The land of his dreams
Professor Javaid Iqbal Syed’s memoir traverses the political and the personal, the mundane and the sublime, and weaves a narrative that reflects the decades…
Beo Zafar – Pakistan’s ace-comediane
A short piece that I wrote on Beo, Pakistan’s ace-comediane whose talents are diverse and ever-blooming. Beo [Khala] as I have known her for…
On Krishna and Ranjha – the syncretic Punjab
I am posting an article by that was published by The Friday Times. This is a great piece: Fascination with the naughty butter-thief Krishna…
Baba Bulleh Shah’s gift
Dr Manzur Ejaz writing for the TFT According to myth, if perfectly sung by a master, the classical raga Malkauns can set a river…
Recollections of Annemarie Schimmel
Rehana Hyder writing for the Friday Times My first recollection of Annemarie Schimmel was as a teenager in Delhi in 1969, in the year…
Published in The Friday Times
Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi Amrita Pritam Delhi’s able daughter Inhospitable Reception Into the Box or else Letting loose in Luzon Mustafa Zaidi On Delhi On…
Pakistan In 2022: Hybrid Regime Will Unravel But Pakistanis Will Pay The Cost
The ‘hybrid regime’ that has been governing Pakistan since 2018 became hostage to internal contradictions and external pressures throughout the year 2021. The year…
From Lahore To Gwadar: Flawed Development Model Undermines Citizens’ Rights
For years, the local Baloch population has been complaining about their non-inclusion in the medium- and long-term development plans. Towards the end of 2021,…
Will Sialkot Tragedy Change The State Policy Of Appeasing Religious Fanatics?
The Sialkot tragedy should be a wakeup call for the incumbent government as well as the all powerful establishment. The brutal lynching and burning of…
Shanul Haq Haqqee: The Forgotten Literary Giant
“Don’t know whose idea it is and what the target is. My personal goals have been very limited. Nor have I ever made literature…
Fahmida Riaz’s Demise Is An End Of An Era, says Raza Rumi
In this video, Raza Rumi pays tribute and cherishes Fahmida Raiz’s memories. A fearless voice of Urdu literature, an extraordinary personality and a person…
We need to talk about NAP
27 Jan 2017: We need to talk about NAP (The Friday Times) For more than two years, Pakistanis have been assured that terrorists have…
CPEC, India & China, Re-balancing Act
India, the US and Afghanistan are keenly watching Pakistan and China work through CPEC’s challenges Andrew Small is a transatlantic fellow at the German…
Farewell, Edhi Sahib!
The man who defied a callous state and society, unbowed in his love of humanity The death of Abdul Sattar Edhi after an extraordinarily…
An Uphill Battle
One-year review of Pakistan’s fight against extremism and terrorism Nearly a year ago, Pakistani security forces announced the killing of Malik Ishaq, leader of…
Odd spaces and new media
Raza Rumi talks to artist Faisal Anwar, whose work plays with space and time in the digital era. Faisal Anwar is a renowned interactive,…
The party line
My exclusive interview for the Friday Times with Kamran Asdar Ali about his book and the history of the Pakistani left Your book employs…
Remembering Intizar Husain
(L-R) Jamila Hashmi, Intizar Husain, Masood Ashar and Kishwar Naheed Raza Rumi remembers Intizar Husain as a colossus of letters, but also as a…
Midnight’s furies
The violent process of Partition remains a highly contested domain in the study of history. Raza Rumi examines various histories of Partition in the…
Meeting Samiya
I saw Dukhtar with the film’s protagonist, rekindling memories personal and political It was utterly delightful when my friend Samiya Mumtaz now a celebrated…