Category: Guest Blog

  • Being Smart about the Blasphemy Law

    Politics is best understood as a game of chess: every pawn, rook and knight has its purpose, every move depends on the previous one. No major law or political event is in isolation; each one has a long history in a philosophy or a series of events and proponents on either side. Without an honest…

  • Child Beggars: The Future of Pakistan?

    Karachi is a city of fun, entertainment and success. Many government officials have done a remarkable job in making the city a better place by investing in its infrastructure. However, what is the future of this city or if talking on the macro perspective, what is the future of this nation? Well, the future is…

  • Importance of Social Sector Development

    Pakistan is facing high budget deficit which is hitting the economy badly. For reducing budget deficit, the government is cutting down expenditures in the social sector like education and health. When the government reduces expenditures on education, health, population issues, the poor is hit the hardest. No nation can progress without a strong human capital…

  • Zardari’s Birmingham Bash

    President Zardari graced Birmingham with his presence today as the Presidential tour of Europe reached its final destination. The President was slated to address the overall Pakistani community but in truth it was a PPP bash for PPP workers only. The Birmingham bash did not pass off without incident and included a substantial public demonstration…

  • Pakistan – in the line of disaster

    During the last few days, the country has been through almost all kinds of man-made and natural disasters. As if target killing on the streets of Karachi in the name of ethnic, political or personal rivalries and the military operation in the northern areas to wipe off the militants form the land of pure was…

  • Open Letter to HEC Chairman

    Dear Javaid Laghari, One can not pass through the Karachi and Lahore airports without noticing those colonial and discriminating special “parliamentarian” check-in counters. One can also not help wondering if this country was made to honour the men and women who cheated, forged, acquired dual nationalities, never paid taxes and made false declaration of their…

  • Short Measures and Broadband Pakistan

    The oldest known source for the expression “baker’s dozen” dates to the 13th century in one of the earliest English statutes, instituted during the reign of Henry III (1216–1272), called the Assize of Bread and Ale. Bakers who were found to have shortchanged customers could be subject to severe punishment. To guard against the punishment…

  • A dead man walking…

    I sit back and watch the news of blasts in ‘Data darbar’ in Lahore. I watch it for few minutes, hear the sirens, watch the blood, hear the screams, see the stranded people, and switch off my TV. Yes, I am dead. I dont feel the pain now. I am numb. Its a repeat telecast.…

  • Hunger knows No Friend but its Feeder

    While a minority, born with a silver spoon living in their palatial havelis, luxurious farm houses and bungalows, can talk about the problems being faced by the country such as fake degrees, terrorism, the presidency and target killings on their dinner tables, with generators on standby and water tankers at their disposal, there are millions…

  • Guantanamo like Prisons of Sindh

    Cries of shutting down the Guantanamo prison have been around for some time now. reason being the inhuman conditions at the prison which rather than reforming the prisoners is forcing them to become hardcore terrorists once they are released. Numerous examples could be quoted in this context. Such huge global outcry in this regard had…

  • Who is The Terrorist?

    Guest Blog by Zeeshan Khan She crouches in a corner of her humble abode Fear writ large in her light brown eyes In her heart she cries out to the world, “How much more will we be terrorized?” There has to be something about the term ‘Terrorism’ which makes it the most misused term in…

  • Liberating Women in Pakistan – The Sane Chronicle

    While browsing the Pakistani blogosphere, I found out that writing, grumbling & debating about women issues is in vogue in Pakistan’s literary circle, not considering the fact that it only adds up to an already bad impression created about the country abroad. Well, I want to rest this argument once for good! -My lame attempt…

  • How To Make Karachi The Worst City In The World

    The recent report by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) revealed that Karachi came 5th in the list of worst cities of the world sandwiched between Lagos, Nigeria and Douala Cameroon. The Sindh High Density Development Board Bill 2010 passed as Bill No.14 of 2010 has changed its shape three times. It was first Bill No.11 of…

  • What Pakistan Needs Now: Sanity

    The past weekend saw the arrival of TEDx to Karachi. And it would be no understatement to say that the truly spectacular event took the local TED enthusiasts by storm (no pun intended to the tropical storm ‘Phet’, which despite its best efforts was unable to dampen the spirits of our organizers). The event was…

  • Call a Spade, a Spade!

    Muhammad Ali Jinnah – Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on 11th August, 1947 As you know, history shows that in England conditions, some time ago, were much worse than those prevailing in India today. The Roman Catholics and the Protestants persecuted each other. Even now there are some States in existence where…