A young Pakistani Muslim immigrant to Washington has built a platform for fellow immigrants to come together and do their part to promote peace and tolerance in Pakistan. Her biggest motivation is an unbreakable bond with the country she grew up calling home -- in spite of the systemic persecution her community has faced there for decades.
Pakistan
In a coastal shanty town, tragedy and hope live side by side
Originally published in Dawn Lined with garbage and plastic waste, Machar Colony’s broken, narrow streets are enveloped by the smell of rotting fish. Young children and youth wander aimlessly. Basic amenities are scarce, unemployment persists and crime is rampant. In most households, men go out to fish while women and children help make ends meet … Continue reading In a coastal shanty town, tragedy and hope live side by side
Don’t tell women to shut up
Note: This post appeared on Dawn.com on May 11, 2015. In a country where the odds are stacked against most women, Reham Khan's scolding them for not taking responsibility for their plight is disingenuous. It happens more than one would expect, but it is always confounding when women of power and privilege choose to patronize other women in … Continue reading Don’t tell women to shut up
To rebuild a generation free from extremist idealogies, Pakistan must go back to the basics
I came across an excellent, and damning analysis published by the blog, The Brown Pundits, which explores the reasons why Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy law continues to find blind support among its masses, and is so difficult to repeal. Even if the law itself is repealed, what of the pervasive ideology that is constantly fed by the religious elite … Continue reading To rebuild a generation free from extremist idealogies, Pakistan must go back to the basics
Building schools to combat extremism in Pakistan
Originally published by The Guardian After Peshawar, Pakistan must not turn a blind eye to the connection between its ghost schools and the growth of radicalism in its most neglected regions Eight years ago, I briefly held what was perhaps the best job in Pakistan. I was the documenter of good news. You see, good news … Continue reading Building schools to combat extremism in Pakistan
Leaving the Metropolis
This essay was originally published by the Papercuts Magazine in October, 2014 Seven years ago, I left the city of my birth for good. Ostensibly, my leaving was tied to the most common reason young Pakistani women emigrate: marriage. It’s taken some years of introspection to see that my decision to marry when I did was … Continue reading Leaving the Metropolis
Really, Shahbaz Sharif?
March, 2010 A few days ago, the chief minister of the Punjab province came into the limelight, for a strange, ill-advised commentary on the Taliban's recent attacks in Lahore (see Dawn's unusually strong-worded editorial about it here). Sharif was also chief minister, Pubjab in 1999 when his brother, then PM Nawaz Sharif, was ousted by … Continue reading Really, Shahbaz Sharif?
Amar Bail 