The Free Traveller Shariq AliValueversity There is a peculiar rhythm to an Amsterdam morning. When the city awakens, it does not feel as though the night has ended. Rather, it is as if someone has gently breathed movement into a… Read More »The Free Traveller
The Joy of Work Shariq AliValueversity There is a porter at our hospital. Let us call him Robert. I have watched him work for nearly fifteen years. His position is hardly prominent on the hospital’s organisational chart, nor are there… Read More »The Joy of Work
A Life Beyond Measuring Up Shariq AliValueversity Until the fifth grade, we went to the same school. We were close friends. Then our paths diverged, we moved to different schools, and for nearly three years we did not see each… Read More »A Life Beyond Measuring Up
The Vienna Coffee HouseLiterary Non-Fiction Shariq AliValueversity The heat in the streets of Vienna that afternoon was more intense than usual. The young man had been wandering aimlessly through the city for hours. Sometimes he would stop in the shade… Read More »The Vienna Coffee House, Literary Non-Fiction
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