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Mehr Tarar

Mehr Tarar

Pakistani Journalist

mehr.tarar@gmail.com

A former op-ed editor of Daily Times, Pakistan, and a freelance columnist.

By Mehr Tarar

Goodbye, Anam and Rushaan

What is it that drives a 26-year-old, a 20-year-old, successful, intelligent, beautiful, popular woman to death, there is no single answer.

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Will Bilawal ever become a full-fledged, standalone politician?

...And not the son in-waiting overwhelmed by the political legacy of the family?

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What is Eid-ul-Azha when you don't know where your loved ones are!

Love is what connects us all. Here, there, everywhere. In Lahore, in New York, in Palestine, in El Paso, Texas, in Yemen, in Syria, in Sudan, in Afghanistan, in Dayton, Ohio, in Quetta, in Kashmir.

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'All men are trash': How should I react to this as a mother of a son?

There are many women who do bad things, and there is no question about that. This is not a man versus woman debate.

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Triple Talaq and Halala in Islam: No, my religion doesn't approve of this

Triple talaq is more in practice today in melodramatic soap operas in Pakistan. It is a legally punishable offence and its ugliest fall-out, halala, finds no favour in the holy Quran.

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What ails Pakistan is a war of narratives. The first election in the tribal districts will finally put an end to this

For years, following the Afgan war, Pakistan fought against Pakistan. And the casualty was Pakistan.

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What's happening in Pakistan is exactly what should happen when a country gets freedom from family rules

Describe it as politics of vengeance. Face it as political victimisation. But the truth is that the process of accountability has shaken the powerful.

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A woman called Ms Lewinsky

When Monica Lewinsky says women need to tell their stories in their words, I can't agree more. I, too, faced media trial in January 2014. It's still going on.

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How cricket brings out the best of Pakistan

Imran Khan's tweet didn't just make me happy. I felt proud of being a Pakistani.

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One trolls, others clap: Don't be part of that shameless cheering mob either

If you think Saif Ali Khan shouldn't be trolled for supporting India, then shut down trolls who are body-shaming Sarfarz. Don't be selective in your outrage.

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Why Pakistani film 'Cake' reminded me of 'The God of Small Things'

'Cake' is a simple reminder of all that matters, and all that we take for granted until we don’t have it any more.

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In Pakistan, the voter living in dark houses and broken streets has the power to make or break the government

These are the voters whose opinion can be swayed by giving them regular electricity and well maintained streets. That’s all they ask for.

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View from Pakistan: Decoding Narendra Modi's victory, and the way forward now

The Modi government, despite some failures, has managed to fulfil many of its pre-2014 electoral promises. And its saffron appeal is strong and accessible.

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How Pakistan is looking at the Indian Lok Sabha elections 2019

For Pakistan, Modi’s term is marked with hyper-nationalistic Pakistan-hating in the backdrop of the unfortunate Pulwama terror attack and its warlike Balakot aftermath. Many wonder what the future now holds for bilateral ties.

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Naya Pakistan: Will it be a country of accountability?

Nothing changes in Pakistan. Today what is happening is a mere repetition of what has happened again and again.

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Why the recent 'sexist spat' in Pakistan reminds me of Game of Thrones

Winning a Twitter who-is-more-abusive battle should not be the highlight of your day.

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All men must die. But Game of Thrones is not about men and women

The real king is one. The aspirants are many.

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A giant happy face: This is what might be missing in your life

Many of those who seem to have it all live with a melancholy that is so often so well concealed that it is indiscernible to even those who are around that person.

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Hatred on social media and elsewhere: Is it all worth it? Ask yourself

Life will end. For me. For you. It is up to you what you do with it.

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Nirbhaya, Asma Aziz, Hajra Bibi: Why all real-life stories have the same thread

It is the centuries of conditioning of the masculine mind to be a caretaker, a patriarch, to be the one in control, to be the tamer, to be the dominant force.

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Christchurch terror attack: Terrorism has no religion, face or country

How many more people need to die before the world, united, will say: never again?

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Why, despite tensions between India and Pakistan, I have hope for a better world

There is a silver lining to all our recent troubles. Pakistan wishes to have a dialogue with India to resolve all issues, from Kashmir to terrorism.

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Rest in peace, Isha! What life and death teach us in just a split second

We go through life assuming there is a tomorrow. Until that one final second hits you like a bolt of lightning, and it is all over. So, why not make the most of it, while we can?

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I love my country. Why the Faizabad sit-in verdict makes me hopeful about Pakistan's tomorrow

No, the Naya Pakistan does not feel the pressure to cower in front of religious organisations.

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Imran Khan is different. Hear it from people who didn't even get PTI tickets in the last election

His day starts very early. There are hardly any breaks, and he works till late at night. The only breaks he takes are for zuhr, asar and maghrib namaz.

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Probe against Nawaz Sharif and family: No, it is not witch-hunt, it’s accountability

For all the attempts to paint Sharif as the victim and PM Imran Khan as the villain, the people of Pakistan see things, remember things — and questions things.

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Something finally changed: Why I too believe in the 'best in men', like Gillette

You can be six feet tall, eat fries and chocolates like fast food is going out of fashion, think the new girl in class is super pretty. You still know how not to feel gender-superior.

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Why the 'cricket diplomacy' between India and Pakistan makes me hopeful

One bat, one corridor, one tweet, one body of water, one speech at a time.

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'Rigged', 'selected', 'confused': A concise guide to the vocabulary of Imran Khan's critics

The main purpose of these buzzwords apart from the construction of a narrative of victimhood of Khan’s political rivals is to create an environment of negativity within Pakistan.

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How I discovered what love is

Love is the rose-scented memory of the mother you lost too early. Love is the tight, sudden hug of your son.

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