Background and other details on my Taseer investigation piece

I’ve divided the following write-up into nine, easily-digestible parts. You can either read it from top to bottom, or skip to the part that you’re interested in by clicking on the relevant link below. If you have further questions, leave them in the comments section below; or email me (you can get my email address here). Please don’t ask me to comment on third sources; all issues will be clarified only on this page. Read more »

Is inciting murder / violence not a crime?

The khateeb in our mohalla, like his counterparts in many other mosques in Karachi, went on a rampage during the Friday sermon today. Not only did he condone Qadri’s actions, he also said that every Muslim who takes the stance that Taseer did will “meet the same end”.

After 40 minutes of this, I’d had enough and decided to take action. I went to the Taimuria police station to lodge an FIR against the khateeb for inciting and condoning violence. Why did I do this? Several reasons: Read more »

Dear Prime Minister.

Dear Prime Minister,

ThanQ for making me freeze my butt off while waiting for a cab WHILE YOUR FUCKING PROTOCOL PEOPLE SCREAMED AT AND TERRORISED ME, AND FUCKING BLOCKED THE ENTIRE FUCKING ROAD. I showed you the finger as you passed by. Here it is again: _|_

While you were safely cuccooned in your pretty little car(s), dear Prime Minister, I closed my eyes and cold, tired and hungry, prayed for my life because your security people were acting like crazy fucks. If I were in an ambulance being rushed to a hospital at the time, sir, I would’ve been dead by now. But who cares. The Prime Minister has graced us with his presence. Long live the Prime Minister. Oh and Jeay Bhutto.

~ A scared, tired citizen.

On why I’ve decided to write about fashion

A couple of days ago, I randomly pitched an idea to our magazines editor. Surprisingly, he jumped at it. Result: Beginning January 2 (2011), I will have a regular column in our weekly magazine, Lounge, printed every Sunday. I sent the first edition off to the editor today (I was supposed to send it day before yesterday; but I’m lazy, so :-P ).

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An Open letter to Sharmila Farooqui and Irresponsible Media (via Mystified Justice)

For those who are unaware, here is a little background on the case, from the Tribune: "Twenty-something K and her acquaintance S, in her mid-30s, were driving in a blue Suzuki Alto on Khayaban-e-Qasim in DHA when three to four men in a car rammed into them from the back. The small car dived into a ditch, the women were dragged from the car, abducted and K was gang raped while S was beaten. They were then dumped back at the spot. M, one of K’s fri … Read More

via Mystified Justice

Ka[ra]-ching!

After the trauma and horror of this week, I finally have some good news.. for me. :-D
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Farewell…

I’ve been in Kathmandu for a little over five months now. I’m moving back to Karachi tomorrow, after bidding farewell to a place that had, between 14 June 2010 and now, become home to me — ‘homier’ than Karachi ever was, for the most part.
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Everybody watch ‘Robot’!

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, but was held up by a bunch of other stuff – rage against the anti-women crap-fest, otherwise known as marriage laws in Pakistan, for instance. But more on that later. Right now, I’d rather think of happy stuff – such as ‘Robot’. So yes, imagine not one, not two, but THREE Rajinikanths… and that’s just for starters! Intrigued yet? Well, it only gets better.
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Kicking ass in Karachi

I’m a super-happy child abhi. I kicked some MQM waalah laundas’ asses — without resorting to violence. Muahahahahah!!! Here’s what happened… Read more »

On 'homesickness'…

I came across these lines in a beautiful short story called ‘Blue Mondays at the Gearshift Lounge‘, which is part of Mahmud Rahman’s ‘Killing the Water‘. Read more »