Category: Op-ed
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Are populism & cults detrimental to democracy?
Pakistani elections have proved to be an interesting study as we see the party that was unable to campaign come out strong even in a splintered state. Election results have once again hit false narratives of traditional parties as voters voted for a leaderless group of independents only because Imran Khan’s PTI supported them. This…
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Nepal, Pakistan: anything better than cricket to bring people together?
Pakistan v Nepal from Moorhead to Multan: A Journey of Friendship and Fervour Picture this: a chilly midnight in Moorhead, a tiny university town near Fargo. Amidst the freezing air, two cricket fanatics — me and my Pakistani roommate, Shehzad — walk to the end of 20th Street just off campus to a house full…
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The Minister for Human Rights Should Resign: Here is His Resignation Letter
Last month, a 24-year-old woman was gang-raped at gun point by two men in Islamabad’s F9 park. The First Information Report (FIR) filed by the victim stated that after she was raped, the assailants gave her Rs1,000 and told her that she should not have been in the park at night. How did the federal…
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The collective effervescence of Shah Rukh Khan
‘Pathaan’ is a frustrating film because it does not want to make things too difficult but it also does not want to take the easy way out. It does not mind being silly but it certainly will not become stupid. Perhaps to resolve these contradictory impulses, it chooses to be a fan-service film, something that…