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Letter from: Ghulam Farooq Dogar 

Hello

I am an ordinary Pakistani and have no access to political leadership in Pakistan. It is through all of you, I hope to get access to Pakistan's political leadership in particular to Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister of Pakistan Hon. Yousaf Raza Gilani. I merely want to ask them a few questions, only if they care to consider and answer. I will be very grateful and obliged for your favour.  More...

Transcultural Dialogues 

By: Hakim Hazik 

Minister of Science: Do you know much about culture, Minister Ji? 

Minister of Culture: Not a lot more than you know about science. But I can pronounce ‘r’, which is a great deal more than Jahangir Badar can do. It is also the greatest cultural achievement in the history of Bhati Gate, since Allama Iqbal wrote the national anthem. This has not escaped the notice of Mian Sahib. More...

Extraordinary Rendition

By: Hakim Hazik 

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard this special flight of Tinpot International Airlines to Beijing and other exotic destinations, all of which will be revealed in the fullness of time. We extend our warmest welcome to our first time flyers, Chaudhry Little Authority and Mr. Campfollower Qureshi. We invite them to join our frequent flyer scheme, which offers a range of benefits, including membership of the very exclusive Inbred Social International Club, also called the ISI. More...

Transcultural Dialogues 

By Hakim Hazik 

The Prince: Nice moustache Ada, only slightly grizzled, gives you poise and gravitas; looks graceful and authoritative. Very compatible with your new stature. The slight trimming that I recommended seems to have worked perfectly. More...

I think the most important man in Pakistan at the moment is not Kayani or Musharraf, but Zardari. Pakistan has witnessed a most amazing transformation in Zardari, since 27^th of December: from thief to statesman. He has made excellent political decisions, including trying to make peace with the MQM. I think the MQM were taken by surprise, as they started distancing themselves from Musharraf and talking of all the questions about 12^th of May not having been answered, (implying that it was the army, not them, responsible for the carnage.) Zardari’s coalition with Nawaz Sharif, in spite of Musharraf’s manoeuvrings was a great decision, as was Nawaz Sharif’s decision to accept the right of the PPP to form the Government. (Think what Pakistan’s history would be like if Bhutto had accepted that Mujeeb ur Rehman had the right to form the Government, and Mujeeb had offered him the post of Prime Minister.) More...

By Omar Ali 

Recent events in Pakistan show that our worst fears may have been correct and musharraf and his agents in Karachi (or is it the other way round?) will not allow any peaceful transition to democracy. (some people may prefer to frame this as "Pakistanis in general are not ready for democracy"., but considering the mess the army has made in 50 years of army rule, its not clear how all pakistanis or "democracy" can be blamed equally for this mess). Imagine, if the establishment had quietly accepted the results of the last polls, what would we have seen? New governments would have been in place by now. PPP in Sindh, PPP led coalitions in Federal and Balochistan, PMLN led coalition in Punjab and ANP led coalition in Pakhtunkhwa. More...

By Rukhe Zehra Zaidi 

Pakistan had taken sides in a foreign war at the behest of a military dictator. We offered our proxy support, on behalf of America and financed, radicalized and trained a group of mostly poor and ignorant men. Armed with weapons and a reason to fight they were successful in achieving a military objective. For us any reason they had to fight was welcome as long as it helped us in winning the war. In the words of Sarah Humayun, ‘We might not have believed in their brand of Islam, but we could ignore the gulf between it and the variety commonly practiced in the larger interest of fostering a sense of solidarity between the puppets and the puppeteers’. More...

By Hakim Hazik 

Steelman; Dear Brother, let me put a mark on your forehead, with the ashes of the NAB, to ward off the evil eye. Fortune has favoured you. You have seen the coronation of Bilawal, won the elections, seen off the challenge by the pretender Amin Fahim and Judge Dogar is hoovering up the remaining cases. Every reason to be pleased Brother. More...