Dear reader, online ads enable us to deliver the journalism you value. Please support us by taking a moment to
THE MECHANICS OF SILENCING DISSENT
Journalists in Pakistan who dissent from the official narrative are feeling the brunt not only of the state and its bad
TRAVEL: THE ETERNAL ROMA
Nothing prepares you for the utter grandeur of Rome, whose greatest artwork is the city itself. But its attraction for
PROFILE: THE QUIET PHILANTHROPIST
He is a successful businessman on the one hand and has helped establish widely lauded initiatives such as The Citizens
SOCIETY: THE DREAMS OF COACH EMAD
A family channels its grief of losing a son by giving birth to his dream
EXHIBITION: ART CONSTELLATION
An exhibition brings past and present stars of Pakistan’s art world under one roof
ARTSPEAK: THE AGE OF YOUTH?
If the stern majesty of Queen Victoria defined the 19th century, the 20th century royal icon was the captivating...
SMOKERS’ CORNER: PAKISTAN’S YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
In 2007, the country spiralled down into violence, political polarisation and economic recession. Are we heading the
EPICURIOUS: A SATISFYING IFTAR
Celebrate each iftar by indulging in wholesome yet mouthwatering delights after a day of restraint
ADVICE: AUNTIE AGNI
‘My crush and friends are ignoring me’
GARDENING: WHO IS A GOOD NEIGHBOUR?
Companion planting uses one species’ advantages to help nourish another, creating a natural harmony in your garden
WHY ARE MORE PAKISTANIS COMMITTING SUICIDE?
Although figures for suicide and suicide attempts are notoriously sketchy in the country, doctors agree that they are
HISTORY: HOW THE WORLD CHANGED IN 100 YEARS
Despite being the world’s sixth populous country, Pakistan still lags far behind in shaping world policies. In an era
FOOTBALL: INVINCIBLE VS UNSTOPPABLE
For the first time in five years, the race for the English Premier League title is set to go right down to the last game
MEDIA: FROM RADIO MICROPHONE TO TOUCHSCREEN
A BBC television broadcaster compares her grandfather’s prolific radio career 70 years ago with her own technology
EXHIBITION: SHADOW PLAYS
Sadaf Naeem challenges the notion of home as a secure and idyllic domestic space
EXHIBITION: ON THE TURNING
A group exhibition enables the artists to travel back in time in order to discover parts of their identities
SMOKERS’ CORNER: CAN SPIRITUALITY BE A SCIENCE?
PM Imran Khan should avoid projecting his own confusion on to his many impressionable and already confused young
NON-FICTION: TAKING NO PRISONERS
Former cricketer Shahid Afridi’s memoirs of his career are as freewheeling and explosive as his batting and will likely
NON-FICTION: BITTER PILLS TO SWALLOW
A respected police officer boils down Pakistan’s various governance challenges to an elite capture of the state and
FICTION: NEW BEGINNINGS, UNEXPECTED ENDINGS
A debut collection of short stories ranges in topic from nostalgia and politics to media and sexual abuse, but mainly
COLUMN: DISCOVERING KRISHNA SOBTI
Partition is not the end, but a beginning for Krishna Sobti’s elegiac and lyrical A Gujarat Here, A Gujarat There,...
BOOKS IN BRIEF
Mauj-i-Saba Parveen Sultana Saba From a poet as adept with the paintbrush as she is with the pen, this collection
FICTION: THE BLACK WATERS OF HISTORY
Uzma Aslam Khan’s latest novel can be a difficult read at times, but she deserves credit for her vast research and for
NON-FICTION: THE COMPLEX MR BHUTTO
A balanced and thought-provoking book psychoanalyses Pakistan’s most charismatic civilian leader since the Quaid
NON-FICTION: VISTAS OF PAKISTAN
A coffee table book provides scintillating images that can help promote tourism to the country, but could have benefited
SPOTLIGHT: DEJA VU LOVE?
Wajahat Rauf’s Chhalawa is already drawing the ire of social media critics who are comparing it to Dilwale Dulhaniya
CINEMASCOPE: A MIXED BAG
The most interesting thing about Pokémon Detective Pikachu is that it’s weird
THE GRAPEVINE
Actor Adnan Siddiqui has a sound piece of advice for his friends and admirers with reference to the holy month of
SCREEN: A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER
British-Pakistani filmmaker Abrar Hussain’s One Day in the Haram goes behind the scenes at the Great Mosque of Mecca
THE TUBE
The serial, which offers domestic violence and emotional abuse ad nauseam, should more appropriately be titled Diary
THE ICON INTERVIEW: MAN OF DESTINY
He’s an Islamabad boy who’s moved from Vienna to Karachi to be closer to work opportunities. He’s the subject of
STYLE: THE DEATH OF MENSWEAR?
If one goes by what’s exhibited on the catwalk, Pakistani menswear is dying an excruciating and gaudy death.
CINEMASCOPE: NOT QUITE HORROR
Director Josh Lobo shows enough promise in I Trapped the Devil to make us look forward to his next film
THE GRAPEVINE
Natasha Humera Ejaz is a fine, fine singer — and sadly someone who has not been hailed as much as she deserves for her
SPOTLIGHT: MUSIC TO THE EARS
Amateurs’ Melodies, an initiative to bring live renditions of songs from the golden era of film to music aficionados...
THE TUBE
No one can pull a scowl like Aima (Nadia Khan), but it appears that her days as the mean, manipulative and bad-tempered
WIDE ANGLE: FILM, FIGHTING, AND PHILOSOPHY: THE ARTS OF BRUCE LEE
At ease in both East and West despite experiencing racism in both Hong Kong and the US, studious of ancient Chinese
STYLE: SHEHLA’S WONDERLAND
Had designer Shehla Chatoor’s solo show merely been an extravaganza boosted by its opulent setting, perhaps it would not
SOUNDSCAPE: THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE MUSIC
With the final season of Game of Thrones underway, here’s a quick look at three versions of the show’s iconic theme
THE GRAPEVINE
If there’s even a semblance of truth in this piece of rumour, then Shah Rukh Khan should count himself lucky and say
CINEMASCOPE: THIS END IS A NEW BEGINNING
The exhilarating, deeply characterised Avengers: Endgame is how you exceed every viewer’s wildest expectations about
How to craft the draft
Do you know why books such as the Harry Potter and Lords of the Rings series...
Mailbox
A boxing ring
Observation: Creating balance in Ramazan
“Literature is merely a mirror to the society; and the job of the writer is not necessarily to preach...
Book review: I am Full Truth, I am Half Truth, I am All Lie
Children’s literature is a genre that is perhaps one of the most difficult to write for.
Wonder Craft: Sailor knot bracelet
Bracelets are evergreen fashion statements, they come in a variety of colours and designs, thus, never fade with time.
The weekly weird
Over 300 cats found in a tiny flat
facts! Did you know?
The flight of the Superman
Spotlight
The final King of the Monsters trailer