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Once upon a time, there were two travellers – one Pakistani and one Indian
It was a late Friday evening in Chicago. After working the full day, I rushed to O’Hare International Airport, to catch a flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on my way to Delhi. It was a short...
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Pakistan just doesn’t feel like home
“I have and always will live in Canada.” Well, that was the plan until two years ago when all my plans, my vision for life – everything changed suddenly and rapidly. Quite unexpectedly, I had to make...
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In Italy, I was asked why I was not wearing a Burqa
It was our last day in Rome. My friend and I decided to spend it at our two favourite places in the city – Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fontana. It was almost noon on a pleasant day with the brilliant...
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Is your online life more ‘real’ than your reality?
Your online identity has seen you do a bunch of crazy things from naming yourself after your favourite Star Wars character to putting up highly fantasised pictures of your human self on Bitstrips....
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Mustafa Kamal: Karachi’s superhero should return!
The Karachi we know today is nothing like the city many of us lived in a decade ago. In 2000, the local government system was introduced by former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, which was...
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Begging: Pakistan’s new profession for kids?
They keep navigating from one car to another, knocking at your car windows and doors until you pay attention to them. This is the time when we are waiting for the traffic signal to turn green. They...
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‘Kidz Dunya’ teaches your 5-year-old to get a job and manage money!
Finally, after a plethora of anticipation, ‘Kidz Dunya’ (KD) opened its doors to the entertainment starved kids of Karachi. Nobody really knew what was being done behind the sky blue panaflex on the...
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KU, IBA and PU are plagued by political wings, they must be stopped
There is a common norm for political party student wings at the University of Karachi – if an issue is at odds with your views, the only way to deal with it is through disruption and menace. The...
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Karachi Sea View: The sun, the sea and … harassment by the police?
A friend of mine was visiting from Lahore and asked me to show him the beach in Karachi. So, on a nice Sunday afternoon, December 1, 2013, I took him to the Clifton beach. He had never seen the beach...
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They killed my cousin. They killed a 9-year-old’s father.
If I were to believe any of the ‘feel-good, badly-designed’ inspirational quotes that go around cyberspace, I would tell myself that the best things somehow always are. Feel good, badly designed, that...
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Applying to NED? These tips may save your life!
Ever wondered why people who manage to get admission into NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET) have a certain kind of ecstasy in their eyes? As if they have conquered the world, or at...
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Your daughter’s education is as important as her marriage
The wedding season is currently in full swing in the country. There are weddings events and functions almost every other day. This is the time when practically every household is involved in mehndis,...
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No Dr Hoodbhoy, Karachi is not headed towards nuclear doom
Recently, in an article published in Dawn, a few respected academics argued that, with the proposed construction of two new nuclear power plants in Karachi: ‘20 million people (of the city) are being...
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I am jealous of the US, and have every right to be
It was freezing outside. I did not have a ride and had to walk all the way home on a chilly winter evening. However, at that moment, the cold did not matter. Nothing did. My mind was troubled, and my...
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Karachi is the lover, the tormentor: Mysterious, dark and hurt
It’s human nature to desire that which is not in your grasp, love which will always remain unrequited and stress about matters that are not in your hands. The worst part is that we know this. And yet...
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Stop running after nuclear energy, solar and wind power is the solution for...
The efforts to attain nuclear power have increased globally in recent years. Several advocates in Pakistan, such as the recent article by Kazmi (Jan 7, 2014), have argued that nuclear power promotes...
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“Badshaho, we saw you kissing the girl”: To make a quick buck, the police...
Going out with friends was a simple routine for me. It never bothered me whether I was going out with guys or girls since I never thought it to be much of an issue. However, in just one encounter, the...
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Karachi Burns Road: The Holy Grail for foodies
The waiter picked up my Naan. He saw my quizzical expression and said, “It’s not hot anymore. I am getting you a fresh one.” Then he comes back and asks in a solicitous whisper if I am enjoying myself....
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Sindh Festival 2014: ‘Culture’ is not a spectacle to be sold, neither can it...
The Sindh Festival 2014 is not a beacon of hope; it is a reminder of just how far behind we are lagging. Perhaps it is because of my deep Sindhi roots, my familial history and my life experiences but I...
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Nishana daz daz vaj da: The big bang wedding
Since months now, every second night, some fat cat decides to mark a wedding with insane amounts of aerial firing, followed by what – to my untrained ear – sounds like a small bomb blast. Insane,...
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