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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…