STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Miss Minto was our math teacher in Burn Hall, Abottabad. She had a severe, no nonsense demeanor that kept the boys in check. She had a penchant to use the blackboard to write formulae, enunciate…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The top story these days on American media is the indictment of President Trump on federal criminal charges. It is unprecedented in US history against a former president. Their public discourse is full of latest…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Kukar toon ganday tay agaye han” answered Ashraf, an experienced mason now out of work in once booming construction industry, when asked how he is doing. It is a disaster out there. Sectors that provided…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Hans Christian Anderson, a Danish author wrote scores of fairy tales impacting generations. I remember reading them as a child. “The Emperor Has No Clothes”’ was first published in 1837, with roots dating back centuries…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan In the early days of PTI, Akmal Mirza was President Rawalpindi. He was a committed and experienced political activist, liked by Imran Khan. It was important for the Partyto bring onboard members from diversified communities…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I was not even a teenager when I learnt one of the most important lessons in life. It became a part of my value system. Abbottabad was popular as a “hill station”, a legacy term…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Folks let us keep it simple; it is bullet versus ballot. The barbaric commando style action to kidnap Imran Khan was shameful, demeaning and a gross violation of human dignity. IK was hit, pushed and…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The Chaudhries of Gujrat have been prominent in politics for three generations. I have known all three of them. Their patriarch was Chaudhry Zahur Ellahi emerging onto the national scene from rural Gujrat during Ayub…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I have vivid memories of PTI’s founding event at Holiday Inn, Lahore in April 1996. My late friend Ahsan Rashid, Mehmood Awan, and I drove to the venue ahead of IK to get a feel…

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan There are many versions regarding the final words of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto before he was led to the gallows. There is one, favored by his supporters. It narrates that as the noose was tightened, Bhutto…