Tag: pakistan
-
UAE MATES ISRAEL
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Houbara Bustard (Tilor) was the bird of choice for the Emarati Sheikhs in the seventies. Their new found oil wealth allowed them to hunt it to their hearts contents in the arid areas of Pakistan. They stop on their migratory journey in the deserts of Cholistan. Rahim Yar Khan with…
-
THE EMERGING NEW MUSLIM ORDER
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I moved to Saudi Arabia in 1979. The fruits of oil wealth were beginning to show. Development was happening at a frantic pace all over the country. Based in the capital, Riyadh, the skyline was full of construction cranes. Those were the heady days of a new frontier attracting intense…
-
COVID FATIGUE REVIVES MEMORIES
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The human mind works in fascinating ways. Confinement frees the mind from the body and the soul wonders. Our memories are selective; they gravitate towards pleasant and fond memories. Recently I wrote on some heavy duty topics. It requires serious research and effort to convert to a readable format. This…
-
NEW WORLD ORDER
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The main arterial road in Tehran is named after the renowned Persian poet Firdowsi. The author of “Shanameh”, one of the longest epic poem created by a single author. Known as “Book of Kings”, written a thousand years ago, it comprises nearly 50,000 couplets. It captures the history of Persian…
-
IS CHINA FLEXING ITS MUSCLES?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan “Wake a tiger with a long stick” is a quote from Chinese leader Mao Zedong, father of the Chinese Revolution. Caution is woven into Chinese culture. China was transformed in four years (1948-1952) from a decadent society to an orderly nation. There was a lot of pain in the formative…
-
FILLING THE MANAGEMENT VOID
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan It was the late eighties. We were flying back to Riyadh from Islamabad after a week in Pakistan. I was accompanied by Abdul Latif Al-Shaikh, Chairman of our business group. We were embarking on a joint venture in the agricultural sector with ADBP through late Jamil Nishtar, its Chairman. Shaikh…
-
RELIGION HEALS SO WHY DO WE FIGHT OVER IT?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan I reside in Mississauga, one of cities encircling Toronto in the shape of a horse shoe. This city has attracted immigrants from around the world. The flavor is multicultural including many Pakistanis. Our incumbent Mayor Bonnie Crombie along with the City Council recently passed a motion permitting Maghrib Azzan to…
-
HUMAN PAIN OF A LOCKDOWN
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The difference between the rich and the poor has never been more glaring in Pakistan. The rich are emptying shelves of their favorite super markets and urging a lock down. The poor are losing sleep over how they will feed their family should such a lock down happen. The air…
-
IS CORONA THE NEW WEAPON OF WAR?
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan Corona Virus is a clear and present danger. Honestly, just researching for this article was a scary experience. I have relied on credible sources in an effort to inform my friends and readers about this deadly outbreak. I will feel redeemed if I can help prevent even one potential case…
-
SECULARISM IN FULL RETREAT
STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan The first time I landed in Bombay, now Mumbai, was mid eighties. It was in the evening as the sun was going down. The view from the plane was breathtaking. The coastline with boats lined up conveyed vibrancy. I was excited. I was received by my host with his team.…