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• politics

  Rewriting History?

  08.07.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  I monitor a mailing group on google, LooseEndsPakistan, in which a member fervently argued in support of President Musharraf. In response, one member had this to say:

  On Behalf Of naushad shafkat
  Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008 7:31 PM
  To: looseendspakistan@googlegroups.com
  Subject: [ankahi:501] Re: PPPPPPPPPPOOOOOOOOOOOO

  It is indeed a very sorry state that we have people like Mr. Wadiwalla who [...]

• personal

  Babies!

  07.19.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  After 3 years of despairing that our cats will ever mate (we forgot to give our tom the manual on how to…), Snickers (multi-tone female persian) finally started waddling around with a litter. Unfortunately, she dropped four kittens at the same time, and only one of the first 4 survived. But she went on to [...]

• politics

  The Blind Lead The Blind

  07.16.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  Enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practise it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture! Have ye then no sense?
  Surah-al-Baqarah, verse 44
  I sometimes wonder about the blind leading the blind in this world. While this verse from the Quran applies freely to religious leaders who send our children to their deaths [...]

• politics

  Get Real, Please

  07.08.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  An anchor was recently shocked on his show when a college student called up and threatened to immolate himself if Musharraf was removed from power. At the final of the Asia Cricket tournament in Karachi, when the camera panned to Musharraf seated among the audience, a roar of approvement rose from the crowd as they [...]

• civics and society

  Loose Ends Pakistan

  06.17.08 | Permalink | 2 Comments

  Faisal Qureshi is an anchor on a TV show on Samaa - his show, Ankahi, discusses topics of social reform and civic revolution. ‘Loose Ends Pakistan’ was a show he anchored on another channel, similar to Ankahi, but with larger groups of people at a time.
  This evening, he had Samina Peerzada (respected filmmaker in Pakistan) [...]

• design

  Corporate Double Standards

  06.05.08 | Permalink | 1 Comment

  I am truly tired of a corporate culture that believes in stringing along vendors for payments. I design for a prominent group in Karachi, and in the six months of my agreement with them, getting payment for my and third-party services has been like pulling teeth.
  This is the scenario: I get calls every day pressuring [...]

• politics

  St Augustine

  05.24.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  I got a petition in the mail today: A demand that the government address a looming food crisis, a global phenomenon that has Pakistan in second place as countries that may be the worst affected.
  Ironically, a news channel flashed a report just yesterday that our fearless new ‘elected’ leaders have just re-opened the export of [...]

• politics

  William Dalrymple and BB

  01.02.08 | Permalink | Comment?

  William Dalrymple has posted an article in Outlook India, which is a must-read, especially if we are to avoid re-writing history as our media has managed to do in the last few years…
  

• politics

  In the Kingdom of Bhutto…

  12.31.07 | Permalink | Comment?

  “The Queen has died. Long live the King!” In essence, these were the chants coming from the back of the room where their Lordships held court to their minions. The boy King sat in the middle, flanked by father and patron. He read from a text to the crowd, a monotonous, jilted speech that suddenly [...]

• personal

  One of my Favourite Poems…

  11.17.07 | Permalink | Comment?

  Waiting for the Barbarians
  What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?
  The barbarians are to arrive today.
  Why such inaction in the Senate?
  Why do the Senators sit and pass no laws?
  Because the barbarians are to arrive today.
  What laws can the Senators pass any more?
  When the barbarians come they will make the laws.
  Why did our emperor wake [...]

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