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Terror-struck President George Bush’s “War on terror” reached the desert village of Hajibirgit at midnight, on May 22. Haji Birgit Khan, the bearded, 85-year-old Pushtu village leader and head of 12,000 local...		I am a security risk YOU think I am joking, eh? The fact is that I am not. Yes, whether I like it or not, I am a security risk. It is another thing that I...
Weaponization is no solution Faazlia Colony, Lahore, 9.00am: wearing a muted mood wrapped in hushed tones, the Christian community of that area prepares to attend the Sunday morning mass at the Church of Christ....		A long wait to misery Her’s was the typical story of an educated girl. She was unmarried and for years had been a burden on her widowed mother. Finally, desperation came into play and her mother...
When Arundhati came visiting Any prominent person visiting Pakistan from India receives instant attention. And if he has received international acclaim, he is greeted with greater enthusiasm, and that is all the more so when...		Facing the music back home The Pakistan team returned from India to a less than rapturous welcome. Had it won the series, it would have been something else. And had it lost, the players would have...
Respect our ladies One cold and windy evening I stood at Subzi Mandi, waiting for a bus. Since it was rush hour, buses were loaded with passengers. Being a blind person it was almost...		Sandwich for Lizzie Lizards are not everyone’s cup of tea, to put it mildly. In fact, a tiny lizard spotted silently creeping up an interior wall, to take refuge behind a mirror or painting,...
A season of uncertainty The summer season has substantially shed its intensity, but only to slither into suffocating humidity. This is comparable with the political climate in the country. Dictatorial regimes make way for quasi...		Little Mermaid’s eternal bliss: Copenhagen Love is a supreme experience of life, and when it is sacrificed, it is certainly a supreme sacrifice....
Handicrafts of Hala Hala, the town of artisan communities, poets and art-loving folks has played a vital role in keeping the ancient art and culture alive. In fact it is one of rare towns...		To catch a thief Hot off the racks is the latest gig on how to catch a thief! And it is expected to fly. Giving the kibosh to a traditional investigation, here’s what the Justice...
A bird in hand It is a common perception that life in an urban setting is so hectic that people become detached and impersonal to each other. The media, too, often portrays images of masses...		Tea-time tales Tea is a drink universal relished by people. China, Pakistan, India, Sir Lanka, Central Asian republics and the UK, are the countries where tea is greatly consumed....
The idiom of love in music Love is the essence of life and in our musical heritage this feeling has ample reflection. Anguish, despair and hope, are the main feelings that have been spelt out in almost...		RememberingI.A. Khan I.A. Khan was a member of the erstwhile Indian Civil Service (ICS) from the batch of 1939-40. The ICS comprisied of eminent civil servants who rose to the highest ranks in...
The Turks Arabs conquered Central Asia in the 9th century. This caused the slow and gradual conversion of Turkish tribes to Islam who subsequently produced loyal slaves, brave soldiers and energetic, capable rulers...		POINT OF VIEW: Two poets, two attitudes RECENTLY I received the collected works of two living poets in quick succession, Mausam Mausam by Ada Jafri and Jilani Kamran Ki Nazmein. I found myself unwittingly comparing them, though knowing...
Drama in store With the intention of further cementing the foundations of cricket, the International Cricket Council organized the first mini-World Cup in Bangladesh in 1998. Spread over nine days, the tournament proved to...		THROUGH THE COVERS: Rationality is missing THAT the Pakistan team has a great, almost unrivalled, potential to self-destruct is no piece of news. It is known around the world, and is taken as an established fact of...
Better, but not good enough THE Champions Trophy is under way in the German city of Cologne, and it is after a long time that we in Pakistan are able to watch some live action on...		The realms of Freedom The Declaration of the Rights of Man, adopted by the French National Assembly on August 27, 1789, had been preceded by similar declarations in England and the United States. But they...
Determination can turn the tables Fables, especially those of Aesop’s, have made much use of imagination, and to good purpose. In every situation, they try to find the greatest advantage if people like to listen and...		NEWSMAKER JUST when one thought that all possible power games had been played and all tricks executed out of the proverbial hat by our politicians, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif came up with an act that was as stunning as it was hilarious....