By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
THE government has, after much thought I presume, decided to erect a monument in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, to honour the memory of the first woman prime minister of Pakistan and the late chairperson of the PPP, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated two years ago.
This move was long overdue as Ms Bhutto merits a tribute irrespective of the political controversy surrounding her.
Continue reading A memorial to Benazir
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
WHAT keeps Pakistan afloat? Despite its seemingly precarious political existence and the gloom and doom spread by the highly politicised media, as well as the horrendous bomb blasts, the country manages to survive? For the answer switch off your television and step out to see for yourself how people cope in a country that does not provide its citizens even their basic needs. The immense reserves of resilience the people have is striking.
Continue reading How Pakistan survives?
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
THERE was a time when the physician was like god to his patient. His word was gospel truth not to be flouted. No longer so. It is partly the trust deficit between them that has eroded their relationship. At the root is the commercialisation of the medical profession. Once monetary considerations determine a doctor’s decisions, the results can be disastrous. Instances of deaths due to medical negligence are legion.
Continue reading Doctors with a conscience
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
ON Jan 9, Karachiites will take a trip down memory lane to honour the legacy of those who launched the student movement of the 1950s. A meeting at the Karachi Arts Council will “reclaim this forgotten part of our past” to quote the organisers.
Continue reading Students who set the tone
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
WHY do we write? Because we want to communicate, says Steven Roger Fischer in his book A History of Writing. Terry Tempest Williams, the American author, puts it differently in WritingCreative Nonfiction, “I write to discover. I write to uncover. I write to meet my ghosts. I write to begin a dialogue.”
Continue reading When does a child write