Category: Articles

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I couldn’t sleep after seeing the gory details broadcast on Duniya TV by Kamran Shahid of Arshad Sharif’s mutilated hands and body. I am seventy plus and have been around the block many times. If I feel that way, how will Arshad’s young kids react? In this callous game of…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Calling the present Government “imported regime” is a misnomer. They should be called a “criminal enterprise” or a “crime syndicate.” There is nothing lawful or democratic about these political vampires called PDM. Since their first day in power they have acted as rogues. They came to power with a three…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Kenya is a beautiful country. I planned many times to visit;it just did not happen. It has scenic coastline, savannah, lakelands, valleys and mountain highlands. It is home to wildlife like lions, elephants and rhinos. Its main inhabitants are the Maasai tribe famed for their bravery. Documentaries about Amboseli Park…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I have to pause my nostalgic journey about youthful days due to the levels of hypocrisy and pretenses on the national scene; they are intolerable. I was remembering friends who have left us and rejoicing those who are still around. I will continue at a later date. The present scenario…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Punjab University New Campus of late sixties and early seventies was serene, clean and refreshing. It was designed by world renowned Greek urban designer and architectural firm, Doxidas and built under US Aid program. Uniquely open concept set within fruit orchards. A canal separated the academic block from the residential…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Memories of friends are a double edged sword. They strengthen you; yet torment when remembering those no longer with us. These thoughts were recently triggered while attending a get-together in Mississauga in memory of Late Shahid Rashdi who left us four years ago. His daughter Dana and her husband Zain…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Most people thrive in sharing positive stories about themselves. A wise friend, senior to me, once advised that acknowledging a deprecating incident keeps you humble and grounded. It has served me well over the years. An aunt, who was very close to my mother, visited us in Islamabad in early…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Besharam de pith tey bota agua, kanda bhlaa hoya chawain bethan gay.” Translates “a tree grew on the back of a shameless guy, he said great I will sit in shade;” surrounded by nastiness and unrelenting greed; this is how you describe the prevalent situation. Political issues cannot be resolved…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Gidr de maut aaway te shehr wal dorda aay.” “When it’stime for a jackal to die, it runs towards the city.” With a Punjabi background, it is easy to pick a folklore that conveys it all in few words. That is what is happening to our nation these days. Short–sighted…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It appears the whole PDM leadership is fixated on how to technically knock out Imran Khan from the political arena. This obsession arises from their realization that they cannot face him in a free and fair election. This is cemented regularly by the huge crowds that gather on their own…