Tribal warfare in Pakistani politics on September 5, 2020Am I the only Pakistani who feels that our thoughts, words, and actions are betraying us at the moment? Our jokes are flat, our stories are boring, and all achievements seem to be meaningless. We are behaving like a person whose house is only open on one side; he sees the sun go down but […]
Not just another love story on November 28, 2019I never saw you, but I have always loved you. Perhaps the finest and the most beautiful things in life cannot be seen or heard; they are only felt with the heart. I grew up hearing about your beauty and elegance from my grandfather. Then Krishan Chander took over and introduced me to your deep […]
Quit when ahead on July 13, 2019We always delve in the merits of ‘staying the course’, ‘making the stand’, ‘never give in’ and ‘fight till the last man’. Life, in reality, is a set of possibilities. No one is asking us to give up without trying or run away at the first sight of resistance, but the only request is not […]
Active voices on June 30, 2019The economy is in dire straits, law and order is getting worse, and arch enemies of our existence are encircling us for a kill. It is true that governance is not satisfactory, elections were not that fair, and the common man is crying due to the price-hikes. It is also true that the PTI government […]
The reality of Jinn on May 28, 2019Jinn is an Arabic word (used as singular and plural) which means “to hide” or “hidden”. It is supposed to be a supernatural creature formed from smokeless fire and roamed the earth before human life.They have similarities with human beings in terms of biological functioning but are faster and stronger. They are usually invisible and […]
Sufi politics in Pakistan – IV on May 11, 2019In Muslim history, politics and religion have always been interlinked conceptually and practically. Pakistan’s Identity has, therefore, raised tensions within its political system as the need for religious expression and diversity of governance are competing burdens on political philosophy. At the sociocultural level, Islam is an important factor in everyday life, but there are variations […]
Sufi politics in Pakistan – III on May 7, 2019In the colonial era, the overthrow of local elites by the foreign intruders removed traditional sources of patronage for the Sufis. The British, however, recognised the influence of the Sufi descendants (pirs, sajjadanashins) promptly and manipulated the administrative mechanism to give them control over local communities and large tracts of land. They were also given […]
Sufi politics in Pakistan – II on April 27, 2019Sufism is linked with the political history of Pakistan. When the Sufi saints arrived in South Asia, they would not have imagined the extent to which their creed would influence the religious landscape. From shrine worship to the missionary activities of the Tablighi Jama’at, elements of Sufism are found everywhere in Pakistan. Considering its popularity, […]
Losing Asad Umar on April 21, 2019Asad Umar stepped down from the Government following Imran Khan’s desire. The decision was taken some time ago but was conveyed to Asad the night before. The only possible explanations for this abrupt action are: International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Dum Darood. Groucho Marx had always maintained that if a black cat crosses your path, […]
Sufi politics in Pakistan-I on April 15, 2019Religion refers to following one type of belief system, and religious politics usually means aiming to govern by religious lawsin a theocratic state.Modern understanding of Sufismrefers to a subjective experience of a sacrosanct dimension,and associated ethics and ideals by which people choose to live in a framework which is different from organised religion. Sufi politics […]