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HumSub

Author: Faisal Qamar

Columns 

The Menace of Stray Dogs

Faisal Qamar 0 Views

You never hear cries of outrage when rats are exterminated. Rats are vermin, spread disease, and generally have that nasty look that people loathe. But despite the same rules applying to stray dogs—vermin, disease, loathsome—there is no end to the cries of outrage when there is a demand for the killing of these vile creatures. In recent years, these cries of outrage have come from our courts, from celebrities, and from those who rule us directly or indirectly, which only proves how out of touch these people are from the realities the public faces daily.

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Columns 

The Writing on Our Walls by Faisal Qamar

Faisal Qamar 0 Views

Back in the eighties, reading the walls of Karachi was as educational as reading books. More so, in fact, as the bombastic slogans and fantastic ultimatums helped us kids understand those ground realities that prepare you for practical life. For example, one of the earliest demands I remember is this wall chalking: quota system khatam karo.

End quota system?

I did not understand this. Grainy pictures of people standing in bread lines in the USSR came to mind. That, I used to think, was the quota system. But there were no lines at the neighborhood store where I was sent to buy bread. I would hand over a five rupee bill and get a large-sized loaf. If we had guests, I could get two or even three. The shopkeeper didn’t impose any quota on bread.

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