STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I have shared this anecdote previously; however events of 8th March gave it a new meaning. In 1997 we were organizing PTI and holding corner meetings for Chairman Imran Khan to mobilize support for the…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Pakistan has only one national anthem, however on occasions a particular song sinks into the psyche of the nation and takes on proportions larger than the anthem. During 1965 war Madam Nur Jehan’s rendering “meray…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Filling gas balloons is a routine now-a-days for party events. Helium canisters are readily available. It was not so six decades ago. The balloon vendor would show up with his wooden cart and a gas…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Nai reesan shahr Lahore diyan” is part of Lahori folklore. It translates “Lahore has no comparison”. A bold statement repeated over generations. Diehards insist on adhering to it even though the city has exploded beyond…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Mera jhuga te bach gaya, baqi khair aay” said Mannah, a peasant farmer after a devastating flood. “My hut has survived, so all is fine”. That is the prevailing attitude in all the citadels of…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan In a recent meeting with Chairman Imran Khan, I saw him limp in pain walking at a slow pace. It brought back memories of IK climbing stairs with a leap, taking two steps at a…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Capitals worldwide are the pulse of what is happening in a country; a deduction from decades of travel. My recent visit to Islamabad was an eye-opener. Government is poor, rather bankrupt, however the people are…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Every time I enter my Lyallpur, erroneously named Faisalabad, my heart misses a beat or two. For a very good reason; I have tons of fond childhood and youthful memories associated with this City. Be…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Lalchee nu jhuta marda aiy” a Punjabi saying whichtranslates “greedy’s undoing is a liar.” Rustic wisdom that endures over generations. These days there is a new twist to this folklore. “Lalchee” and “Jhuta” have teamed…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Pakistanis are creative and enterprising. They find ways of coping, whether surviving in abject poverty or developing their future, if given an opportunity. Few nations are blessed with these traits. Having lived abroad and being…