Author: Hafeez Khan
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COVID FATIGUE REVIVES MEMORIES
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The human mind works in fascinating ways. Confinement frees the mind from the body and the soul wonders. Our memories are selective; they gravitate towards pleasant and fond memories. Recently I wrote on some heavy duty topics. It requires serious research and effort to convert to a readable format. This…
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NEW WORLD ORDER
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The main arterial road in Tehran is named after the renowned Persian poet Firdowsi. The author of “Shanameh”, one of the longest epic poem created by a single author. Known as “Book of Kings”, written a thousand years ago, it comprises nearly 50,000 couplets. It captures the history of Persian…
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JUSTICE SYSTEM ON TRAIL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Parveen was happily married. After completing 10th grade she was wedded to a cousin. She had four kids before she was twenty five. Her husband was an electrician earning a livable income. It was 1998. They were comfortable from working class standards. They owned a 2 marla house built on…
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MINUS ONE – DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Following democracy in Pakistan is a roller coaster ride. It is exhilarating with all the screaming accompanying each rise and fall. When the ride ends you get out with rubbery legs. Rides have a short span and you overcome it soon. Imagine if the ride prolongs for years? It destroys…
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RAID ON UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan OPEN LETTER TO CHIEF MINSTER USMAN BUZDAR Greetings, but on second thought greetings for what? What have you achieved in nearly two years into your term as the Chief Executive? You head the largest province of Pakistan. I would love to be educated about steps you have taken towards “Tabdeeli”.…
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HEAT IN THE HIMALAYAS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Temperatures are rising in one of the coldest parts of the world. Dispute between India and China took an ugly turn last Monday in Gulwan Valley on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh’s border. No bullets were fired. Indian and Chinese troops confronted each other with sticks, rocks…
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WINDS OF CHANGE IN USA – Part 2 of 2
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Late fall 2019 my daughter, Sana, a medical student had a test in Philadelphia and the next day she started a month’s course in a Brooklyn hospital. My son, Faisal and I decided to drive her over as moving airport to airport, lugging a huge bag on short flights is…
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THE CURSE OF RACISM- Part 1 of 2.
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The color of the skin is determined by the pigmentation just underneath it. More pigmentation means darker complexion. Hence the analogy “color is only skin deep”. Yet color determines race. Racism is one of the three leading causes of conflicts and wars in human history. Other two being religion and…
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IS CHINA FLEXING ITS MUSCLES?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Wake a tiger with a long stick” is a quote from Chinese leader Mao Zedong, father of the Chinese Revolution. Caution is woven into Chinese culture. China was transformed in four years (1948-1952) from a decadent society to an orderly nation. There was a lot of pain in the formative…
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“TABDEELI” A DREAM OR REALITY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The gates were opened by an armed guard and a white Land Cruiser emerged. The young driver was clearly inebriated. His two friends were boisterous. It was past midnight in Defence, Lahore. The vehicle charged down the main boulevard and did not stop at a red light. The cop on…