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Debt slavery What used to be called ‘tied aid’ has now been replaced by ‘globalized aid’ which requires recipients to promote liberalization and privatization. The happenings in Africa are an eye-opener where the...		The ‘odious’ debt There is a growing consensus that the bulk of Africa’s debt is ‘odious’ which is an international term devised by the US when it ‘conquered’ the island to prevent it from...
Creating terrorists When contemporary educational opportunities in far-flung locales of the country are not available, the constrained parents are left with no option but to send their children to the madressahs and the...		The maize of messages AFTER a long summer season, it is finally time for some waterworks. Like the rain outside, messages keep pouring in on my cell phone and, perhaps, through a quirk of fate,...
Bad guys for all The magic of movies has captivated millions of people over the last 100 years. The action, the drama, the romance, the suspense — movies introduced a whole new avenue of storytelling....		The bus stops here With the ever-burgeoning population, the bigger cities of Pakistan, in particular, Karachi, need proper public transport system...
Special endeavours Sindh’s irrigation department has taken some steps to control the water coming down from the mountains, creating a flood-like situation in the Dadu District. In this regard, construction work on the...		Naturally Neelum DIPPED in beauty with its swaying lush green forests, snow-capped mountains, gushing steams and the indigo blue Neelum river, the Neelum Valley is the most famous and scenic valley of Azad Kashmir....
Essentially Pakistan While the President of the country danced and sang at the tune of Mei bhi Pakistan hoon, Tu bhi Pakistan hai, on the state-owned television, and actress-turned-singer Shahida Mini turned the...		Seeds of health Not many people know that pumpkin seeds are a cure for quite a few diseases...
HOT SEAT I was fortunate enough to have caught with Jamal Shah who is busy these days planning the launch of a private Pashto TV channel. My rendezvous with him was at...		VIPs, SIPs and others We have a world within a world that functions by its own power politics...
The saint of Sehwan In the second decade of 7th century Hijri, a company of dervishes came to Sehwan, a city 88 miles from Hyderabad, and stayed in a locality where prostitutes lived....		The hour of the assassin THIS is in continuation of my previous column where I had singled out two novels of the past, which seem to have acquired a relevance to our present times....
Once again, the wooden spoon It is only natural that in any competition, someone will finish at the bottom. The result, as such, is not a shock. But the team’s loss of every single game is...		The Lefty makes it big THE first left-hander to win the PGA Championship? That’s Phil Mickelson, who took a congratulatory phone call from former US president George H.W. Bush, then sat back and watched the numbers...
The Australian great escape IF Edgbaston was cricket at its best, how would one describe the drama of Old Trafford? Cricket at its thrilling, absorbing and theatrical best, perhaps. Whatever way one may choose to...		Tracking down Shaikh Chilli Sometimes the line between a fictional character and a real person can be a blurred one. In my 11 years spent on the trail of Shaikh Chilli, I have come across two personalities who carry this name. One is said to have been a Sufi saint who lived in the age of Emperor Akbar. ...
The myth of relief The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, launched by the Bretton Woods Institutions in 1996, was the first comprehensive international debt relief scheme, integrating all multilateral, bilateral and private creditors into one framework....		Being lonesome Ever heard of the wealthy client who went to his psychiatrist and said: “Doctor, I am so lonesome, couldn’t you split my personality?”...
MOSAIC: Global ecosystems Humans are damaging the planet at an unprecedented rate and raising risks of abrupt collapses in nature that could spur disease, deforestation or “dead zones” in the seas, an international report said recently....		NEWSMAKER Nationality: Argentine Claim to fame: The fallen hero makes acomeback and starts off with his own TV show After years of scandals that cost him his career and health scares that nearly cost him his life, Maradona has rebuilt his life and taken on a new role....
Health Interactive From the scrapbook QI have noticed a gradual increase in growth of small fleshy things on my neck and armpit. There is no pain or itching. I am a female, 45 and suffer from diabetes....		From Here, There, And Everywhere NATURAL BRIDGE: Spectators tour through the Virginia Safari Park as llamas, rheas and emus walk around freely. The drive-thru zoo is home to hundreds of exotic animals...