Thrown to the wolves on November 30, 2017We don’t expect much from the state. We may blame it for not doing enough, but, deep down we have known for a while now that, with or without our consent, the state has resigned itself from providing most public services. We the people know, whether we say it aloud or not, we are on […]
Debut novel follows six storylines set in multiple epochs on August 22, 2017Good novels are expected to have an intriguing storyline. But great novels are supposed to go a step further and develop a storyline, which captivates the reader’s imagination in a way that they feel invested in the book’s narrative. Osama Siddique’s Snuffing Out the Moon falls into a league of its own, perhaps calling it […]
Pakistani millennials need a seat at the table on July 26, 2017Over 60 percent of Pakistanis are under the age of 30. Most of us have come across this number at one point or the other, but many may not grasp the true magnitude of this demographic makeup. In absolute terms, this means about 120 million people fall into this age bracket, that is more than […]
Pakistani millennials need a seat at the table on July 26, 2017Over 60 percent of Pakistanis are under the age of 30. Most of us have come across this number at one point or the other, but many may not grasp the true magnitude of this demographic makeup. In absolute terms, this means about 120 million people fall into this age bracket, that is more than […]
Time to rediscover what education means on July 19, 2017A few months ago I visited a prestigious university in Islamabad. As someone who has not studied at a Pakistani university, I wanted to explore what students really got out of their undergraduate experiences in Pakistan. I talked to about a dozen students and asked each of them a simple question, “what is the last […]
It is time to privatise PIA, period on February 5, 2016It is an unfortunate fact but a fact nonetheless that countries have to make difficult decisions when it comes to finding their unique path to development. Many countries in the global south shy away from making these strategic decisions because it shakes the status quo and hence their own interests, but those countries that have […]
Jhelum: a tale of bigotry and hypocrisy on December 9, 2015We as a nation are very globally conscious; when a Muslim teenager in Texas was arrested for making a clock, we headed towards social media to highlight Islamophobia in the west. When Muslim actors faced criticism in India, we made sure that Hindu nationalists knew that we were listening but when it comes down to […]
Community colleges can be the solution on November 5, 2015Education helps societies form a cohesive, aware and just populace that is aware of its rights and duties, and utilises this awareness for the greater progress of the nation. Economically speaking, in an increasingly globalised world, education has come under increasing pressure to focus on real world skills that train and increase the productivity of […]