Chess and the Human Future Shariq AliValueversity The chessboard was set, and all was silent. Sixty-four squares. White and black pieces. Kings, queens, knights and pawns. The rules of the game were the same ones humanity has known for centuries.… Read More »Chess and the Human Future
The Library of Congress: Questions and Wisdom Shariq AliValueversity The entire day was devoted to exploring Washington, D.C. As planned, at around ten in the morning, we arrived by Metro at Capitol South station. A long escalator slowly carried us… Read More »The Library of Congress: Questions and Wisdom
A Voice of ChoiceIn Memory of Dr Nafis Sadik Shariq AliValueversity Pakistan in the 1950s. A young woman doctor returns home after receiving advanced medical training abroad. She is intelligent, talented, and eager to serve her patients, yet she needs… Read More »A Voice of Choice: In Memory of Dr Nafis Sadik
The Magic ShoesIn Memory of Sibte Hasan Shariq AliValueversity Karachi’s Saddar was somewhat different in those days from what it is today.Instead of multiplex cinemas and sprawling shopping malls, there were small shops, stalls selling everyday goods, lively pavements—and, among… Read More »The Magic Shoes: In Memory of Sibte Hasan
The Haunted SchoolNot Suitable for Public Exhibition Third and Final Episode Shariq AliValueversity Rabia’s question had travelled far beyond the boundaries of her village.“Why is my school closed?” When Seemab Gul gave that question the language of cinema, the story… Read More »The Haunted School: Not Suitable for Public Exhibition
The Haunted SchoolThe Real Haunting Episode Two Shariq AliValueversity In the first episode, we left Rabia standing outside the locked gates of a school.A nine-year-old girl, a schoolbag on her shoulder, a few friends beside her, and a rusty gate… Read More »The Haunted School: The Real Haunting
THE HAUNTED SCHOOLTHE LOCKED DOOR EPISODE ONE Shariq AliValueversity Morning sunlight falls across an unpaved road. Rabia and a few of her friends are walking along with schoolbags on their shoulders. Nine-year-old Rabia is a few steps ahead of the… Read More »THE HAUNTED SCHOOL: THE LOCKED DOOR
The Empty AuditoriumUmar Khalid, Students, and the Right to Dissent Shariq AliValueversity A discussion about a book was scheduled to take place at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. The book was titled The Prisoner of Conscience, and its author was… Read More »The Empty Auditorium: Umar Khalid, Students, and the Right to Dissent
Healer of Society’s Wounds Dr Samia Syed Tariq Shariq AliValueversity It is August 2023 in Karachi. A new medical unit is about to be inaugurated in a section of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital. Its purpose is not to treat… Read More »Healer of Society’s Wounds
Every Region Has Its Own Book The Fourth and Final Story Shariq AliValueversity SECMOL (Sonam Wangchuk’s educational institute, Ladakh) It was my last day here. I stood on the edge of a hill, looking down at the valley spread out… Read More »Every Region Has Its Own Book