STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was a warm sunny day. Excitement and anticipation was in the air on this 25th day of April 1996. Chairman Imran Khan was to launch Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf at an event in a local hotel…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan When you cheat in an exam after bribing the staff, there is a sheepish look for the uninitiated. However, if you are an accomplished liar, you gloat and pretend as if nothing happened. That is…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Donald Lu is the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian and Central Asian Affairs since 2021. As a veteran diplomat he has extensive exposure in this region. He served as a Political Officer in…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Following developments in Pakistan a quote of Henry Kissinger says it all, “America is strong for two reasons. They search for traitors in their country and kill them. And they search for traitors in other…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan With a dust storm on the political horizon, conspiracy theorists and rumor mongers are having a field day. The dust will begin to settle soon. Watching a clip of my friend Hassan Nisar cleared my…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Marcus Aurelius was the last Roman Emperor during a period known as “Pax Romana”, an age of relative peace and stability from 27BC to 180 AD. He was a successful ruler and recorded in history…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan   I was looking forward to enjoying Lahore’s blissful spring this March in company of friends and family. It would be a pleasant break while escaping the blistering Canadian cold. It was not meant to…

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…

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…

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…