Mr Prime Ministeron February 17, 2020Turn on Pakistani news and talk shows and you feel as if the Government is about to fall. The system has totally failed, everything is topsy turvy and there is no hope. The opposition and big part of media is continuously stoking the fire. Watch National Assembly proceedings and you feel repulsed. These guys can’t […]
Straight Talk: is corona the new weapon of war?on February 11, 2020Corona Virus is a clear and present danger. Honestly, just researching for this article was a scary experience. I have relied on credible sources in an effort to inform my friends and readers about this deadly outbreak. I will feel redeemed if I can help prevent even one potential case from this cruel virus. Information […]
Straight talk: secularism in full retreaton February 2, 2020The first time I landed in Bombay, now Mumbai, was mid eighties. It was in the evening as the sun was going down. The view from the plane was breathtaking. The coastline with boats lined up conveyed vibrancy. I was excited. I was received by my host with his team. He was a successful businessman. […]
Straight Talk: 2020 Davos theme — save the earthon January 25, 2020Davos, Switzerland is where the rich, powerful and famous come together and rub shoulders with each other every year at the World Economic Forum (WEF). It was started in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a business professor from University of Geneva. It is an NGO headquartered in a sprawling campus in Geneva. It started off being […]
Straight Talk: will humans destroy planet earth?on January 19, 2020The sunset in Bali is renowned around the globe. There is a lot of glamour and romance attached to it. It attracts visitors from all over. I am in Bali with the family for a vacation. I witnessed the sunset standing in ankle deep water on the beach with the breeze musically blowing on my […]
Straight Talk: 2020 — survival or bankruptcyon January 12, 2020The view from our apartment’s balcony is a golf course situated in the heart of bustling Jakarta. The view is so refreshing and soothing. I am here with my family to attend the wedding of my nephew, more like a son, Wasam Chaudhry. I am lucky to be in one of the few islands of […]
Straight Talk: General Suleimani — a hero or a villianon January 6, 2020The recent death of General Qasem Suleimani in a US drone attack has raised the temperatures in the Middle East conflict. It has evoked a very strong reaction from Iranian leaders. Imam Khamenei, the Supreme Leader has threatened “harsh revenge”from the perpetuators. On the other hand American President Trump has justified this attack as “an […]
Straight Talk: 2020 — Will IK shed his shackles?on December 28, 2019It is the wedding season in Lahore bringing multiple invites. The cold and fog lends coziness to the atmosphere. A word of caution before you accept, driving in fog/smog combined withlong distances is a lethal,time consuming combo. Lahore now is an urbansprawl; fertile agricultural lands that supplied vegetables, fruit and milk to Lahore have been […]
Straight Talk: who is the traitor?on December 23, 2019It’s in the air, Lahore does it to you. It does not matter wherever you are from, after how long you return to Lahore, the moment you land, you go care free. Your system stops taking stress, you join the Lahoris in their merry ways. Whatever will happen shall happen, why bother? The devil may […]