Month: February 2023
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PENT UP EMOTIONS NEED AN OUTLET
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Filling gas balloons is a routine now-a-days for party events. Helium canisters are readily available. It was not so six decades ago. The balloon vendor would show up with his wooden cart and a gas tank and announce his arrival by ringing a bell. I along with my cousins and…
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LOVE LAHORE FOR ITS SPIRIT, CHAOS AND CULTURE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Nai reesan shahr Lahore diyan” is part of Lahori folklore. It translates “Lahore has no comparison”. A bold statement repeated over generations. Diehards insist on adhering to it even though the city has exploded beyond recognition. It is over five decades since I adopted Lahore,even though I belong to Lyallpur.…
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FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS – CHAOS OR ELECTIONS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Mera jhuga te bach gaya, baqi khair aay” said Mannah, a peasant farmer after a devastating flood. “My hut has survived, so all is fine”. That is the prevailing attitude in all the citadels of power and cushy fortified residences of the corrupt elite. They have buried their heads in…
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COMPARISONS ARE AWKWARD; SO IS THE TRUTH
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan In a recent meeting with Chairman Imran Khan, I saw him limp in pain walking at a slow pace. It brought back memories of IK climbing stairs with a leap, taking two steps at a time while we mortals struggled to keep up. It brought a lump in my throat.…