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Healthcare goes down the drain AROUND the world, there are growing concerns about the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) regarding public services, including public health...		The aftermath THE tragic events of September 11 have dramatically altered the meaning of normality for everyone around the world. But more so for the people who have been living in the United...
A precarious balance THE incredibly beautiful, mountainous terrain of our northern areas, is viewed as something pristine and permanent by both its inhabitants and tourists who increasingly flock to these regions from all over...		Omani consul-general takes over the doyen’s role Usman a Qassim Abdul Rasool Al Jamali, Consul General of Oman was playing host for the first time as the new doyen of the counsellor corp. He bid farewell to the...
Testing relations THE United Provinces had become Uttar Pradesh, at least the initials were the same but Kanpur was still Kanpur, and that is where I was headed next. Kanpur provided a slight...		Lizard lament I WOULD like to share a certain particularly traumatic experience, that involved me and a certain reptilian creature. The reason why I am doing so is that I feel compelled...
Pakistan and the common man WITH the creation of Pakistan, in 1947, came the hopes and aspirations of the Muslims of South Asia. After a weary and torturous struggle for the right to lead their lives...		In search of decency HAVE, libidinal compelling embarked on the berserk streak and all principles of decency, morality and sanity gone to dogs? To mobs of mad dogs? One feels submerged in anarchy, murder, mayhem,...
The majestic valleys of Kalash Isolation and Chitral are synonymous. It is a three hundred kilometer long valley in the upper northwestern corner of Pakistan. The Hindu Kush Mountain range separates it from Afghanistan in the...		The menace of drug-addiction in Sindh “I relish cannabis (bhang) because it drives away the tensions buzzing in my head” intoxicated Laloo replied, as I attempted to discover the reasons for his using various drugs....
Diary of dementia MY older sister was Bibi. Quite a battleaxe she was, when we differed. Yet, I loved her so. And more than her, I adored her three kids. Bhai jan, her husband,...		Learning to face death Indeed, we do not understand, especially when mesmerized by the glitz and hedonism that are the hallmark of life in this land of the supposedly free....
Karachi: some scenes from the past Imagine a tram slowly moving through the ever-busy Saddar area as the commuters jump on and climb down from the moving vehicle. The jam-packed, 19th-century vehicle, punctuated by its typical...		Love seeketh self to delight THE question, what actually love stands for, is something that has been troubling human mind and soul for centuries. Is love idealism or carnal desire? Is it made for nothing or...
Emotional intelligence and literature WE exist in an age where essential attributes like empathy, compassion and impulse control are fast eroding. People now live in their ivory towers and show little concern towards the world...		CHAPTERS FROM HISTORY: Re-assessing British rule in South Asia IN historiography, past is assessed and re-assessed from time to time. This is done with the help of newly discovered manuscripts, state or private papers, letters and contemporary memoirs or on...
POINT OF VIEW: The rebel in Manto LAST week I was in Islamabad to participate in a function held to highlight Manto’s achievements in the field of fiction. The function was held under the auspices of the Academy...		When will the glory days return? WHERE has the splendour and sparkle of hockey disappeared? Where are the hockey super-stars who used to bedazzle their opponents, no matter what the occasion and where they were from. Where...
Learning to save the Indus blind dolphin THE Indus Blind Dolphin (Platanista minor) is only endemic to Pakistan and is considered as second most threatened fresh water Dolphin in the world. Its habitat has shrinked to just 1350...		THROUGH THE COVERS: Lankans having a rough time THE Sri Lankan tour to England is coming to an end. In fact, it may have ended by the time these lines appear in print. It must have been a huge...
Doctors who shouldn’t A.A. was the only person in the family who was interested in studies and did well in them. He secured a position in the board examinations of F.Sc. His father was...		From Lahore to Indian cinema EACH geographic region in the subcontinent is known for its distinctively recognizable culture and the peculiar traits and customs of its people, which differentiate them from the residents of other areas....
The pets in our lives WHEN Alexander the Great visited Taxila, the practice of keeping rhinos as pets among the locals was common. The big beasts were a source of delight during butting matches when one...		NEWSMAKER HOLLYWOOD’s prettiest Oscar winner Julia Roberts made headlines once again when she recently walked down the aisle and tied the knot with her cameraman boyfriend...