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The vanishing class THE reduction in, or the disappearance of, the middle class should be of concern to all. They, as a class, have the most stake in the stability of a society and its institutions, as they depend on the state and its various organs performing optimally....		Things are not that bleak THE idea of the American Dream, linked to both wealth and income, is often boasted about, but a parallel idea of Pakistani Dream does not simply exit, partially because our class stratification...
Freak views Pakistan I was fishing at Florida when this newspaper collected views of a cross section of persons on Pakistan’s prospects in 21st Century. It was a representative sample for it reflected the views of 99 per cent of population that consists of intellectuals, businessmen, writers, artist, media persons, politicians, et cetera....		Quilts and Karachiites THERE are some Karachiites who consider honesty, dedication and hard work really worthwhile. These citizens are considerate enough to know that Karachi’s impoverished population needs all the help it can get...
Billboard bonanza IN the last week of June, an ugly incident took place in the city Nazim’s secretariat. During the auction proceedings for outdoor advertising rights, a section of businessmen turned rowdy and went on the rampage....		Beware of spyware It is kind of hard to imagine right now that once upon a time, the only way for an advertiser to find out the needs and wants of the average customer...
The Shanghai experience Talk of a prosperous developing China, and the name Shanghai immediately pops into mind. In a country where the ‘one country, two systems’ policy is dominant, Shanghai is a shinning example of how things can go right...		DIARY OF A VAGABOND: K-2 kahani I asked Ashraf Aman the same old question, what were your emotions when you stood on top of the second highest mountain in the world?...
Affairs of the heart EVERY now and then we hear about the ever-threatening increase in heart diseases in Pakistan. In 1999, the WHO published a list of 10 major causes of death and heart diseases featured at the top of that list....		HOT SEAT Twice nominated for a style award in the category of make-up and hair-style, Charmaine says she listens to qawaali a lot and is fascinated by the depth in it. But otherwise,...
Justice short-circuited ON Jan 21, 2004, Justice Fakharun Nisa Khokhar granted relief to a divorcee, who is the mother of three minors, by ordering her former husband to pay a monthly allowance for her sustenance....		CHAPTER FROM HISTORY: The wolf and the lion “RANJIT Singh and the British, both seeking empire, chafed against each other along a temporary frontier. Here, diplomacy was a matter of delicacy, a sharp-eyed manoeuvring between contenders for the title....
POINT OF VIEW: Pre-Islamic poetry THE pre-Islamic period in Arabia, better known as Ehd-i-Jahiliyat is known more for its poetry than anything else. But a number of researchers are hesitant to accept it as an admitted...		Serving in a state of void In Pakistan tennis’ not so illustrious history, for only the third time the Pakistan Tennis Federation is organizing Pakistan ITF (Men’s Professional Satellite) Tennis Circuit in the country....
Stormy Petrel The first ‘proper’ cricket match I saw was at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground. The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club), with Douglas Jardine as captain, was touring India in 1933 and was...		THROUGH THE COVERS: It’s a case of sour grapes AS I write these lines, Pakistan is already out of contention in the Asia Cup, the final of which will be played the day you get to read them. There is...
Let a thousand channels bloom Beards; clean-shaven; bareheaded; head covered — all of them bravely freighted a flammable cargo that had the makings of a blowup on public airwaves....		Pop the question FIVE years ago, I was at a social gathering in Boston when a good looking girl stepped into the room. I asked a friend who the girl was. I was told...
What men want FOR a man, women and cars play an important part in shaping the course of his personal life and determine (with almost clinical precision) where he will end up. No other factor influences his life more....		NEWSMAKER With his perfect sense of timing, his rib-tickling punch lines, sparkling wit and deliberated accented drawl, Mehmood has undoubtedly been Hindi cinema’s most beloved comedian....