How independent Pakistan’s search for a music of its own made the qawwali popular on the radio

An excerpt from ‘Soul Rivals: State, Militant and Pop Sufism in Pakistan’, by Nadeem Farooq Paracha.

Nadeem Farooq Paracha

· Feb 18, 2020 · 07:30 am

How Jinnah’s liberal Pakistan was turned into a conservative Islamic state

Since independence, politicians faced with economic and political failure have used the ‘religious card’ to create a frenzy and distract from real issues.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Oct 16, 2019 · 01:30 pm

The curious history of prohibition (and alcohol consumption) in Pakistan

An excerpt from journalist Nadeem Farooq Paracha’s new collection of essays on Pakistani culture and history.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Jun 19, 2018 · 08:30 am

‘Eye to Eye’ to ‘Jab Sey Hoi Mohabbat’: The six most memorable Pakistani pop songs of all time

What led to their fame?

Nadeem F Paracha

· Jul 11, 2017 · 08:30 pm

Remembering three decades of friendship with Aamir Zaki, Pakistan’s unsung guitar hero

The writer reflects on his association with Aamir Zaki, from his days in band The Scratch to his turn in Coke Studio.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Jun 04, 2017 · 09:30 pm

Back to the start: Revisiting the past of India, Pakistan (and this writer) in Mohenjo-Daro ruins

Mohenjo-Daro was one of the largest cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation which spanned much of what today is Pakistan.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Feb 28, 2017 · 08:30 pm

In pictures: The historic moments that have shaped Pakistan

Various highs and lows in the country's history.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Jan 16, 2017 · 07:30 pm

'Doh pal ka jeewan': Remembering Junaid Jamshed, the voice of a generation

The Pakistani singer and preacher died in a plane crash last week.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Dec 13, 2016 · 07:30 pm

The first man on the moon was a Muslim warrior and other facts that India, Pakistan have been hiding

Presenting the histories and profiles of men that the two governments have kept secret.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Oct 22, 2016 · 07:30 pm

The rise and steep fall of Mirza Aslam Baig, Pakistan's 'General Glasnost'

Messiahs often arrive from the military as panaceas, but their end is often inglorious.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Oct 05, 2016 · 11:30 pm

The colourful history of the Pakistani passport

The Pakistani passport has been a mirror of the persistent existentialist tussle in the country itself.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Sep 21, 2016 · 08:30 pm

The forgotten past: Sir Syed and the birth of Muslim nationalism in South Asia

Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was the intellectual pioneer of the sense of community among Muslims, of which Pakistan nationalism is a direct outcome.

Nadeem F Paracha

· Aug 21, 2016 · 08:30 pm