Category: Articles
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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…
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FILLING THE MANAGEMENT VOID
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was the late eighties. We were flying back to Riyadh from Islamabad after a week in Pakistan. I was accompanied by Abdul Latif Al-Shaikh, Chairman of our business group. We were embarking on a joint venture in the agricultural sector with ADBP through late Jamil Nishtar, its Chairman. Shaikh…
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THE TOUGH CHOICE BETWEEN SURVIVAL OR SAFETY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, embarked on a voyage in August 1492. He was sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. Largely self educated, Columbus had in depth knowledge in geography, astronomy and history. He planned to seek a western sea passage to East Indies. He hoped to profit from…
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RELIGION HEALS SO WHY DO WE FIGHT OVER IT?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I reside in Mississauga, one of cities encircling Toronto in the shape of a horse shoe. This city has attracted immigrants from around the world. The flavor is multicultural including many Pakistanis. Our incumbent Mayor Bonnie Crombie along with the City Council recently passed a motion permitting Maghrib Azzan to…
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BUY OIL AND GET PAID FOR IT
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan This is what happened on April 20th. The oil market witnessed a total collapse. The price dropped to minus $37. It meant suppliers would pay this amount to buyers per barrel purchased! The world has turned on its head. Economies are slipping out of control to levels not see in…