Walk the talk on September 6, 2018Once again, a debate on religion has erupted on social media. Again, the debate is about the role of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan, the constant evaluation of their rights, their contributions being scrutinised and their ability to serve in the government being questioned. Once more, people of the ‘right faith’, which include all the […]
Patriotism or nationalism on August 28, 2018Whether political debates are held in private groups, arranged on public forums, or flare up on social media websites, patriotism underpins all these discussions. If not mentioned overtly, it acts as an elephant in the room whose magnificent presence can only be ignored for a short time, but afterwards it has to be acknowledged. If […]
PTI and Pakistan’s economic quagmire on August 9, 2018By the time these lines appear before you, a series of open letters and columns have already been printed, some congratulating Imran Khan, the leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for his phenomenal success, others berating him for his dubious political career and a tainted electoral victory. But it does not matter anymore, does it? Whether […]
How do you know which party to vote for? on July 23, 2018How do we decide which leader to vote for? Which party to elect into the parliament? On a superficial note, the answers are regurgitated every day in the evening talk shows. A single word diagnosis like corruption, freedom, or democracy may also suffice. But experimental psychologists and social scientists believe the answers to these questions […]
Is there more to Pakistan than India, security and Islam? on July 12, 2018You don’t need to read Midnight’s Children or One Hundred Years of Solitude to unravel magical realism, a branch of fiction where elements of fantasy and reality are blended together. You just need to listen to the conspiracy theories being peddled by our fellow countrymen about current events. Discussion in Pakistan begins with the most […]
Kate Spade, depression and religion on July 3, 2018American entrepreneur, Kate Spade, the founder and former co-owner of fashion design house Kate Spade New York, died last month. Her body was found by the housekeeper the following day, hanging, a suicide note lying on the side addressed to her 13-year-old daughter, Frances, explaining that her mother’s death was not the young one’s fault. […]
Money, money, money — the doctor conundrum on June 24, 2018One of the recent cases taken up by the current Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar, through a public interest notification, has doctors across the country taking notice. The issue relates to the salary paid to physicians who have returned to Pakistan after having been trained in the West. In a case against the […]
The state of Barelvi Islam today on June 15, 2018I always leaned towards the Barelvi school of Sunni Islam for its moderate, less dogmatic and much more empathetic views. In comparison to Barelvism, the Deobandi school appeared rigid, more commanding and less compromising on daily rituals. Tableeghi Jamaat, for instance, a Deobandi organisation, focused so much on the five daily prayers that I thought […]
Let’s stop taking our parenthood for granted on June 9, 2018Parenting calls for utmost respect from children. Islam developed that insight long ago emphasising on this message so much that if I had to add one more pillar to the existing five it would have been kindness towards parents. Qu’ran forbids children from raising their voice against their parents. It advises further not to express […]
Be kind to dying! on May 26, 2018Neither death can be denied, noritcan be dodged, delayed or diverted. We have to welcome it whenever the door to eternity is opened, no questions asked. True, it sounds agonising and depressive. None the less,it can be made more peaceful, a little more commiserative. How? With the help of a caring family, a network of […]