Due to the deteriorating law and order situation in the southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly Lakki Marwat, Bannu and Tank, thousands of families have been forced to abandon their homes and settle in other cities. According to a 2025 survey, 142 families from Lakki Marwat alone were living in H-13, Islamabad. That number has now reportedly increased to around 250–300 families. If one sector of Islamabad is home to so many displaced families, how many people must have migrated to other sectors of Islamabad and other major cities across Pakistan? These are not merely statistics. They represent the plight of families who have left behind their homes, land and communities in search of a safer and better life. ~Marwat Tribe on Facebook

‘Najar lagay raja toray banglay par’ Artist Amjad Hussain finally turns my dream into a reality by making a beautiful painting of my childhood home.

"پاکستان کی سیاسی جماعتیں سیاسی قبیلے ہیں اور شجرہ نسب کے مطابق چلتی ہیں". ~وسعت اللہ خان

“Nothing of real worth can ever be bought. Love, friendship, honour, valour, respect. All these things have to be earned.” ― David Gemmell

A beautiful song sung by Muhammad Rafi for the 1962 film *Hum Dono*. Penned by Sahir Ludhianvi and composed by Jaidev, it was made immortal by Dev Anand’s acting. Truly, a song of life.

What I like most about #Islamabad is its parks and playgrounds tucked into every corner of every sector. A keenly contested Sunday match, with a sizeable crowd watching, is a sight to behold. Sadly, in #Peshawar, children often have to play in the streets for want of proper playgrounds. Hayatabad, the only planned township of the 1980s, once had similar parks, grounds and even a golf course in its original plan. Political expediency, however, prevailed. These public spaces were sacrificed at the altar of vested interests, converted into plots to reward political cronies.

Do not accept badly made cups of tea. Do not surround yourself with people who make them. They don’t care about you. 🍵

شطرنج اور زندگی میں بڑی مماثلت ہے۔ ہر چال کا ایک نتیجہ ہوتا ہے اور ہر فیصلے میں کچھ نہ کچھ خطرہ پوشیدہ ہوتا ہے۔ کبھی آگے بڑھنے کے لیے پیچھے ہٹنا پڑتا ہے اور کبھی کسی بڑی کامیابی کے لیے چھوٹی قربانی دینی پڑتی ہے۔ ہر لڑائی لڑنا ضروری نہیں ہوتا اور نہ ہی ہر مہرے کو بچایا جا سکتا ہے۔ اصل دانائی یہ ہے کہ صبر سے کام لیا جائے، دور اندیشی سے چال چلی جائے اور مناسب وقت پر فیصلہ کیا جائے۔ زندگی کی بساط پر ہمیشہ جیتنا ہی کمال نہیں، بلکہ ہار کر بھی وقار برقرار رکھنا، غلطیوں سے سبق سیکھنا اور اگلی چال کے لیے حوصلہ قائم رکھنا ہی اصل کامیابی ہے۔

They say the person who occupies our thoughts just before we fall asleep is either the source of our greatest happiness or the one who has caused us the deepest pain. Perhaps that is why the heart remembers some people with a smile and others with a silent ache.

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark”. ~Jay Danzie

Never create genies you cannot put back in the bottle when they grow too big for their boots and start believing they are more powerful than their masters. #Pakistan

Dementia is the most distressing disease not only for the person who suffers from it but also for their loved ones. My late mother suffered from it in her later years. What hurt the most was not only her failure to recognise us but also her forgetting the memories attached to us. The only consoling thing was that, although she failed to remember us, we knew who she was. Specifically her loving care with which she brought us up.

Seeing some of my retired colleagues shabbily dressed with unshaven faces pricks me. Recently, I saw an associate at the mall wearing slippers, dressed in unpressed clothes, and sporting a grown beard. I felt sad to see a once smartly dressed man change so drastically. Wish I could tell him we have retired from service, not from life.

One of the most messed-up things the universe will ever do to you is let you meet the right person at the wrong time.

The Tri-Nation one-day series between Eng, SL and Pak at Rawalpindi will provide the home team with much-needed practice for the #WorldCup2027. The team not only have to improve bowling but also change batting strategy after recent matches in which a target of 400 runs has been set and achieved.

Found these postage stamps in my wallet which I used to keep handy for posting letters. It has been ages now since I last wrote a letter. Email has deprived us of this charm too as writing letters and waiting for the replies was so fun.

Every single word written in the paper rips your heart. A daughter having her last breakfast with her father. An only son born after 21 years never coming back. Three brothers losing their lives together. A teacher losing her mental balance after the incident. You could feel the pain. What must the parents be going through? #Peshawartragedy

The public’s sense of security is the most reliable barometer of law and order. Statistics, official claims and media presentations cannot replace what people experience in their daily lives. The real test is simple: do ordinary citizens feel safe, or do they live in fear? Security is not what the authorities claim; it is what the public feels.

The good old days of PTV. A beautiful Pashtu song sung by Jamal Shah and Shakila Naz, accompanied by the simple sounds of a harmonium and tabla, with no digital music. It takes you back in time.