Memories Don’t Wipe Like Blackboards on June 25, 2023Miss Minto was our math teacher in Burn Hall, Abbottabad. She had a severe, no-nonsense, demeanor that kept the boys in check. She had a penchant to use the blackboard to write formulae, enunciate the problem, and write the solution in detail. It was a great way to understand complex algebraic equations. At the end […]
Individuals and Institutions on June 18, 2023The top story these days in American media is the indictment of President Trump on federal criminal charges. It is unprecedented in US history. Their public discourse is full of the latest reports, analyses and predictions. Trump’s equivalent in Pakistan is Nawaz Sharif. Both believe they are above the law. There is one huge difference. […]
Numbers don’t Lie on June 11, 2023“Kukar toon ganday tay agaye han” answered Ashraf, an experienced mason now out of work in the once booming construction industry, when asked how he was doing. It is a disaster out there. Sectors that provided employment are devastated. According to the latest statistics, textile, construction, industrial and large manufacturing sectors have seen job cuts […]
The Emperor Has No Clothes on June 4, 2023Hans Christian Anderson, a Danish author wrote scores of fairy tales impacting generations. I remember reading them as a child. “The Emperor Has No Clothes”‘ was first published in 1837, with roots dating back centuries traceable to Indian folklore. An extremely vain, proud and ruthless emperor spent lavishly on his clothes at the expense of […]
Gut Cleaning and Good Health on May 28, 2023In the early days of the PTI, Akmal Mirza was the President in Rawalpindi. He was a committed and experienced political activist and liked by Imran Khan. It was important for the Party to bring onboard members from diversified communities and professions. Akmal recruited a local lawyer, Aamer Kiyani, who was getting established in his […]
Cruelty Towards Women is a National Tragedy on May 21, 2023I was not even a teenager when I learnt one of the most important life lessons. It became a part of my value system. Abbottabad was popular as a “hill station”, a legacy term from the British Raj. Summers were mild as compared to the heat in the southern plains. It was a family routine […]
Red Line Breached All Around on May 14, 2023Folks, let us keep it simple: it is bullet versus ballot. The barbaric commando-style action to kidnap Imran Khan was shameful, demeaning and a gross violation of human dignity. IK was hit, pushed and manhandled like a sought-after terrorist. For God’s sake, he is a former Prime Minister and leader of the biggest political party […]
Law of the Jungle on May 7, 2023The Chaudhries of Gujrat have been prominent in politics for three generations. I have known all three of them. Their patriarch was Chaudhry Zahur Ellahi emerged onto the national scene from rural Gujrat during Ayub Khan’s regime. He was a close associate of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the National Assembly at the start of Bhutto’s […]
Why is Imran Khan not Acceptable? on April 30, 2023I have vivid memories of PTI’s founding event at Holiday Inn, Lahore in April 1996. My late friend, Ahsan Rashid, and Mehmood Awan, and I drove to the venue ahead of IK to get a feel and flavour of the attendees. The hall was abuzz with anticipation. Mazhar Sahi, a former Olympian had come from […]
Finish it, Mr Powerful on April 25, 2023There are many versions regarding the final words of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto before he was led to the gallows. There is one, favoured by his supporters. It narrates that as the noose was tightened, Bhutto was in a defiant mood and told the highly nervous executioner, “Finish it”. Then there are other narratives, some claiming […]