By Nosheen Abbas Friday, 16 Jul, 2010 <!– <! var myLink = document.location.href; document.write('’); // –> dawn.com Rapping and acting are equally part of what I do, I wouldn’t be happy just doing one of them. I really enjoy doing the proactive, creative and independent nature of making music. – File Photo Culture Good to be Aunty Disco IN CONCERT Good to be Aunty Disco In the bustling area of Spitalfield market in London is where I finally meet Riz Ahmed, the protagonist of the movie ‘Four Lions.’ Meeting Ahmed turned in to a quest after weeks of coordination disasters … Continue reading Meeting Riz Ahmed

Disclaimer: This article might not be suitable for all audiences. Readers discretion is advised. Today Fox News published a report on Pakistan and refereed to it as Pornistan claiming that it is “No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches”. Whatever keywords Fox News has mentioned are factual and not made-up. I don’t deny the fact that Pakistan ranks 1st on these keywords. I also don’t deny the fact that porn is popular in Pakistan. However, I deny that Pakistan is “No. 1 Nation in Sexy Web Searches” as claimed by Fox News. Pakistan is top dog in searches per-person for … Continue reading Pakistan/Pornistan? – The Truth!

Choosing the right degree and right college by Tazeen on 07 16th, 2010 Whenever the word Hawaii is mentioned, normal folks think about white sand beaches, cool drinks, surfing and snorkeling. If you are a politically-minded person you may think about Hawaii as the birthplace of the current US president, but no one would think of Hawaii as the academic destination of choice. Honestly, if I had to spend any time in Hawaii, I would rather soak up the sun on the beach than spend it inside a stuffy library. I know that there are people who go to college … Continue reading Choosing the right degree and right college for Pakistan

VIEW: Balochistan bleeds —Zeeshan Noel Christopher Habib Jalib was a secessionist at heart but always argued on the strategy of the liberation movement and was fully aware of the pros and cons of the armed struggle. He chose the way of a peaceful struggle for securing the rights of Balochistan The killing of Comrade Habib Jalib Baloch, a Baloch nationalist leader and secretary general of Balochistan National Party-Mengal ((BNP-M), is being condemned all over the country with an undying pain and justified anger. After Maula Bukhsh Dashti, another nationalist leader and former chairman of Balochistan Students Organisation (BSO), Habib Jalib’s … Continue reading Balochistan bleeds

COMMENT: When chaos equals catharsis —Naqib Hamid In a society where there is lack of hope, and where no opportunities are left for people to let go of their pain, catharsis may well take an antithetical definition — that of chaos While mourning yet another suicide bombing in our country, this time in Mohmand Agency, I desperately tried to search for the meaning of a word long lost from our memory: ‘catharsis’. I pondered if any opportunities for catharsis exist in our society. This proved to be a difficult question. The word ‘catharsis’ means a feeling of emotional ‘letting go’ … Continue reading When chaos equals catharsis

VIEW: Media and militancy —Gulmina Bilal Ahmad After almost a decade of military rule, today Pakistan finds itself in a challenging transition towards democracy. Unlike previous futile transitional attempts, this transition is unique in the sense that it shows the existence of a newly liberalised mass media It has been called ‘society’s mirror’. Just like the mirror on the wall, to a teenager’s horror, reflects all warts and pimples, the media, it is believed, also shows only what already exists in society. The litmus test for media freedom, perhaps then, is the degree of clarity of the reflection in the … Continue reading Media and militancy

Banning Bin Laden By Selina Rashid The writer owns and runs Lotus Public Relations in Lahore (selina.rashid@tribune.com.pk) Our board of film censors is inherently flawed, of dubious intellect and highly erratic in its thinking. Often acting as a right wing morality police, it has in recent times been responsible for the banning of quality theatre, film and television. In a country where new ideas and fresh art have the potential to propel Pakistan forward and the potential to make us think and appreciate a world outside the confines of our four walls, the censors act as a consistent impediment. The … Continue reading Ban Bin Ladenism and Mullahism – not Ali Zafar!