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WHO WILL RULE KARACHI?
Karachi’s Mohajir ‘vote bank’ was never homogenous, but is more splintered than ever since the fragmentation of MQM.
COMMUNITY: A HOMEGROWN VENTURE
Small-scale farmers are using organic methods for growing vegetables
ARTSPEAK: IMAGE WARS
As the election draws near, the battle of the image has acquired a frantic momentum. Posters are put up in any...
EXHIBITION: SYMBOLIC REALISM
A group of young artists presents the poignancy of life through dark and incongruous imagery
PALETTE: FROM SINGAPORE, WITH LOVE
The National Art Gallery exhibits the largest collection of Southeast Asian art in the world
DEVELOPMENT: THE CURSE OF V1 DEVELOPMENT
Many ‘beautification’ projects, such as ones in Nathiagali, are mindless and purely cosmetic
LIFESTYLE: CARRY ON RAMAZAN
Sustain the good habits of Ramazan through the year for a healthy lifestyle
CLIFTONIA: (S)ELECTING THE (S)ELECTABLES
For an evolved and politically mature state such as the Republic of Cliftonia, the rest of the world’s frequent...
EPICURIOUS: MEAL IN A JIFFY
A wholesome but light meal can be prepared without slaving in the kitchen
GARDENING: PERFECT TIME TO PLANT TREES
Update yourself on the best ways to do monsoon planting
ADVICE: AUNTIE AGNI
‘My husband does not want to live with me, should I leave him?’
Smokers’ corner: The NA-247 Armageddon
Thirty-two candidates are vying for a constituency where no party has managed to maintain a political hold.
SOCIETY: KEEPING THE FAITH
An interfaith organisation strives to keep religious harmony alive in KP
X-SQUARE: AND THE WINNER IS … RUSSIA!
There are major lessons to be learnt from the football World Cup by countries such as Pakistan that are struggling with
POLITICS: TACT AND FIELD
Politics and sport are two entirely different fields. But sometimes the lure of politics becomes quite irresistible for
THE BATTLE FOR LAHORE
Punjab’s capital is the prize that will be hotly contested between the PML-N and PTI. But aside from political
TRAVEL: LEGENDS AND LAHOOTIS
In Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, a mysterious cave and a saint’s shrine hold typically fascinating stories
BOOKS IN BRIEF
Khoobsoorat Nazar Aaee Farooq Adil As a journalist and newspaper editor, the author possesses a strong awareness of
FICTION: THE SONG OF FIFTY-SIX KNIVES
A tribute to an exceptional doyenne of Eastern classical music
NARRATIVE ARC: CONTEXTUALISING SECULARISM IN PAKISTAN
In religious societies such as ours, a constant tension is observed between the afterlife and the here and now....
FICTION: BARACK HOLMES AND DR BIDEN
The former American president and his right-hand man are the stars of a goofy crime caper
ALEXI PICKS
THE PAST, THE PRESENT
Lately we’ve been thinking about the enduring power of ancient myths — how it truly could...
NON-FICTION: CHARTED TERRITORIES
Exploring the loss of Karachi’s final frontiers to urban development
QUICKFIRE: ‘ABOUT ELEVEN’ QUESTIONS WITH SARMAD SEHBAI
Sarmad Sehbai is renowned for his telefilm Fankaar Gali and stage play The Dark Room, but has also published four...
INTERVIEW: FOUND IN TRANSLATION
In an increasingly globalised and interconnected world, the ability to understand other people speaking different...
SPOTLIGHT: THE TROUBLE WITH TEEFA
Based on local cinema’s recent track record, even the glossiest movies can turn out to be dismal and the least likely
SOUNDSCAPE: SEXISM IN MUSIC
Like pretty much every industry, music has a huge gender wage gap — just ask Haim
THE GRAPEVINE
Whoever is handling the promotional campaign for Teefa in Trouble is doing a good job. From the first teaser to the
CINEMASCOPE: SMALL WONDERS
Ant-Man and the Wasp is not as funny as its predecessor but makes up for it with its action
THE TUBE
Brimming with talent and good looks, Anzela Abbasi (Javeria Abbasi’s daughter) appears in the lead role of a determined
THE ICON INTERVIEW: ‘AS AN ACTOR, I AM NOT SATIATED’
Sanam Chaudhry has several successful roles to her credit in TV dramas. But before she signs up for any more films, she
THE ICON REVIEW: LOSING THE LOTTERY
Disgusting humour, sexual depravity and guts to make a movie without a fleshed-out story seems to be the new gold
THE ICON INTERVIEW: THE ORCHESTRATOR
Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, popularly known as Xulfi, is used to being in the limelight as a lead guitarist.
CINEMASCOPE: DEATH BY BAD WRITING
The special effects are splendid. Pity the script is far from it
THE GRAPEVINE
The teaser for director Nabeel Qureshi’s next film Load Wedding is out. Yes, the same Nabeel Q who has given us
SCREEN: CHERRY-PICKED BIOPIC
Sanju is the make-believe tale of a real person
THE TUBE
Big screen star Danish Taimoor returns buffed up to the small screen as Almeer, a university student who likes Salwa
THE ICON REVIEW: SOUND AND FURY SIGNIFYING NOTHING
Shor Sharaba vandalises Priyadarshan’s Hulchul and places its essence within the cadaver of a cheap-looking, C-grade
SPOTLIGHT: WHAT NOW FOR FRIEHA ALTAF?
Despite a career spanning over three decades, the workaholic event organiser-turned-activist feels her best work is
FLASHBACK: SONGS OF THE WONDER YEARS
In the latest installment on the series on film music, Asif Noorani looks at the genre of songs for children, which were
THE ICON INTERVIEW: WHAT’S BOTHERING JAWED SHEIKH?
He’s been part of the film industry for 44 years and, if recent and upcoming releases are anything to go by, still its
Lost forever
When man turns into a predator, nothing is safe, not even the wildest of beasts ...
Mailbox
All that glitters is not gold
Insight: Self-awareness: a lesson
The choices we make, the behaviour we shadow and the way we carry ourselves depend on how people ...
Website review: Incredibles 2
The Parr family from The Incredibles is back! They are the only ones who can save the world where superheroes are...
Cook-it-yourself: Nutella fudgesicle
Making popsicles is easy, we have all made a few and always enjoyed the result.
The weekly weird
Ultra-rare orange lobster found
Spotlight
The Last Fiction,the most ambitious and technically advanced animation feature ever produced in Iran, premiered at...
Story Time: The unlucky rat
“I am so unlucky!” groaned Laurie as he lay on his comfortable bed.