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Saturday July 27, 2024
Dr Naazir Mahmood
Dr Naazir Mahmood

The writer holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK and works in Islamabad.

  • July 22, 2024

    What is parallel cinema?

    If you have parallel line, it must have another line that goes parallel – so what is that other parallel line?

  • July 15, 2024

    A guide to growing old[er]

    Since words ‘old age’ and ‘older people’ do not sound decent and dignified, perhaps it is better to call them senior citizens

  • July 07, 2024

    Rashad, my father

    Sons sooner or later realise that the man they at times hated was perhaps the only man in this world who unconditionally felt proud of their...

  • June 30, 2024

    Stories from Hazara

    A general view of Naran valley is pictured in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 28, 2021. — AFP The tradition of writing historical...

  • June 24, 2024

    Karamat Ali: Our man of integrity

    We lost Karamat Ali at the age of 79 on June 20, 2024 in Karachi, a city where he established his flagship project

  • June 16, 2024

    Let’s save a library

    A representational image showing people reading books inside the Darra Adam Khel Library. — AFP/FileThe cost of ignorance in some societies is...

  • June 09, 2024

    What the Indian election can teach us

    India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi flashes victory sign as he arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters to celebrate the party's win in...

  • June 03, 2024

    A night for literature

    The 11th UBL Literature and Arts Awards ceremony held recently in Karachi was one such exception

  • May 27, 2024

    Who’s afraid of free speech?

    When out of power, the PML-N campaigned for free media

  • May 17, 2024

    Some method to appoint a VC?

    There is no guarantee that abolishing the search committee would lead to the selection of better VCs

  • May 13, 2024

    How Sindh keeps Sindhi alive

    Credit must go to people who speak Sindhi in their households

  • May 04, 2024

    Where women get a lifeline

    Koohi Goth Women Hospital in Malir Karachi. — Facebook/koohigoth1A majority of poor women in Pakistan have a faint hope of living a better life....

  • April 29, 2024

    Protecting free speech

    Ahfaz-ur-Rahman was also an Urdu poet of considerable reputation with his poems concerning a wide range of political and social issues

  • April 20, 2024

    Forgotten cinema

    Unfortunately, Pakistani films and TV dramas have seldom ventured beyond domestic intrigues and love triangles

  • April 01, 2024

    Ramdas for peace

    His leadership was invaluable for several movements for communal harmony and justice in India

  • March 25, 2024

    The hopeful future of the Supreme Court

    Credit goes to the court for broadcasting the proceedings of the case live on the SC’s website

  • March 17, 2024

    Remembering Rooplo Kolhi

    The statue of Ammar Rooplo Kolhi in Nagarparkar, Sindh, Pakistan. — x/ Veerji_Kolhi/FileIn Pakistan, history textbooks are not inclusive in the...

  • March 12, 2024

    How to be a better thinker

    Representational image. — UnsplashIn response to my previous article ‘What have we become?’ , I received many appreciation emails from my...

  • March 04, 2024

    What have we become?

    One feature that is common among them is that our education system churns out thousands

  • February 26, 2024

    Not an elitist festival

    The KLF encompasses fields ranging from economy and education to gender and human rights

  • February 18, 2024

    The powerful four

    There are at least four ministries in any government that bear the brunt of policymaking and ultimately affect people and their wellbeing

  • February 11, 2024

    Chronicles of an election foretold

    Such engineering is even more harmful if done after elections to install a government that does not command public mandate

  • February 05, 2024

    Education and manifestos

    Next promise is about opening nationwide evening schools, without taking into account fact that after 18th Amendment, education at all levels has...

  • January 29, 2024

    A courageous voice

    More than a decade ago, Hamid Mir’s collection of columns ‘Qalam Kamaan’ attracted wide acclaim and now his new collection ‘Such Bolna Mana...

  • January 21, 2024

    The languages of history

    But before discussing significance of this book a word is in order about some of his earlier contributions in Sindhi and English languages

  • January 15, 2024

    Ayaz Melo: pride of Sindh

    Ninth Ayaz Melo in last week of December 2023 was special for it coincided with centenary celebrations of Shaikh Ayaz

  • January 07, 2024

    How to be a journalist

    A good journalist or media professional would do better by making a habit of reading newspapers

  • December 31, 2023

    How to make a budget transparent

    Karachi is a happening place, and on my recent visit there, I had the opportunity to attend two events that may be of interest to my readers.Ishaque...

  • December 25, 2023

    A freedom lost: Part - II

    On December 13, 2023, Szabist Karachi organized an event to discuss the state of peasants’ rights in Sindh in 2022. While our mainstream media is...

  • December 17, 2023

    A freedom lost”: Part - I

    Formulating laws and creating rules from above – without broader consultations – is not a good idea. Of course, you cannot consult criminals...

  • December 10, 2023

    The lost gems of Sindh: Part - II

    My introduction to Wali Ram Vallabh was both personal and through his writing. He was the father of my friends Kamleshwar and Pushpa – both...

  • December 03, 2023

    The lost gems of Sindh ( Part – I)

    The second half of the year 2023 has deprived Sindhi literature of two giants: Murlidhar Jetley and Wali Ram Vallabh. Both of whom remained immersed...

  • November 26, 2023

    Ink and light

    Sajjad Zaheer with his comrades formed the Progressive Writers Association in 1936 when he was around 30

  • November 19, 2023

    History, language and Sufism

    The image shows the book cover of ‘Ishq Nama Shah Hussain: tasavvuf and malamat’ authored by Farrukh Yaar shown above. —Facebook/Farrukh...

  • November 12, 2023

    Tales from a labour activist

    This still taken from a video released on November 11, 2023, shows participants during a book launch ceremony of Ramzan Memon ‘Halqa-e-zanjeer...

  • November 05, 2023

    Mehrjui and Iranian cinema ( Part – II )

    Poster of the film Gaav: — IRANIAN FILM EMPIREIn Mehrjui’s film ‘Gaav’, Masht Hassan – a peasant in an isolated village – has a close...

  • November 01, 2023

    Mehrjui and Iranian cinema ( Part – I )

    Dariush Mehrjui , and his writer wife, Vahidea Mohammadi. — RFERLOne of the founding fathers of Iranian New Wave cinema, Dariush Mehrjui, and his...

  • October 23, 2023

    A sudden change of heart and policy

    Afghan nationals queue up at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 17, 2021. — AFPThe issue of refugees is not new in...

  • October 15, 2023

    A landmark verdict

    The verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Oct 10 to sustain the controversial SC Act, 2023 is remarkable and unprecedented by all means. The...

  • October 09, 2023

    A pre-election watch

    Since elections are likely to take place in January 2024 – at least per the announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan – the Human...

  • October 03, 2023

    Protecting our children

    I have lately been focusing on human rights issues in these pages. Those interested can refer to my previous articles: ‘Children’s rights...

  • September 25, 2023

    All about electoral participation

    As elections are likely to be held in January 2024, there is renewed talk about improving electoral participation and making elections credible. On...

  • September 18, 2023

    Children’s rights matter

    If there is one single solution to most of our woes, it will definitely be quality education, especially at the school level. The Human Rights...

  • September 11, 2023

    Dealing with the Taliban

    The 1990s saw the emergence of the Taliban and in the 2000s the TTP appeared to be distinct from the Taliban in Afghanistan.In this story we have...

  • September 06, 2023

    Malice towards none

    No judiciary can afford an undeniably partisan appearance and antics that betray an agenda. It has been nearly 15 years that we have seen judges...

  • August 28, 2023

    Challenge child labour

    The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan is one of the very few organizations in Pakistan that raises its voice against child labour and violence...

  • August 20, 2023

    The rise of an intolerant society

    How did we become so brutally intolerant? What led us to this despicable state? Over the last couple of months, Pakistan has reported violence...

  • August 15, 2023

    Fighting disability with creativity

    Without differences in our abilities, the world would have been a bland sphere in the universe. Some people have more pizzazz than others, and one...