Culture & Books
June 9, 2020 / Pakistan’s police have sent you a friend request - Rest of World
To improve their poor public image, Pakistani cops look to social media for the big thumbs up.
Teams of women and girls are among numerous cycle groups increasingly to be seen on the streets of Karachi
January 11, 2019 / The retro piece of exercise equipment my parents couldn’t give up - The Goods
In the era of Marie Kondo, it’s tempting to throw out objects that don’t “spark joy.” But one useless piece of plastic was a symbol of a life my parents were proud of building.
Saifullah Paracha, the oldest prisoner in Guantánamo Bay, will probably die in detention without ever being charged. His son is currently in a US prison. Both have been in custody for almost 15 years, accused of aiding al-Qaida. But did they?
May 2018 / Meet the Kardashians of the Middle East / Marie Claire
Influencers from Amman to Dubai have adopted show-all, tell-all lives with a fevered passion, ushering in a new kind of celebrity culture in a region where women’s thoughts and wardrobe choices are often kept private
January 2, 2018 / Artworks from Guantanamo - Dawn
A diary piece on an exhibit in New York showcasing art made by detainees held at Guantanamo
October 7, 2017 / What to expect from Amman Design Week 2017 - The National
The event aims to focus on homegrown crafts and design with a view to solving local issues
May 8, 2017 / How to Write About Authoritarians Without Getting Arrested - Literary Hub
On the neverending search for facts in Pakistani fiction
March 15, 2017 / In Pakistan, Carrying on a Legacy of Answering SOS Calls - The New York Times
On the subculture of religious women and how they’re adapting their lives to religious dictates
2017 / 21 Things to Know Before You Go to Karachi - Roads & Kingdoms
Revel in the irreverence of Pakistan's largest city
November 9, 2016 / Searching for a 14th-Century Scribe in Modern Jordan - Literary Hub
On Elias Muhanna's abridged translation of a 14th-century compendium of the world, and it's parallels with modern-day Jordan
May 2016 / Rabwah dreams of the green cap - The Cricket Monthly
In a town Pakistan is trying to wipe off its map, a people targeted by the right wing are trying to play cricket
2016 / 17 Things to Know Before You Go to Lahore - Roads & Kingdoms
A guide to navigating Lahore
May 19, 2016 / The Tyranny of Rote-Learning in Pakistan
As memorization skills decline in the west, schools across South Asia continue to push antiquated pedagogical techniques
May 2016 / A River's Tale - Pacific Standard
A review of Alice Albinia's Empires of the Indus for Pacific Standard's water-themed issue
February 2016 / Diverse Directions - Newsline
The stories emerging from South Asia today are rooted in local culture
November 2015 / ‘Islamic songs aren't usually chart busters’ - BBC The Cultural Frontline
A devotional song is an unlikely hit in Pakistan
May 10, 2015 / Meet Pakistan's junior Scrabble geniuses - The Guardian
2015 / Training Day - Roads & Kingdoms
The story of a beloved rooster and a cockfight that will determine its future
October 2, 2014 / Even Beloved Figure is Prey to Robbers in Pakistani City - The New York Times
May 11, 2014 - Disease of Pakistan's Poor Now Worries the Affluent - The New York Times
July 2014 / Sindhi music on the streets of Karachi - BBC The Fifth Floor
In the hustle and bustle of Karachi, a precious moment of beautiful sound with a street musician
June 2014 / A reporter's guide to Karachi - BBC The Fifth Floor
Being a reporter in the city is not a straightforward gig and it is essential to know your terrain well
March 2014 / Afghanistan: Memories of Glass - The Revealer
Sept 2013 / Egypt isn't Pakistan! - BBC The Fifth Floor
On the comparisons between the two countries
July 2013 / How do Pakistanis deal with power cuts? - BBC The Fifth Floor
Wrestling with power outages in Karachi
2013 / Gangster's Ball - Roads & Kingdoms
Scenes from Lyari's Baloch Culture Day celebrations - and the criminal syndicate running the show
June 2013 / Above Class and Clerics: The Saga of Heer Ranjha - The Revealer
May 2013 / Pakistan at the polls - BBC The Fifth Floor
On the wall-to-wall TV advertising for Pakistan's general elections
May 2013 / Hitting the Wall: Art in Pakistan - The Revealer
February 14, 2013 / Fraindship rings - The Magazine
Women in Pakistan cannot avoid torrents of texts from unknown men
December 2012 / Christmas in Karachi - Roads & Kingdoms
Finding the Christmas spirit in a city dominated by violence
March 31, 2012 / One Hundred Years of Good Girlitude – Open Magazine
The lessons of Bahishti Zevar, advising Muslim women to defer to their husbands, are still popular