Hafeez Khan

The Chinese engineers got ready for work as usual on Dasu Dam. Nine of them would never return. Tragic. Dasu is located in the breathtaking parts of the Kohistan District along the Karakorum Highway on the mighty Indus River. I don’t use “mighty” lightly. Those of us who have visited these parts would concur. The […]

It has been a very eventful summer in the region. A lot has been written and said about the departure of US forces from Afghanistan. Verbalised in North American lingo, it can be summarised as “Adios Afghanis; wasn’t nice knowing y’all!” It was not a good experience. Thousands of lives lost, trillions down the drain, […]

Writing in English has its own set of benefits and challenges. Though limited, the audience comprises quality readers who have their spheres of influence. I experienced that in my last article. It had a huge footprint by my standards, and I got great feedback from many friends. They agreed with my analysis of historical happenings […]

Short cuts have become embedded in our national psyche – both as individuals and at the national level. We seek expediency to gain wealth, success, or status legitimate or illegal. No one cares whether the chosen path is causing pain to others, everyone is out to grab. Simply put, for nearly three quarters of a […]

Afghan Baba, along with an estranged cousin of King Zahir, emigrated from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The family settled in Abbottabad, on the foothills of Chir Pahari (or Pine Mountain). We lived a few houses further down the street. Despite the fall from grace, the head of the family was known as Shahzada sb, the Prince. […]

Winters in Lyallpur ( Faisalabad) were always fun, especially after the rigour of strait-laced Burn Hall in Abbottabad. That time of year was full of festivities. My uncle, Dr Abdul Majeed Khan, a veterinarian, worked for Lyallpur District Council. He was in charge of the annual horse and cattle show known as “Mela Muwashian”. It […]

It was a beautiful summer’s day last Sunday in London, Ontario. It should have stayed that way. Syed Salman Afzaal, mom Talaat Kidwai, wife Madiha, their 15-year- old daughter, Yumna, and nine-year-old son, Faaiz, had just finished dinner and prepared to go for a walk in the park across the street from their home, as […]

While chatting with a friend who happens to be deeply entrenched in the media, a very interesting point came up. Whenever high performing kids are interviewed about their future plans they opt for professions like medicine, engineering, law, business or pilot. No one wants to be a politician! Why so? Because politicians are neither trusted […]

It is human nature to share joy and success. We internalise our pain and put on a brave face. Everyone likes to bask in the glory of success and we all enjoy a good time. Pain is an orphan few want to own. However, this pandemic has inflicted so much suffering that I feel I […]

A quiet storm is brewing in our front yard and it is one that will impact the future configuration of the entire region. The Americans are committed to leaving Afghanistan by September 11, some twenty years after their blustering re-entry to the region. They will leave behind a power vacuum and nature abhors a vacuum […]