Author: Hafeez Khan
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WILL CANADA VEER RIGHT DESPITE PITFALLS?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Elections in Canada can be boring when compared to the razzmatazz of a Pakistani campaign. The Canadian election writ period is much shorter than our minimum 3 months. There are no “Jalsas” with hundreds of thousands attendees or throngs of people and vehicles in a “jaloos”. There are hardly any…
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PREDICTIONS FAIL AS AFGHANS COME INTO THEIR OWN
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan September 6th was celebrated as the “Day of the Martyrs”, offering the ultimate sacrifice for the Motherland is a blessing. These tales of valor inspire those who stand on guard to protect the nation. The occasion was celebrated with dignity and honor in Rawalpindi and around the country. “Shahadat” and…
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TALIBAN NEED TO APPLY BALM TO BRUISED EGOS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan NATO forces landed in Afghanistan as “deliverers”; twenty years later they ended up being the occupiers. How did this happen? Post mortems will be done by multiple tiers of policy makers, analysts and historians. Blame game and finger pointing shall keep the public confused for years to come. USA will…
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RUFFIANS AND FRAUDSTERS IN A TOOTHLESS STATE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Desi drama serials are an integral part of our lives in the sub continent, especially amongst women. I have sat through some of them giving company to the family. Invariably, there is a main story and then some side plots as a distraction to prevent monotony and prolong drama. At…
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TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN. WHAT’S NEXT?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Author’s Note: I want to thank my readers and friends for their encouragement. It is an elixir that pushes me to research deeper, analyze and express better. Please keep your comments and suggestions coming. There is no way of safeguarding respect in a defeat unless the victor is gracious and…
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SERIOUS INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL THREATS LOOMING
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was August 2002 when I last visited Kabul. I was accompanied by Niaz Ali Shah, a scion of the Syed family of Peshawar. His father, Syed Taj Mir Shah was a loving elder who mentored me when we were organizing PTI in KP in late nineties. He left us…
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FIRES ACROSS CONTINENTS- GLOBAL WARMING IS HERE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It is time to wake up. We are facing the biggest threat ever to mankind – Global warming is here; we have summer temperatures never experienced before. What have we done to mother earth in the last hundred years? We have polluted the air, plundered natural resources, devastated forests, contaminated…
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PML(N) PARLIAMENTARIANS NEED TO WAKE UP
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an English classic novel written by R. L. Stevenson in 1886, a must read for students of literature. The title got co-opted into English language as a reference for one person alternating between good and evil. Dr. Jekyll represents a kind respected Gentleman in…
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THREATS TO PAK- CHINA SOLIDARITY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The Chinese engineers got ready for work as usual on Dasu Dam. Nine of them would never return. Tragic. Dasu is located in the breathtaking parts of Kohistan District along the Karakorum Highway on the mighty Indus River. I don’t use “mighty” lightly. Those of us who have visited these…
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Navigating Hate and Viciousness in Politics
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It has been a very eventful summer in the region. A lot has been written and said about departure of US forces from Afghanistan. Verbalized in North American lingo, it can be summarized as “Adios Afghanis; wasn’t nice knowing y’all!” It was not a good experience. Thousands of lives lost,…