Category: Articles
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WHAT MATTERS IS HOW GOOD YOU ARE, NOT HOW BAD THEY WERE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Punjabis have a unique way of expressing. It can be fairly annoying at times. I will share a personal anecdote. Somebody owes me a serious amount of money in Canada. He always portrayed himself as “younger brother” who loved me to bits, full Punjabi style. One day I sat him…
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LOVE FLIES OUT THE WINDOW ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The high stakes battle for senate control concluded last night. It was like watching the final episode of an extremely engaging serial that could have had multiple endings. Tensions ran high among the contenders and their backers, clutching at every straw that could help them prevail. The results for Chairman…
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WIN OR LOSE, I WILL FIGHT TILL THE LAST BALL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “A picture is worth a thousand words”. In a video gone viral it is interesting to watch the Returning Officer in Senate elections get up and kowtow to PML(N)’s Ayaz Sadiq and Shahbaz Sharif. He could only offer a sideways move while sitting for PM Imran Khan. Shows who EC…
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GRANDE FINALE – ZARDARI VS PM IMRAN KHAN
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Growing up in the sixties, spending winters in Lyallpur was part of the family routine; we used to move there from Abbottabad. From the strict regime of Irish Priests of Burn Hall to pure rustic scene of Sant Singh Wala on the outskirts of the City used to be like…
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JUSTICE SYSTEM ON TRIAL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan A seed only sprouts when the soil is prepared properly; planted at the appropriate time, the right depth and receives moisture. Till then it remains latent. That seems to be the condition of our nation too. Pakistanis are a talented lot, bold and enterprising but they lacked direction, sincere leadership…
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WITH SO MANY WOUNDS WHERE TO APPLY THE BALM
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Writing at times can be a curse. You have to think, feel and be sensitized to your surroundings. At times one feels overwhelmed by the weight of all the bad around you. I was talking to my friend, Afzal Ghauri about the wisdom of this self-inflicted wound. Why am doing…
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PM IMRAN KHAN KEEP AT IT, YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It has been many years since I stayed in Lahore for an extended period. I am reminded of the age-old proverb “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” You really don’t get the dynamics and a realistic assessment of realities on the ground till you interact with a…
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Negative Drift Towards Alienating Minorities
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I grew up in the days of cowboy movies and comics. Invariably the non-conformist hero would stand up for the underdog. My formative years were spent alternating between the worlds of Clint Eastwood, Kirk Douglas and the Irish Priests of Burn Hall, Abbottabad and the rustic world of “Jagga” and…
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BIDEN INHERITS USA AT WAR WITH ITSELF
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Divisions within America have never been so intense since the American Civil War that nearly divided the North and South. The roots of this divide date back to the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery by President Lincoln on January 1st, 1863 as Civil War raged. It freed thousands of slaves each…
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LAHORE: A GARDEN TO GARBAGE CITY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The New Year brought glad tidings for Lahore from one of the most prominent and influential newspaper in the world, the New York Times. In its Travel section it selected “52 Places to Love in 2021” out of 2,000 possible locations recommended by their readers. They had asked them to…