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In Amsterdam: When Pakistanis bring shame to Pakistan
'Hi! Good evening, I want to go to Diemen please!' I hopped into the second taxi waiting in line outside the Amsterdam Bijlmer Arena Station. It was almost 2:00 am and I was returning home from the 25...
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Want to move abroad? Think again!
The life of a middle class Pakistani immigrant overseas is gravely misunderstood by both the people in the immigrant’s homeland and the people in the country to which the immigrant has emigrated. There...
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Eight reasons why the IPL is popular in Pakistan
The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicked off in April 2008 and took the world by storm. Cricket fans from all over the globe enjoyed this T20 spectacle as Shane Warne led a spirited...
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Why Chambaili is a must watch
1. Ehteshamuddin: The theatre actor and director, who has also tried his hand at television, is definitely the highlight of Chambaili. He is a perfect fit for his role at Musa, the idealist...
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The infamous ‘Muslim Room’ and other travel horrors
Recently, I boarded an Etihad Airways flight from Islamabad to Chicago. On a stopover at Abu Dhabi, the plane filled up with a lot of South Asian people; approximately 95% of my fellow passengers were...
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Pakistan’s film industry is not dead… yet
I don’t remember watching a Pakistani film growing up. I was way too busy being smothered by Shahrukh Khan’s movies that everyone back then just had to watch — with the entire family. People would...
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The Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad where Pakistani citizens are unwelcome
Quite easily, one of the most embarrassing moments of my life was when a group of friends decided to have dinner and I was singled out at a checkpost on our way there. Here is why. The Diplomatic...
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Do you care about the life of an average Pakistani?
It’s about time. Your chauffeur will be here soon to take you home. And on your way, you will certainly stop at at least one signal. At this point if you put your time away, take the Cuban cigar out of...
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ICC Champions Trophy debacle and Pakistan’s shameful performance
Has there been a worse Pakistani batting line up in recent memory then this fledgling, fragile and technically incompetent unit? It is almost unbelievable to comprehend that Pakistan was considered as...
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A letter to overseas Pakistanis: Don’t give up on Pakistan just yet
I have been fortunate enough to travel abroad. During these trips I have met successful young Pakistani entrepreneurs, from high street shop owners to rising bankers and several others who are building...
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Drinking straight from the tap and courteous officers: Surprises in the US
I have always wondered why every other Pakistani is so heavily influenced by the West. Was it the media or was there really something impressive about them? I have to say, after my visit to the States,...
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Our new, increased education budget is a victory for Malala and every Pakistani
We have never given a toss about education in Pakistan. This is not a blanket statement but a fact pretty easily verified if you look at statistics of literacy in this country or the work done on...
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Pinpointing contradictions of Pakistani democracy
Election fever has topped the charts during the last few weeks. Debates about democracy and its related aspects have been making rounds from streets to classrooms to talk-shows. While most agree that...
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All in a day’s work: The modern Pakistani (super) woman
If you are a woman who belongs to the circle of society that sees itself as urban and educated, you will most likely find yourself adequately qualified with a degree and then promptly married off...
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The Royal pieces: Decadent, delicious and delightful
People say I have a wicked sense of humour. And if that’s true, I think I know where it came from. I was cradled by humour since the day I was born. A chest surgeon by profession, my chacha, Dr Aamir...
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Umar Akmal: Bringing much-needed balance to Pakistani cricket
There was a time when Pakistan had remarkable wicket keepers who added valuable runs lower down the order. In those good days, besides Alec Stewart, no other team had players as capable with the bat as...
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Malala Yousufzai and the league of extraordinary Pakistani women
There was the face of one woman in that room that could quash all the misgivings that one has about Malala Yousufzai’s “backstory”. No, it wasn’t 16-year-old Malala’s herself, it was her mother’s....
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The state of Pakistani media: 10 toons that tell it like it is
Note: All information cited in the toons below has been taken from the 2013 report Mapping Digital Media: Pakistan, released by Open Society Foundations. ______________________________________________...
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Shahid Khan: Another Pakistani success story we failed to appreciate
On Saturday, 13 July, my heart swelled with national pride when Shahid Khan, a Pakistani-born billionaire based in the USA, completed the purchase of the English Premier League football club Fulham FC...
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Deported from Israel for being a Muslim who visited Pakistan
Destination: Israel Purpose: To visit Jerusalem and everything within it which ‘drives men mad.’ I had spent months preparing for my trip to the country with the primary aim of visiting Jerusalem and...
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