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The ‘place’ for women is not just ‘the kitchen’
The term ‘male-dominated society’ does not mean (against common misconception) the subjugation of women to physical violence or having biases towards them. However, to say that it is nothing will also...
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Pakistan cannot be an ‘Islamic’ republic, not if women are being raped everyday!
On March 13, 2014 a girl from Muzaffargarh set herself on fire outside the local police station when justice was not served to her. This innocent girl was allegedly gang raped by five rapists, who were...
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Women in sports: What Lala might not know
A friend of mine shared a clip on Facebook of a journalist asking Shahid Afridi his views on the development of a girls’ cricket camp in Peshawar (something the journalist said he felt proud of) and...
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Five strange things all Pakistani fauji’s do
In countries like Pakistan, army officers are treated with a special kind of respect and having a fauji (soldier) friend is considered to be an honour. I am sure many people know what it feels like to...
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Pakistani dramas: Trade in your jeans and your career for some chooridars and...
Imagine a scene from a typical Pakistani drama. On one side, we have a shareef (innocent) damsel in distress and a prince charming, who is too busy admiring his good looks to actually use his brains...
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Why are Pakistani women obsessed with their weight?
I should make it clear from the beginning that this unhealthy obsession with weight is not limited to Pakistani women but is the universal truth for women everywhere. We are either too thin or too...
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Nutella cheesecake and Farhan Akhtar – doesn’t get better than that!
As Mr A was casually buying himself some coffee and a large packet of spicy Lays chips outside the cinema, when a wide-eyed friend exclaimed looking at him, “Oh my God, your husband is here to watch...
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Women are responsible for domestic abuse, not men
It’s an age old story that women are the main victims of abuse. Over the years, many NGOs, awareness projects and feminist activists have forced laws to be passed against female victimisation. We have...
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7 simple rules (or not) to impress ‘rishta aunties’
We all know for a fact that middle-aged aunties are on the lookout for prospective wives for their sons and nephews, during the wedding season. What is surprising though is that young ladies love being...
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Mirror mirror, what do you see?
I have a mirror in my hands. Mirror mirror, what do you see? “I see a girl, a black girl, with beautiful eyes… beautiful eyes over gaunt cheeks. Cheeks caved in over thin, crisp lips and a levee...
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Do you have a toilet in your house?
Almost two and a half billion people in the world do not have toilets in their homes or lack access to proper sanitation facilities. South Asia makes a significant contribution to these staggering...
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Why #BanBossy won’t work for women in Pakistan
Sheryl Sandberg, author of Lean In and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Facebook is on a mission. A couple of weeks ago, she, in collaboration with a star line-up of women in other leadership roles...
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Oh great government of Pakistan, take notice of the female aid workers in...
On my recent trip to Balochistan, I came across examples of how women folk fare in tribal set-ups. While we, in the urban centres, believe that women are usually ignored and not allowed to contribute...
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The ‘frandship’ caller conundrum
It might be odd for many but a guy like me has also gotten frandship calls over the years. Partly because my voice didn’t break for the longest time and the pervert on the other end didn’t believe that...
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If Amal Alamuddin can bag George Clooney, so can we!
Dear Mr Clooney, To most of us, Amal Alamuddin was just another name – she could be a friend, a neighbour or another acquaintance. But what we really didn’t know was that this name would one day be...
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‘Baby doll mein sonay di’… really?
Here is a question for all the women out there – what is more heart-warming, being called a Chikni Chameli (sexy woman) or an Atom Bomb (bombshell)? Baffled? I am not surprised… Don’t get me wrong. I...
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Feminism will never work in Pakistan
Rebecca West, a famous author, once said, “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that...
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Oscar Pistorius: Para-Olympian or cold blooded murderer?
We are completely hooked on the live coverage of Para-Athlete Oscar Pistorius trial as it is far more engaging than any successful reality series or a season finale of a TV show. [caption id=""...
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Get well soon Edhi sahib, you are one in a million!
Dear Edhi sahib, As you lay in the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation for your routine dialysis, we hear worrying news that you have been admitted in the ICU. Edhi sahib, I am very worried...
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May 11, 2013 changed Pakistan for the better, will May 11, 2014 do the same?
On the eve of May 10 and 11, 2013 I saw a very different Lahore. Lahore was completely crowded with families and teenagers supporting their respective political parties, majorly PTI and PML-N....
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