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Why are places like Espresso and Dolmen Mall so averse to live music?
I’m standing at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, hearing music from three different directions coming from street artists who have set up their hats. One plays under a bridge, another next to a shopping...
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I was assaulted by the Rangers for taking a picture
On October 24, 2016, on my way to IBA University for a class, I encountered a horizontally parked ranger’s mobile on Shahrah-e-Faisal (at co-ordinates 24.851588, 67.032374). The flow of traffic had...
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Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is the reason the state of education in Pakistan is so bad
I recently came across an Urdu newspaper in which the date was stated to be October 32, 2016. Apparently the editor didn’t know that October has only 31 days, and it can’t ever have 32 days, not even...
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Is America just a glorified third world country?
I slept the night Donald Trump was elected president of the United States (US). Not out of a sense of peace, but a resigned knowledge that nothing I did now would stop the waves and currents of...
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Will Karachi ever receive the same affection as Lahore?
With state-of-the-art bus stops, multiple lane roads suitable for the most developed countries and educated traffic police to remind one to put on a seatbelt, the chief minister has done well to clean...
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A Lahori’s first visit to Karachi
This summer, I had the chance to pay a short visit to Karachi – a city I’ve never had the opportunity to visit before. Soon after landing and taking a cab to the hotel, we started hearing stories of...
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“So, what’s Pakistan like?”
The old man had the most startling blue eyes, the kind that glittered in a wizard-like way. He was a contractual worker fixing some room in the building where I work, and I met him in the kitchen over...
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Will Careem and Uber be able to survive in Pakistan?
The government of Pakistan, both federal and provincial, remains in a deep slumber. It does not counter any illegal business activity but only takes action when the project strengthens its roots in...
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We care about Muslims in the US but not minorities in Pakistan?
In what was arguably the upset of the century, Hillary Clinton was defeated by Donald Trump in the US presidential elections last year. Almost everyone was convinced that the greatest democracy in the...
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Why has Pakistan not had a census in 18 years?
Now that the country will have a census after 18 years, doubts are already being expressed about the accuracy of the data that will be collected. Farooq Sattar, MNA and former Karachi mayor, says that...
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A letter to Muniba Mazari, my inspiration
Dear Muniba Mazari, You don’t know me like you don’t know the other hundreds of people who you inspire every day. I am Amna Raheel, a 25-year-old, differently-abled girl living in Karachi. I’ve always...
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PSL Final: What was more important, the game or where it is held?
When Najam Sethi initially announced the Pakistan Cricket Board’s intentions to host the final of the second Pakistan Super League (PSL), it received critical acclaim. Everybody, fans and the...
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Is PIA operating planes or over-crowded minibuses?
In Pakistan, we are all used to seeing overcrowded minibuses force miserable commuters to travel standing because they are carrying customers beyond capacity. And when the vehicles are crammed to the...
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I was 16 when I was forced to marry a stranger and move to Canada
When I was a kid, my only goal was to get a good education. I dreamt of attending Harvard or Stanford, and planned to become a doctor one day. I was the eldest of four daughters in a Pakistani Muslim...
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Dear Ms Fiza Ali, how can you say Karachi has no culture?
They say the best way to discover a settlement’s “culture” is on foot. Try walking around on a busy street of my city (and yes, I say the “my” with a sense of unapologetic pride and ownership). Try...
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Why every Karachiite will be able to relate to ‘Karachi, you’re killing me’
Last month, I grabbed a copy of ‘Karachi, you’re killing me’ by Saba Imtiaz. The title was quite relatable and I knew I had to get my hands on that book. Since I live in Karachi, and have the privilege...
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Noor: Another movie that proves book adaptations never work out
Perhaps the notion that ‘no movie can come close to its book’ holds true for all movies and especially so for the recently released, ‘Noor’. The movie, adapted from Saba Imtiaz’s novel ‘Karachi, You’re...
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Nothing can come between Karachi and its love affair with food, not even Lahore
For more than decades, Karachi has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Whether it is a terrorist attack or a new wave of bori band lashain (bodies in sacks), Karachi has had its fair share...
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Mooroo: Cool is mass marketed, quality has to be found
YouTube is the most prominent source of consuming entertainment. In this post-cable era, YouTube is the chief provider of quality content on a regular basis. I find myself lost in its inter-web for...
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Why honest policemen can’t survive under the existing Sindh set-up
The following is an old joke about the police in Karachi. The police chiefs of London, Tokyo and Karachi were discussing how they tackle crime in their cities. The London police chief said, “When a...
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