Category: Articles

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan ”Meray Aziz Hum watano” translates “My dear fellow countrymen” is an opening phrase we have heard many times. Especially in a gruff no nonsense voice. Are we headed there? Far too many times internal squabbling by politicians has led to this opening sentence. Each time the masses welcomed it, fed…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Human history is replete with conflicts based on ethnicity, religion and expansionism. Underlying most wars there is an element of greed, control, domination and above all economic gain. Since recorded, history battles were fought on land; moved to the seas and then onto air space. The latest advent is deployment…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Every language and culture has sayings that summarize a broad topic in a few words. My default is Punjabi. Translation takes away a lot of spice, yet I will try to convey the essence depicting consequences of a conflict in Europe. “A fight amongst wild boars destroys the valuable sugarcane.”…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Punjabis like a strongman. Our folklore is full of fearless, at times rebellious characters standing up for the underdogs. Dulla Bhatti, Malangi, Jagga and Bhagat Singh are some of the prominent heroes. This trait endures till today and a strong leader’s imprint perseveres. Be it Nawab Kalabagh’s firm handling, or…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Punjabi is a rich language. Its folklores have endured for generations. There is one that comes to mind on today’s topic. Many readers may already be familiar with it, yet I have to share it to depict our state of affairs. A dog, “Kuta” in Punjabi, fell and died in…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Polarization has never run so deep in our politics. It reminds of my farming days in Kasur. Before moving my family to Canada in the late nineties, I would regularly travel to our farm near Ganga Post. It required turning south from Dipalpur road at Theng Mor, pass through Mandi…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I was quite young when Ayub Khan’s martial law was imposed. However, some memories get etched in your mind. In Abbottabad we had to walk to school through a bazaar famous for its food shops. Chappal Kebab, tea stalls with pakoras, meat, bakery shops and others. All of them were…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Growing up in Abbottabad in the sixties we were always a bit jealous of Murree. Both were tourist destinations. During summer many families would visit to escape the heat. Abbottabad is a valley surrounded by mountains having a much larger footprint and open areas than Murree. Murree is a small…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan In my last article “It’s time to stem the rot not fuel it” I had written about the hapless Sharifs and their lackeys. I challenged their full throated claims of an impending deal and completely debunked their frivolous narrative. I marveled at their unmatched capacity to create fake news narratives…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Grudgingly, credit has to be given where due. In my five decades as a political worker, I have not witnessed such levels of deceit as PML (N) is practicing. Their ability to create a narrative from nothing, packaging and promoting it all levels is unmatched. The most effective propaganda machine…