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Why is FATA still administered by a typical British Raj law?
After the British took over Punjab from the Sikhs, they inherited what they called the frontier problem. The Pakhtun tribes on the periphery of Punjab had a long history of resisting authority...
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The transgender community doesn’t need Rs200 million, it needs a change in...
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government allocated Rs200 million for the transgender community while announcing their provincial budget. Thank you, your effort is much appreciated. But the main question...
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This Independence Day, it is time to let go of Quaid’s 14 points
In 1929, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah gave the Muslims of India his 14 points, in response to the Nehru Report which was published in 1928 as a memorandum outlining a proposed new dominion status...
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What Trans Action KP can teach Pakistan
The widely circulated video of Julie being flogged and tortured in Sialkot is the latest reminder of the perils of being someone who does not conform to the arbitrary norms of our society. Long...
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What is Afghanistan’s problem?
On Monday, the Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani, once again blamed Pakistan for the terrorist attacks in his country. The blame stemmed from a presidential statement following the Kabul terrorist attacks...
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Why does the state structure and narrative unfairly favour Punjab?
The selective way of presenting history in Pakistan conveniently ignores the fact that at the time of the country’s creation, there were two large movements which were sometimes contrasting and...
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Discovering Pakistan’s circumstantial craftsmen
After their father fell seriously ill, two brothers Rameez and Khurram devoted their lives towards pursuing his dream. Their mission was to open their own handicrafts’ shop as their father was fond of...
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Why Uzma Ahmed’s narrative of her stay in the “well of death” is as fishy as...
Whether Uzma Ahmed’s story is true or a farrago of a distortion of facts, misrepresentation and outright lies (Hail Shashi Tharoor ji), still remains a mystery. While she has her own version of the...
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It wasn’t state facilitation but years of political neglect that turned FATA...
Whilst our civilian rulers have borne significant calumny for their dismal governance since the return of the democratic regime in 2008, there remain some feathers in the cap they can yet point to when...
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Schools in India have become less about education and more about survival
It was a senseless murder so heart-breaking that only the most hardened could have remained unmoved. It has been more than a week since seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur was murdered in the washroom of...
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NA-4: PPP, a party once truly federal in nature, getting votes from all...
The constituency of NA-4 has given its verdict, giving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) an important victory with a comfortable margin. Just like NA-120 was Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) litmus...
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In Pakistan, we tackle gun violence by banning… art?
‘Art on wheels’ has become a normal sight for locals in Pakistan. The exterior of our trucks and rickshaws are covered with colourfully-ornamented calligraphy, prose and paintings. Due to its...
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7 reasons to look back at 2017 and be proud of Pakistan
2017 would be mainly remembered by the judicial verdict in Panamagate, whereby a sitting prime minister was sent packing by the Supreme Court, and the pervasive political turmoil that ensued as a...
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MQM-P vs PSP, PML-N vs PPP – Who will secure more ‘biryani’ votes in the 2018...
The great comedian Umer Sharif once said that Karachi only has two seasons – summer, and hotter summer. Given the U-turn Karachi’s weather has taken over the past few weeks, from extreme cold winds to...
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The Mashal Khan case verdict brings victory, hope and a lesson for Pakistan
The dawn of April 13, 2017 saw the might of a monster that was long nurtured in Pakistan. A monster of hate, intolerance, violence and one who misuses the blasphemy law as a tool of vengeance. This...
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Pakistan and Russia: From Cold War foes to budding allies?
It is no secret that Pak-US ties are experiencing a downward spiral. However, there is some good coming out of this mistrust between both countries. The ongoing tensions have motivated Pakistan to...
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Women empowerment in rural Balochistan: Applause is louder and real when men...
In December 2017, I paid a visit to the Kech District in Balochistan, during which I had a very stimulating interaction with members of the community organisations formed by the National Rural Support...
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Justice or victimisation: Did Nawaz Sharif launder $4.9 billion to India?
In the latest update on Pakistan’s political sphere, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accused former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of laundering $4.9 billion to India. The order by the antigraft...
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Imran Khan is right, Pakistan should have more than four provinces
Whenever I make any comments about Pakistan having more provinces and smaller units, the reaction is always the same, “You want to divide the country? Are you a RAW agent or what?” So when Imran Khan...
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Since when is PTI’s right turn a U-turn?
I can see social media platforms and news channels debating over Imran Khan’s change of choice regarding caretaker chief minister for Punjab. The elections are near, and quite literally, the heat of it...
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