Tag: pakistan
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COVID will lead to a New World Order
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The wide-bodied Boeing 787 nicknamed “Dreamliner” entered Toronto airspace and circled down to land. There was no line up in the air corridor to delay the landing. Like most international airports, Toronto’s Pearson International is quite expansive. The walk from the gate in terminal 3 to the immigration counters is…
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LOVE FLIES OUT THE WINDOW ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The high stakes battle for senate control concluded last night. It was like watching the final episode of an extremely engaging serial that could have had multiple endings. Tensions ran high among the contenders and their backers, clutching at every straw that could help them prevail. The results for Chairman…
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WITH SO MANY WOUNDS WHERE TO APPLY THE BALM
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Writing at times can be a curse. You have to think, feel and be sensitized to your surroundings. At times one feels overwhelmed by the weight of all the bad around you. I was talking to my friend, Afzal Ghauri about the wisdom of this self-inflicted wound. Why am doing…
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PAKISTAN HAS CHALLENGES BEYOND POLITICS
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan During my university days in the late sixties and early seventies politics was reentering our civil discourse. After ten years under Ayub Khan, Pakistan transitioned from a “Basic Democracy” system to an “Adult Franchise”. The present borders of Pakistan were then known as West Pakistan where Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto…
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SAUDI BLOWBACK LEADS TO CHANGE OF GUARD
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Rub al Khali, the Empty Quarter covers a third of the Arabian Peninsula. It hugs the belly of Saudi Arabia in the south linking it to Yemen, Oman and UAE. Our farm was on the edge of Rub al Khali, south of Riyadh close to an oasis town Al Kharj,…
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THE SOCIAL DEBACLE WE FACE
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Growing up in Abbottabad, each year we would spend our winter holidays with my grandfather in Lahore or Lyallpur farms depending on his location. Dr. Sardar Ali was a family friend. His medical practice in Baghbanpura, Lahore was in proximity of my uncle Dr. Abdul Rasheed Khan’s clinic. My cousins…
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PAK US RELATIONS IN BIDEN ERA
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I remember playing weekend cricket in Abbottabad as a kid. One of our playmates used to walk off with the wickets if he got out. A spoiler who could not accept defeat. President Trump reminds me of him. Despite putting up a strong resistance and getting more votes than 2016…
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WILL US ELECTIONS IMPACT PAKISTANIS?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Lebron James is a legend in Basketball. He has dominated this extremely popular sport in North America for 16 years. He has accumulated a fortune and is an icon for the younger generation. What sets him apart is that he is a star with a conscience. Black people make up…
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FIFTY YEARS OF SPILT AFGHAN BLOOD Part 2
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was approaching dusk when we reached the Mujahid camp in Attock. Our hosts had arranged a tour of the facility. It was a Spartan tent city serving as a base for training and recovery for groups returning after four to six weeks in combat zone. We talked to a…
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FIFTY YEARS OF SPILT AFGHAN BLOOD Part 1
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was early 70’s and my friend, late Ajmal Malik, had landed a job with the information department in Peshawar. A brilliant mind, he was a successful journalist and a carefree loving soul. We communicated via booking trunk calls thanks to Ajmal’s access to official phones. We chatted regularly reminiscing…