Author: naeem sadiq

  • The Battle for Malala

    A brutal attack on an innocent little girl has finally nudged awake our sleepy collective conscience. Will this be the long awaited moment of truth, or will Malala be remembered as just one of those endless sad events that have now come to be part of our daily existence? Both claiming to be defenders of…

  • Bhoolja

    ‘Bhoolja‘ is not the name of an airline. It simply means (they will) ‘forget it’. It is also a mindset, a mental inertia of those who choose lip service over actions, cosmetics over contents, first aid over root causes and ‘buddyism’ over competence. When a state adopts this mindset as its official policy, a series…

  • Stop kissing Hands and Touching feet

    Good lawyers are often judged by their stance when they run out of truth as well as legal arguments at the same time. Many tend to fall back on theatrics, histrionics, distortion and even poetry as supplements to beef up the deficiency in the main menu. Barrister Aitzaz however touched new heights of judicial decadence…

  • Our Right to Know

    About the same time as Secretary Clinton and other powerful members of the ‘Company Bahadur’ were landing at Islamabad airport last week, a US citizen was quietly assuming his responsibilities as the Governor State Bank of Pakistan. There are others who enjoy the unique distinction of being Pakistan’s ambassadors in their own countries. A week…

  • A Step towards Decency, If not Peace

    Much before the two Prime Ministers can agree on a solution to Kashmir problem, converting Siachen into a peace park or concluding a no war pact, they could begin by taking a few small steps that can bring the two neighbors closer to decency if not peace. Each day as the flags are lowered at…

  • Where ‘R’ stands for Reforms – Post Flood Possibilities

    Regardless of their many other differences on post-flood scenarios – people, government, NGOs and the political parties are at least principally unanimous on two basic counts. That the ordinary people of Pakistan have received a dismal treatment for the past sixty three years and that here is an opportunity to make amends. Intentions of rehabilitation,…

  • Talibanisation of Clifton and DHA

    If Talibanisation stands for militancy, weapons, lawlessness and uncivilized behavior, the Pakistan Army may as well forget the Waziristan operation and begin its charity from home – the DHA and Clifton areas of Karachi. These areas are now in control of urban Talibans who roam around in obscene heavy duty vehicles, which are invariably official,…

  • The Right to Refuse

    Begging, as a profession could well compete with many others considered oldest on the list, with very similar characteristics. The first clink of coins falling in the begging bowl takes away one’s self esteem and any left over reluctance for all times to come. From here on, there is no looking back. One ceases to…

  • A dinner invitation package by Air Chief Marshal

    Open Letter to Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman by Mr. Naeem Sadiq Dear Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, Thank you for inviting me and my wife for a dinner on 6th October 2009 at the PAF Museum. I deeply regret that I would be away from the city on that day, and would…

  • An Open Letter to CCPO Karachi, regarding Illegal License Plates

    Dear CCPO Karachi, Greatly appreciate your newspaper initiative of asking citizens to report crime and send pictures of suspicious looking persons and activities. (ccpo.khi@sindhpolice.gov.pk and mms 0333-222-8080). It would provide citizens a good opportunity and a good feeling to be a part of the crime fighting process of the Sindh Police. You will appreciate that…

  • Zakat Deduction dependent on Declaration of Fiqh

    Can some thing be done to make the lives of citizens less miserable. This is an appeal addressed to the State Bank Chairman and Members. The matter of compulsory deduction of Zakat could have been resolved had the State Bank not succumbed to an obviously unprofessional and illegal requirement imposed by the government. Alternately the…

  • The displaced vs the well placed people of Pakistan

    “The twins were born as the mother desperately struggled with the pangs of pain, the sound of falling artillery shells, the suffocation of gun powder and the stench of decaying dead bodies. By the time it was morning, the family realized that one of the two babies, had not survived the ordeal of childbirth. The…

  • AKU succumbs to Urban Militants

    Guest post by Naeem Sadiq AKU was once perceived as a disciplined, professional and caring hospital. It followed rules, provided excellent health care services and even operated a good patient welfare scheme. We were proud of the great hospital built by Prince Karim Aga Khan in the middle of the town. The AKU has gradually…

  • Clearance Sale for Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam

    Pakistan’s second highest civil award is on clearance sale. Any one who has done or not done any good to Pakistan is welcome to apply. Nationality, status, gender, position, or contribution to any cause is not a criterion. All you need is to appear at the President House, preferably wearing a suit, and be able…

  • The citation for Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam Awarded to Richard Boucher

    Guest post by Naeem Sadiq The US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Boucher distinguished himself by undertaking weekly visits to Pakistan – missions that involved great personal hardship and risk to his life. Acting beyond the call of duty , he brokered the NRO deal that allowed some of the most corrupt individuals to occupy…