Guest Stars at the Long March
My article that appeared in Dawn. here. THE enthusiasts for the long march towards Islamabad are justifiably feeling let down by the grand posturing,…
Pakistan’s Media – responsibility must anchor freedom
My piece that was published earlier this week: IT is a truism that media freedom in Pakistan today has been earned after a long…
An open letter to Mr Aitzaz Ahsan
Published in DAWN THAT you are principled, charismatic and right is beyond doubt. You have inspired the cynical, intelligentsia, revived a moribund civil society…
World’s first oil paintings found in Afghan caves
Bamiyan is no ordinary location. This was the place where the giant Buddhas that stood for centuries with their message of peace were destroyed…
Remembering Gulgee in different voices
It was Gulgee’s bad luck that he was murdered shortly before the country’s most popular leader Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. His sad end somehow…
Amit Baruah – Dateline Islamabad
From the DAWN: AMIT Baruah is one of those Indians who have a soft corner for Pakistan and are thus genuinely interested in the…
Yeh jungle hamare basaey huyae hain
Woh Gor-i-Ghariban par Aur hanse kar bole Yeh jungle hamare basaey huyae hain (Walking past the graveyard of paupers His Majesty conferred / This…
Oh, Lucknow!
By Intizar Husain ONE fine morning under the programme of Sahitya Academy I found myself in Lucknow, and wondered if it was the Lucknow…
“Saving the past from obliteration”
Murtaza Razvi writes in the daily DAWN: NOTHING is safe any longer from the malevolence of those who continue to bring death and destruction…
Save the Buddha Statues in Swat, Pakistan
It is disturbing that there is no writ of the government in Swat – otherwise a stunningly beautiful valley. Considering that the army is…
The distasteful side of fedual shrine culture
In a story entitled Punjab grants divine man obscene rights, Hamid Asghar of DAWN had written this report about the way the Sufi descendants…
So it took Mr Greenspan years to admit this
Alan Greenspan the former chief of the US central bank, for years an inscrutable seer on the economy has outraged the Bush administration by…
Islam forbids terrorism
Excerpts from here: Sentence of death is allowed only through the process of justice, but even then, forgiveness is better. Nor take life –…
Swedish film icon Bergman dies at 89
From daily DAWN: STOCKHOLM, July 30: Legendary Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman, who influenced a generation of film-makers with his often stark works on…
The Dalits of Europe
The Gypsies – one of Europe’s most segregated and neglected ethnic groups – are the sole residents of these makeshift enclaves, perched alongside fancy…
Disaster (once again) – an appeal for help
Life must be a living hell for the millions made homeless by the recent cyclone and floods in Pakistan. It reminds one of the…
A recent Book on Faiz Ahmed Faiz
The monthly Herald has published my review of Khalid Hasan’s book – “O City of Lights” in its June issue. It is a comprehensive…
On Gandhara Art
The Buddhist art of Gandhara influenced Indian art and sensibilities and also that of the entire Buddhist world. Read more here . Pakistan is celebrating the Gandhara week that will end…
Saving Heritage
Not a day passes when we are not reminded of the gradual erosion of our heritage. It is time that we thought of different…
The other side of Emperor Babar
Babar, the founder of Mughal dynasty in India was an unusual character of his times. A poet, writer and a free soul, he was…