THE GORA SYNDROME
“And how does one keep looking so good when one is so busy?”, this being Information Minister Sherry Rehman’s opening line to Sarah Palin, a politician with no real credentials, and now the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate. If this wasn’t bad enough, President Zardari shook her hand and opened with, “You’re gorgeous. Now I know why...
BLAME IT ON THE YANKS
In the late 80’s a pop group called Milli Vanilli stormed the international music scene. Their music was signature 80’s and one of their most popular hits was “Blame it on the Rain”. Milli Vanilli sold millions of records around the world and were rewarded with a Grammy Award in 1990. But the good times...
Kaleem Omar, a true eccentric
There are certain larger-than-life figures whose presence overflows the room they are in. Kaleem Omar was one of them, with his insistent voice dominating any gathering. When making a point, he would reel off a plethora of facts and figures that were impossible to verify. So we always gave him the benefit of the doubt,...
LITTLE MEN
We all come across them in our daily lives, and they seem to crawl up from under their rocks whenever they are least needed. They come in all shapes, colors, and sizes; and just when you think your life is insulated from them, “they” make an appearance. There is no logic as to why they...
THREE INCHES OF INCOMPETENCE
The last rains Karachi received on Thursday afternoon measured a total of 91 mm at the highest point which roughly translates into 3.5 inches. This is roughly one fourth of a foot, and I think everyone will agree that this is not a whole lot of rain. Alas these 3.5 inches was the straw which...
CTRL+ALT+DEL
Everyone who uses a computer has had to reboot his/her system at least once a week due to corrupt software or moments when the system “freezes”. The much vaunted CTRL+ALT+DEL triage is the way to do it as we all know. But what do you do when software of the country and the “system” is...
A SLAP A DAY…
The National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) under the stewardship of Chairman Danyaal Aziz is to be congratulated for making General Pervaiz Musharraf’s vision of real democracy a reality. Finally, real power has shifted to the people of Pakistan through their democratically elected representatives who toil day and night to ensure that the people and not the...
THE LONG HAUL
The display of emotion, generosity, and national unity by the people of Pakistan has been overwhelming. People all over the country have been giving whatever they can monetarily and materially to help with the relief effort. However, there is some skepticism especially from overseas Pakistanis who have given large amounts during previous disasters. I have...
BOOT IN MOUTH DISEASE
“You must understand the environment in Pakistan. This has become a money making concern. A lot of people say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for Canada or citizenship and be a millionnaire, get yourself raped.” In case anyone is wondering as to who would have the gall to make such...
FINALLY SOME MATURITY…
My hats off to the General for taking the bold step of authorizing Foreign Minister level contacts with the Israeli Government. And while diplomatic ties are a long way away the most important thing in today’s complicated world is engagement. For countries not to engage each other is pure folly, and for anyone in Pakistan...
