Author: Hafeez Khan
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2 YEARS OF PREP AND 3 TO DEPLOY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Pakistan just completed 73 years of existence. We have been through some good, bad and dreadful times. We learn from the past, live in the present and work for the future. There are multiple lessons we can draw on. Without getting bogged down in details we have lived through stalemates,…
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THE EMERGING NEW MUSLIM ORDER
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I moved to Saudi Arabia in 1979. The fruits of oil wealth were beginning to show. Development was happening at a frantic pace all over the country. Based in the capital, Riyadh, the skyline was full of construction cranes. Those were the heady days of a new frontier attracting intense…
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PM IK KEEP AN EYE ON HISTORY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan My friend Hassan Nisar narrated a very interesting anecdote. During British Raj it was a tradition amongst the notables to congregate in the Governor’s House Lahore on the first day of the year. It included the Tumandars, Nawabs, Sardars, Nawabzadas, Maliks and prominent landlords. They would assemble in the sprawling…
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“NEUTER NAB” APC DEMANDS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Idioms and sayings have a global ancestry. You have universal truths and wisdoms stated in most ancient languages and cultures. Example, “lies have no legs” or “truth ultimately prevails” and many more. However Urdu and Punjabi sometimes have a uniqueness of expression difficult to replicate. It must be my lack…
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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…