Tag: Nawaz Sharif
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2 YEARS OF PREP AND 3 TO DEPLOY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Pakistan just completed 73 years of existence. We have been through some good, bad and dreadful times. We learn from the past, live in the present and work for the future. There are multiple lessons we can draw on. Without getting bogged down in details we have lived through stalemates,…
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PM IK KEEP AN EYE ON HISTORY
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan My friend Hassan Nisar narrated a very interesting anecdote. During British Raj it was a tradition amongst the notables to congregate in the Governor’s House Lahore on the first day of the year. It included the Tumandars, Nawabs, Sardars, Nawabzadas, Maliks and prominent landlords. They would assemble in the sprawling…
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“NEUTER NAB” APC DEMANDS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Idioms and sayings have a global ancestry. You have universal truths and wisdoms stated in most ancient languages and cultures. Example, “lies have no legs” or “truth ultimately prevails” and many more. However Urdu and Punjabi sometimes have a uniqueness of expression difficult to replicate. It must be my lack…
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JUSTICE SYSTEM ON TRAIL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Parveen was happily married. After completing 10th grade she was wedded to a cousin. She had four kids before she was twenty five. Her husband was an electrician earning a livable income. It was 1998. They were comfortable from working class standards. They owned a 2 marla house built on…
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MINUS ONE – DEMOCRACY ON TRIAL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Following democracy in Pakistan is a roller coaster ride. It is exhilarating with all the screaming accompanying each rise and fall. When the ride ends you get out with rubbery legs. Rides have a short span and you overcome it soon. Imagine if the ride prolongs for years? It destroys…
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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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FAILING ACCOUNTABILITY – BEWARE IK
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Steal a few thousands and you will be caught, beaten up and punished. Steal a few billions, hire a good lawyer and you will become respectable. You will be sought after and lavished with praise of your nonexistent talents. This is how the Mafias flourish in our beloved homeland. You…
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KEEP DRAINING THE SWAMP MR. PRIME MINISTER
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Turn on Pakistani news and talk shows and you feel as if the Government is about to fall. The system has totally failed, everything is topsy turvy and there is no hope. The opposition and big part of media is continuously stoking the fire. Watch National Assembly proceedings and you…
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Demise of Morality
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I grew up in the sixties in Abbottabad, a pretty and peaceful town nestled amongst pine trees in the foothills of Kashmir. It was named after Major James Abbott. A garrison city, Abbottabad was home to Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) and many Army units. My alma mater Burn Hall School…
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SUPREMACY OF LAW TRUMP VS SHARIF
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan We live in interesting times especially if you are a political buff like me. On one hand we see a powerful and popular President being cut to size by state institutions; on the other we see a convicted three times Prime Minister weasel his way out of jail and escape…