Pakistan Tehreek-e-Ideal? on October 9, 2018On the night of July 25, 2018, when red, green and white flags were being waved across the country in celebration, our (then unofficial) Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing the nation said: ‘we will run Pakistan like it has never been run before.’ That night, the possibility of a corruption free nation, with jobs for […]
Good wives go to school on September 28, 2018She watches her brother swing the heavy bag full of books onto his small shoulders. Every morning, her father walks him to somewhere called school — a place where he will learn to read and write. She is not permitted to join him because girls who go to school get out of hand. But what […]
Pretend like its 1993 on September 12, 2018Wi-Fi Password: Talk to each other, call your mom, pretend like its 1993. I recently stumbled upon this sign inside a café in Karachi. It was a friendly reminder by the owner to enjoy the moment. Today, four people sitting at a dinner table all looking down into their telephone screens is no longer considered […]
Passenger seats for female politicians on August 17, 2018Small yellow lights dot the circular ceiling. Long, thin microphones cast shadows on gleaming wooden desks. Mr Jinnah stands against the front wall, facing 342 empty plush brown seats. The men who sit upon them will soon hold the reins to his creation. The women will of course, be part of the journey. But most […]
Khan’s illegitimate child is not our business on June 23, 2018Once a person steps into the political arena, their personality becomes tied to their policies. Personal decisions, big or small, flashing across television screens transform into juicy gossip. Some supporters shake their heads in disappointment. Certain opposition parties smile in satisfaction. Analysts add their two cents to the story. But one question then begins to […]
A Pakistan punctuated with delays on June 10, 2018The clock continues to tick. You wait. No one arrives. The only proof of time passing by is the little hand moving along the dotted lines. You wait some more. Still no faces appear. Across the world, you are punctual. However, in Pakistan you are a fool. As a society, our understanding of time is […]
Pakistan’s bloodstained face on June 2, 2018The Japanese have an old saying about human complexities. They believe every individual has three faces; one they show the world, a second for family and friends, and the third that no one ever sees. But this instinctive mechanism is not only found amongst people. Nations also possess faces. And each nation’s first face is […]
A pillar called man on April 21, 2018If he runs wearing blue, she must sit dressed in pink. If he speaks up in a crowd, she must silently walk by head bowed. If tall, dark and handsome he roams the night, she must return home by daylight and scrub her face to a paler shade. If he works to build a career, […]
No genie in the bottle on April 9, 2018The city of lights once again roars with cheer. Seats are lined by a sea of faces with placards squeezed in between. Shrieks of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ follow every swing. Music blares across the field. Then somebody lifts the cup and the lights are turned off. The people scatter home. It is said the spectators […]
Of pranks, politics and power on March 26, 2018A politician’s struggle is for the people. But the prominent politicians in Pakistan today have very little in common with the common man. They live extraordinary lives, cushioned by endless wealth from which steams immeasurable power. The obstacles they encounter everyday are very far from the ordinary struggles faced by the common man, struggles that […]