It is sometimes the clearest of accusations that one must be most weary of. These accusations, like the one Christine Fair levelled on Pakistan – You are the enemy of the US – that imprisons Pakistan within its own narrowest allegiances. We take on the...
For women, taking back the wheel has always been a herculean task. In neighbouring India for instance a recent International Labor Organization (ILO) report outlines that despite the economy growing significantly, the female labor force participation has fallen by seven percentage points, to 24 percent...
There is a positive, mutually beneficial way of maintaining investments that come in. Then there is the Pakistan way. Part of my work involves advising an UNCTAD-affiliated international Investment promotion agency, and when collating some of the most active investment promotion fronts, India keeps popping...
Its murky business when a country where marital rape has barely become punishable tries to prosecute rape generally – because the concept of consent is practically non-existent. Where would one begin to explain it to men that if someone doesn’t want a cup of tea...
The strange thing about the cloak of overt religiosity is that it squeezes its victims with laws – like a boa constrictor – with such mercilessness, that the victim in its crackling grip has no choice than to feel regretful. In the same way as...
No one can get away with saying that Ramzan is anything but a blessed month without getting into an argument that it is Ramadan not Ramzan. It is kind of like that food served to you as a kid at an aunt’s that you can’t...
It’s happening again. The slogans of national interest are rising like smoke signals and a war-hungry people are sharpening their daggers and spikes for the showdown. Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar declared that NGOs working against national interest will be shown the door. This has...
In early 2013 I ended up in a situation rather naively which didn’t go so well. I was assisting an expert on Gender who was called in to propose a policy to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as it self-assuredly prepared to run the nation. After a presentation...
Three things can encompass the state of education in Pakistan and the respect it gets: Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate, Abdus Salam’s persecution; the bullet that was fired at child education activist, Malala’s head and consequent attempts to discredit her, and lastly the Army Public School...
It goes without saying that when a guest comes to your house you don’t ask difficult questions. This is perhaps why Imam Kaaba Sheikh Al-Ghamdi was so overwhelmed by the love and support he got from Pakistanis during his visit here. This is actually supported...