Zahida HinaWords Are Not Silent Shariq AliValueversity It was during my medical college days, and I was part of the organising committee for our annual mushaira, or poetry symposium. We were in the process of inviting poets such as Dilawar… Read More »Zahida Hina: Words Are Not Silent
From a Street-Corner Bicycle Shop to the Whispers of the Universe Shariq AliValueversity A small bicycle repair shop at the corner of a street. An ordinary scene in Karachi. A ten-year-old girl arrived with her bicycle to have it repaired.… Read More »From a Street-Corner Bicycle Shop to the Whispers of the Universe
The Age of Abundance Shariq AliValueversity One morning in 2035. Dr Haris opens his eyes. At the slightest movement of his eyelids, the curtains in his room have already drawn themselves open. Outside, the gentle September sunlight spreads across the… Read More »The Age of Abundance
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