From Dir, a new Facebook star rises in wake of slain Qandeel on August 13, 2016DIR: To say Nasir Khanjan compares to Qandeel Baloch would be wrong. There is little that puts the social media star of mountainous Dir in the same league as the internet sensation who personified the clash between traditional and modern Pakistan – in life and in death. New Facebook star rises in Dir, in slain […]
Women turn to hymen repair medication to save life and marriage on July 27, 2016PESHAWAR: Safina Bibi’s aunt bought her a packet of kanwari on her wedding night. In its name and claim, the product kanwari – a concoction of herbs – fetishizes female virginity in a patriarchal society that places a high premium on it. In a country where women can get honour-killed for extra-marital sex, a bride-to-be […]
Afghan returnees feel their heart and soul in Peshawar on June 22, 2016 KABUL: In recent years, there have been concerns about Pakistan’s stance towards Afghan refugees, as relations between the two countries sour, with the two neighbours regularly blaming each other for fomenting trouble inside their borders. Pakistan has closed down old refugee settlements like Kacha Garhi and Jallozai in Peshawar’s suburbs amidst fears that they […]
Kabuls Mother University primed to nurture women education on June 19, 2016KABUL: Kabul’s first-ever Women University has a logo that resembles a butterfly from a Japanese anime, a woman’s profile made airborne by pink and purple wings. Balay, ma maithwanim, says the university’s motto, scrawled in bubblegum pink on a chocolate-brown gate. Step inside and the meaning of the university’s logo and the motto, “Yes, we […]
Procedure pains on September 22, 2015Sir: My most recent and probably last visit to the airport’s cargo services in Lahore was a nightmare. It took me six hours to get my unaccompanied baggage. There is no system to guide people about the procedure, which seems to be deliberately complicated to force people to purchase the services of agents. These agents […]
Pakistani journalists in India on May 5, 2012Sir: Two Indian journalists Reza-u-Hassan Laskar and Anita Joshua of Press Trust of India and The Hindu newspaper are posted to Islamabad whereas no Pakistani journalist is posted in India. These two journalists, sponsored by their respective employers, are very popular amongst the Pakistani journalistic community. They are not restricted to Islamabad only but can […]
Unlucky winners on May 5, 2012Sir: When the Punjab government announced the Yellow Cab scheme, it was made mandatory for the applicant to have a year-old licence. At the last minute, this condition was scrapped. As usually happens in Pakistan, people scrambled to secure driving licences and became victims of privately operating individuals. When the verification stage arrived following the […]
Separatist sentiment in Sindh on May 4, 2012Pakistan seems to be facing more problems internally than externally. The state’s policies have gone so awry in significant areas that signs of anxiety and agitation surface every now and then from different parts of the country. The Sindhis, who have remained relatively peaceful after independence, have been raising their voices since many decades against […]
Beggary in Islamabad on May 4, 2012Sir: Though not new, beggary has become a curse that is left to flourish right under the nose of the government. Islamabad, despite being considered an affluent city, is not spared this moral disease. The recent phenomenon of eunuchs joining the bandwagon presents a sorry state of affairs. It is not only beggary that is […]
Separation of powers on May 4, 2012 Sir: In its recent report, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has criticised the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan for its “excessive activism”. The report has pointed out three areas that it considers are not the domain of the courts. One is the selection of judges — the ICJ believes it to be the […]