Life & Style
How often do we hear about individuals, groups, organizations, political & religious parties etc. protesting or raising a fuss about their rights? Quite often, don’t we? These claims range from completely legitimate to entirely ridiculous. One thing seems to be certain that most of the Pakistanis don’t know what their rights really are but most importantly, almost no one speaks about our responsibilities as a Pakistani citizen when there is
Unlike the general Hollywood portrayals, heroes rarely, if ever come in flowing capes and pointed masks. The real heroes more often than not are present amongst us, steadily yet silently making their powerful dreams a reality. It is to such great personalities that the new campaign Chamke Hum Se Pakistan is dedicated. These are no chest thumping, cloaked super heroes but men and women from the ordinary walks of life
Pakistan is home to four provinces (Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and KP) and three autonomous zones (FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Kashmir). Living in these areas are people belonging to hundreds of tribes/clans and thousands of sub-communities. Most, if not all, have their distinct socio-cultural identity which accords them special historical importance. From the mountains of Chitral to the deserts of Balochistan, from the plains of Punjab to the coastline in
Politics in Pakistan is plagued with corruption, nepotism, self interest and several multi dimensional aspects of immoral practices, but this is high time we recognize that religion in Pakistan is equally plagued with Politics and Politicians. Since more than a decade the social divide based on religious grounds have widened to a large degree, while there is less than no doubt about the political elite adapting to self-inclined religious narratives
There have been many calling out for a unanimously agreed platform for a more close-knitted Muslim world. Especially with Muslim countries undergoing extreme security situations, a desire to build a NATO-style Muslims-exclusive army seems like a desperate option, yet useful at a time of collective devastation descending over the Muslim world. There is next to no doubt about the fact that Muslims are under a cloud of grievous curse, an
Qudrat Ullah Shahab, popularly known as ‘Q.U. Shahab’, was one of Pakistan’s most legendary civil servant and Urdu writer. Shahab’s most notable appointments after migration to Pakistan from the Indian Civil Service were Principal Secretary to Governor Generals Ghulam Muhammad, Iskander Mirza and Field Marshal Ayub Khan’s regimes. In 1962, he served as Ambassador of Pakistan to The Netherlands and later as Secretary of Education. During the early days of
Without doubt, this season got to be the worst time of the year. I observed behaviors of different people for a few weeks (indoor and outdoor) and here is what I learnt about how they are in summers: 1) Aunties who have spent their entire life in Pakistan, but you hear them complaining as if it is the first hot day in their life. How to spot them: They’ll be
Everybody has heard that ‘marriages are made in heaven’. They happen when they have to, at the right time. Or rather, when it’s meant to be. It is written. It really is! But in Pakistan, some parents and families still think that it is impossible to get the two people hitched without the famous rishtay wali khaalaas and khaaloos (marriage consultants). Recently, I met a far-off relativ e who is
One thing you will never see a Pakistani skimp on is dessert. Sitting at a table with a lavish three/four/five (you can continue the count to infinity and you still won’t be wrong) course meal, you would expect nothing to follow except for maybe a steaming- but tiny- cup of green tea to wash it all down. However, sweets have become- and maybe always were- such an integral part of
Think of Lollywood. Which name immediately strikes in mind? Yes, she was a surprise guest in one of Karachi Literature Festivals’ sessions. The curiosity of the crowd faded away as the glamourous Meera was ‘stopped by security’. Transaction or Transformation in Film or TV was a session packed like sardines, held on the last day of the 6th KLF. Do movies help in building societies, keeping in mind the heavy
