10 rules to marry a ‘Clooney-aire’
A ‘Clooneyaire’ is the characteristic George Clooney brand of debonair, moneyed, elusive bachelor whom women universally covet as their future husband. In order to qualify as a Clooneyaire, candidates must exude jet set glamour, age with the stylishness of James Bond, possess homes in spectacular locations, and count strings of pretty women as their exes. All the while, Clooneyaires must take great care to appear rakish instead of lecherous. After all, there’s no challenge that romance-novel reading women find more irresistible than the impossible task of reforming a hardened rake. Why the hoopla over George Clooney? ‘Gorgeous George’ (as he’s nicknamed) may ...
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Tribute to ‘Hazrat Sheikh Osama’…really?
On May 2, 2011, when President Barack Obama went on international television and announced to the entire world that Osama Bin Laden was dead, and that US forces had found the world’s most wanted man hiding safely ensconced in a luxury compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, many things changed. Especially, for Pakistan. As a nation, we had to collectively swallow the bile of many-a-public boast regarding our unquestionable allegiance to the United States government in its War on Terror and our repeated claims that we were the greatest of US allies, in said struggle. Above all, was the mixed response to ...
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For us to dig deeper
Recently while in the US I had an unusual exchange with someone. I was in a meeting with a financial analyst, Eric, and in the middle of a conversation about tax returns and the IRS he paused and said: “So, the kids in Pakistan are like the kids here, right?” I was taken aback. I didn’t quite know what to make of his comment/question. I asked him to elaborate. He hesitated and said: “I mean kids are kids everywhere, right?” I told him that the Pakistani youth came in all shapes, sizes, political affiliations and bad musical tastes. He mulled that over ...
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Why should feudals apologize?
I have grown up hearing all the stereotypes on television in newspapers. Feudals drive big jeeps (who cares how many books they read?). Feudals are the reason the country can’t prosper. Feudals abuse people in the name of tradition. But this ‘wadera’ boogeyman image is not accurate. I’m not saying that exploitation of the poor does not exist in rural Pakistan, but the facts that are often ignored are: Exploitation is not exclusive to the agricultural community. For every landlord who mistreats the people who depend on him for a livelihood, there are at least three who are actively working to provide services (services that every ...
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I am a sardar
I am a Sardar. I am six feet tall and came out of my mother’s womb ready to raise hell. To borrow from Isaac Babel, if rings were fastened to the sky I would have pulled it down to the earth. Yes, I have men and guns but these are just the traditional trappings of power. I look after my men and their families. They are my clan; we are bound together by ancient geographies and histories. They are my children. I uphold tradition but know that in order to survive in today’s world an education is essential. I studied Agriculture ...
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The effects of the social media
The ongoing debate regarding the impact of social media is part of a greater construct in relation to the progression of democratic systems across the world. It cannot be denied that social media has played a unique role in gathering people to topple dictators and tyrants but the question remains whether this is necessarily healthy for the public sphere in which a functioning democracy runs. So when we talk about the ‘Arab Spring’, it is a unique set of events that have been launched through what many analysts call “the political awakening of Arab youth.” To start out, the new Muslim ...
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Gutsy Marvi steps down…goes solo?
I won’t lie – I’ve often made fun of Marvi Memon’s overzealous emotional style, her long winded breathless sentences without full stops and the almost audible exclamation mark at the end of her sound bytes. At times, I have used her high pitched quotes to add a bit of life to an otherwise dull TV report. More often than not, when I have seen her protesting on the streets I have wondered why a parliamentarian who claims to care so much for the masses, would associate herself with a party whose manifesto seems to focus on regaining power. On Wednesday, as ...
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A taste of Turkish delights
“I wish I did not know what I know,” was how Zulkof Ajer had me speechless for a while, after I asked him what he knew about Pakistan. It was dinner time at the Conrad Hotel in Istanbul on June 4, where we had gathered for a pre-consultation of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan. Turkey and Norway hosted this meeting that was followed by a similar consultation among the officials from members of ICG i.e. USA, Japan, Germany, Afghanistan, Turkey, India and Pakistan. The waiter at the Monet Restaurant, an extremely pleasant personality, was curious about our nationality, and was ...
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Pakistan hates women
Pardon me for being so blunt, but I’m not wrong. When you live in a country in which 80 per cent of the women are subjected to domestic abuse, then one can do nothing but point his or her finger at the collective psyche of the nation, within which misogynist ideas are so profoundly ingrained. There’s nothing wrong with particular individuals but something is terribly awry with us as a whole. If there’s one thing Mukhtaran Mai’s struggle has taught us, it is that this nation abhors rape victims more than it despises rapists. Our society, in lieu of teaching ...
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‘Punishable by death’ needs to die
Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah’s recent statement, inciting violence against fellow politician Babar Awan amazes and disgusts me. A law minister is supposed to uphold the law, not the other way around. In most countries, such a bizarre statement from a public official would instantly result in a prompt resignation. Political discourse and difference of opinion do not mean anyone has the right to put someone’s life in danger. Healthy societies thrive on differences and emerge stronger, based on dialogue and mutual respect. Ours unfortunately, is still struggling to understand the basic meaning of freedom of speech. There is a saying that ...
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