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Nelson Mandela: What one man’s vision can accomplish
Nelson Mandela (Madiba) is unarguably one of the greatest freedom fighters of our time. With official statements using stronger language everyday to report on his ailing health, it is a time for...
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Life in Pakistan: Can we afford to hope for improvement?
I find it difficult to come up with a truthful answer to the question “How is life in Pakistan these days?” A simple “It’s complicated” does not even begin to describe the complexities of everyday life...
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Mandela without you, Africa will not be Africa
The world watches with bated breath as Nelson Mandela or Madiba, as he is fondly called, battles against his illness. The great leader redefined courage and freedom, proving that persistent effort is...
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Celebrating 95 years: Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!
"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison." – Nelson Mandela. Having lived in Zimbabwe as...
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This Ashura, I have a confession
My beloved Hussain, I write to you today on the anniversary of the day you died. Take it as what you will, I think of it more as a confession. Ever since I was very little, they told me to love you. To...
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Farewell Mandela, farewell to the voice of morality
Omar Khayyam’s words ring in my ears today as the world bids its last farewell to Nelson Mandela, “Lo! Some we loved, the loveliest and best that time and fate of all their vintage prest, Have drunk...
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Nelson Mandela’s funeral: Was the sign interpreter deliberately trying to...
Life is a precious gift, taken for granted by the majority of us. We always manage to take time out for complaining about corrupt politicians, flawed systems and increasing taxes but do we ever simply...
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The Goodwill Ambassadors – Shining brighter than ever
For a moment, I felt star-struck, as Alicia Keys entered the room bustling with journalists from world over. We, a varied group of journalists, had been invited by the United Nations Foundation (UNF)...
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Today, let’s celebrate Malala Yousafzai
“Live, Malala!” I remember seeing this line somewhere on social media when Malala was shot. I remember sitting anxiously, watching the television, while channels aired the live coverage of Malala being...
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The well-remembered Gandhi, but the oft-forgotten Bacha Khan
When we look back at our history, almost every country in the world has experienced some form of foreign occupation, colonisation, massive violence and bloodshed simply based on either regional,...
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Remembering the legacy of Nelson Mandela on his 98th birthday
As the world burns along the shores of the Mediterranean to the heart of Africa and from the valleys of Tigris and Jordan Rivers to the Dnieper River in Ukraine, one wonders how Nelson Mandela would be...
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Dear Hamza Ali Abbasi, Mahira Khan, Reham Bhabi and Ayyan Ali – Hi!
Open letters are the new ‘in’ thing. Everyone, while not busy taking selfies or engaging in internet wars, is writing them. Unlike personal letters that are addressed to and only read by the person...
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He was 12-years-old and wanted to liberate slaves in Pakistan. He is dead now
On April 16, 1995, a 12-year-old boy named Iqbal Masih was shot and killed while he was riding his bicycle with his friends in Muritke, near Lahore. He was punished for raising his voice against child...
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What implications would celebrating a murderer have on our national heritage...
Now that Islamabad is back to some degree of normalcy after a frenetic four or so days, let’s emphasise on a particular aspect of the protests which we might have overlooked. When the protesters...
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How I survived four and a half years in captivity
August 26, 2011, an ordinary day. I was driving to work on the same road in Lahore that I took every day, and my mind was busy with the mundane. A car blocked the road, but I didn’t give it much...
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Lessons from Nelson Mandela
“I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with...
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Why do Pakistan and India always have their daggers drawn?
Pakistan and India are locked in the conviction that each one wants the other’s destruction. Repeating the incantation is patriotic, questioning it, borderline seditious. Each country believes that its...
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I think, pray and speak in English, so why should I speak to my children in...
My twins are almost three-years-old and they can’t speak Urdu, my ‘mother tongue’. They hear it being spoken around the house, and occasionally I may try to converse with them in Urdu but truth be...
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Why is the West praising Malala, but ignoring Ahed?
Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl, was recently arrested during a night-time raid on her home. The Israeli authorities accuse her of “assaulting” an Israeli soldier and an officer. A day...
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9 times PM Imran Khan made us cringe and laugh our way through ‘Naya Pakistan’
There has hardly been a moment of peace over the past eight months since Prime Minister Imran Khan came to power, given the sheer number of controversies he has caused on a regular basis. Imran is...
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