Lessons I Learnt from When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

  Although this is a book about death, it really is a book that makes you think about how to live. It asks important questions about what makes life worth living and how to find purpose. It shows you how to confront despair and exhibit courage. I had dreaded reading this book because I knew...

In Search of a Letter from 1965

In 1965, my grandfather, Major Ahsan Omar, was fighting in the Battle of Chawinda, near Sialkot. It was one of the fiercest battles in the war; the largest tank battle after World War II. Amidst the heavy tank shelling and artillery fire as guns thundered and planes roared in the skies above, it did not...

Things Come (Almost) Full Circle

I started this blog in 2009 when I was deciding whether I wanted to come back to Pakistan or not. 6 years ago,  I wrote "Against the good and bad advice of a majority of friends and family members – I have decided to return to Pakistan. I dont know if this a wise decision...

HONORING AITZAZ HASAN: FIGHTING THE DEMONS OF SECTARIANISM

On the morning of January 6th, Aitzaz Hasan lost his life while preventing a suicide bomber from entering his school. The only thing standing between the 2000 children enrolled in the local Government High School Ibrahimzai in Hangu and a suicide bomber sent to kill them was the courage of this teenager. The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has...

House 167: The Little House with a Big Heart

Tonight’s the last night I will spend in the house I grew up in.  Tomorrow, my parents and I will move to a bigger house in a better neighborhood. And while this will mark a new beginning, tonight my heart is incredibly sad for having to leave my oldest friend behind. For no matter where...

The Wrong Defense

The recent case of sexual harassment at LUMS reveals many disturbing facets of Pakistani society - I will write more on the issue but for now I wanted to write about the statement that colleagues of the accused issued in the press in his defense. I have been a long standing admirer of the intellect...

Ludicurous CT Policy Proposal: Teaching Arabic to Counter Terror

The federal government is contemplating the introduction of the Arabic language in primary and secondary schools to combat terrorism, according to a recent statement by the minister of religious affairs. It is assumed that once students are well versed in the language of the Holy Quran, they are less likely to be misguided. Those behind the formulation...

The “F” Word

Recently, I gave a talk at TEDxKinnaird about why everyone should be a feminist. I'm proud to be one. And it amazes me that women and men across the world are afraid to use the term feminism to define themselves. Feminists are people who recognize that we live in an inherently unequal world that does...

What is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric is the art of using words to persuade, and it formed one of the first and most important subjects taught in a classical education. In modern times, unfortunately, rhetoric first disappeared from colleges and universities and then vanished from secondary schools, except for electives in English or Philosophy Departments. One of the foundational texts, Rhetoric,...

Let’s Talk About the Money

The Representation of The Peoples Act, 1976 (and not a recent Supreme Court ruling) mandates that candidates must not spend more than Rs1.5 million on their electoral campaigns for the National Assembly. All National Assembly candidates are required to maintain a separate bank account for electoral finances and submit receipts to their returning officer for...