Articles - Haroon Khalid

River of Love, Outlook Traveller. February 20, 2024.
Lahore Resolutions! The News on Sunday. December 31, 2023.
From Khalistan to tourism dollars: Pakistan’s love-hate ties with its Sikhs. Al Jazeera. November 25, 2023.
How do we decolonize journalism? Al Jazeera. March 14, 2023.
Casualties of Partition – telling the story of Zainab and Boota. Al Jazeera. August 15, 2022.
Should artists have a say about who gets to review their work? Al Jazeera. June 30, 2022.
How should we talk about Pakistan. Al Jazeera. January 24, 2022.
I see Bollywood as a connection to home. It lately sees me as a villain. CBC. November 10, 2021.
When journalists are blind to their privilege, the ‘true’ story may not be told. Al Jazeera. October 24, 2021.
Lahore and Amritsar: Two cities joined at birth are dying together. Scroll.in. April 18, 2021
How colonialism eroded Pakistan’s history of religious fluidity. Al Jazeera. April 13, 2021.
Dear Abu: ‘You’ve never been able to read my work, but I know you are proud of me’. MacLean’s. February 5, 2021.
Jinnah was right. But Pakistan has a long way to go. TRT World. August 14, 2020.
Pakistan’s Move to Ban Textbooks Is a Bid to End Discussion on Nuances. The Wire.in. August 4, 2020.
Putting the attacks on Islamabad’s first Hindu temple in context. Al Jazeera. July 23, 2020.
By demonising Hindus, Pakistan’s nationalist history overlooks colonial atrocities. Scroll.in. July 4, 2020.
Time to rescue South Asia’s Muslims and Sikhs from Divide-and-rule Historiography. The Wire.in. June 8, 2020.
What the debate around bin Qasim and Raja Dahir tell us about Pakistan and Nationalism. The Wire. May 13, 2020.
Why is Pakistan having a tough time with its mosques. The Wire.in. May 4, 2020.
What Happens When a Travel Writer Looks Only Through the Camera? The Wire.in. February 23, 2020.
Nankana Sahib Is the Undoing of Kartarpur’s Movement Towards an Inclusive Pakistani Identity. The Wire.in. January 12, 2020.
The Muslim who saved a Hindu temple from a mob in Pakistan. Al Jazeera. December 6, 2019.
How the Babri Masjid Demolition Upended Tenuous Inter-Religious Ties in Pakistan, The Wire.in. November 14, 2019.
Guru Nanak and the promise of an inclusive Pakistan. Al Jazeera. November 11, 2019.
Ranjit Singh’s Statue in Lahore Uproots the Colonial Narrative of Muslim-Sikh Strife. The Wire.in. July 31, 2019.
Why Pakistan’s historical heroes are India’s villains and vice versa. TRT World. July 17, 2019.
Standing alone inside the fort. The Wire.in. July 11, 2019.
What is a Pakistani Muslim writer (not) supposed to write about? Scroll.in. May 22, 2019.
Lahore: The May 8 suicide bombing outside the Data Darbar shrine was an assault on the city’s soul. Scroll.in. May 14, 2019.
An Easter tale: Remembering a Pakistani priest who gave his life to save Christians from persecution. Scroll.in. April 24, 2019.
How a Lahore landmark named for a British radical came to be linked with Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Scroll.in. April 18, 2019.
Destroying nature to build the Kartarpur Corridor is no way to celebrate Guru Nanak. Scroll.in. April 8, 2019.
A short history of ordinary Pakistanis’ love-hate relationship with Narendra Modi. Scroll.in. April 1, 2019.
As Pakistan investigates abduction of Hindu girls, it could learn some lessons from New Zealand. Scroll.in. March 29, 2019.
The furore around Pakistan’s Aurat March still hasn’t died down. Here’s what critics won’t admit. Scroll.in. March 21, 2019.
For Partition migrants, ugly nationalism in India and Pakistan is stealing their histories. Scroll.in. March 11, 2019.
Pakistan’s Balakot is linked to puritanical Islam – but it also has a syncretic religious tradition. Scroll.in. March 4, 2019.
What’s common in the attacks in India on Kashmiris and violence in Pakistan against Hindus, Sikhs? Scroll.in. February 25, 2019.
How the Chishti Sufi order indigenised Islam in South Asia by reinterpreting Hindu traditions. Scroll.in. February 19, 2019.
Why there’s nothing wrong if Valentine’s Day becomes part of Pakistan’s culture. Scroll.in. February 14, 2019.
This Pakistani shrine received offerings of phallic symbols for ages. But now they are deemed vulgar. Scroll.in. February 3, 2019.
As Pakistan decides against reviving Basant festival, Lahore loses another cultural marker. Scroll.in. January 27, 2019.
Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh: How did the attire of the Sikh gurus change so dramatically? Scroll.in. January 18, 2019.
A forgotten shrine in a village near Lahore stands witness to the havoc wreaked by Ahmed Shah Abdali. Scroll.in. January 4, 2019.
The legend of Pakistan’s saint of fertility shows how Islam adopted South Asia’s cultic traditions. Scroll.in. December 21, 2018.
The story of lost heritage. The News on Sunday. December 16, 2018.
How old is Lahore? The clues lie in a blend of historical fact and expedient legend. Scroll.in. December 15, 2018.
The opening of the Kartarpur Corridor shows us what has been there along. Dawn.com. December 3, 2018.
Seeing Guru Nanak’s spiritual life in Pakistan’s gurdwaras. The Tribune. December 2, 2018.
Kartarpur: Along world’s most dangerous border, these gurdwaras could be made part of peace corridor. Scroll.in. November 30, 2018.
In the story of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardan lies the essential message of Sikhism. Scroll.in. November 23, 2018.
Sohni to Sahiban: How Chenab, the river of love, flows seamlessly from one legend to another. Scroll.in. November 16, 2018.
From Bulleh Shah to Asia Bibi, caste discrimination still runs deep in Pakistan’s Punjab. Scroll.in. November 9, 2018.
Allahabad renamed: how ‘correction’ of ‘historical injustices’ reveals problematic narratives. Dawn.com. October 31, 2018.
Conventional gender roles give rise to anxiety, self-doubt. Scroll.in. October 26, 2018.
Did the Lahore of author Pran Nevile die with him last week? Scroll.in. October 19, 2018.
With his ashes immersed in the Ravi in Pakistan, Kuldip Nayar becomes one with the river’s legends. Scroll.in. October 12, 2018.
Women not allowed: How patriarchy rules Pakistan’s Sufi shrines that also celebrate the feminine. Scroll.in. October 5, 2018.
As the Koreas take a step towards peace while India and Pakistan falter, a comparison is simplistic. Scroll.in. September 28, 2018.
Backlash against appointment of Ahmadi economist shows there’s nothing new about Naya Pakistan. Scroll.in. September 21, 2018.
Pakistan Coke Studio’s latest season teased a televised revolution – but it soon fizzled out. Scroll.in. September 14, 2018.
The legacy of Guru Nanak lives on in four historic gurdwaras in Pakistan’s Punjab. Scroll.in. September 7, 2018.
If Pakistan shuns the term ‘Ancient India’ in its history books, is it entirely to blame? Scroll.in. August 31, 2018.
In Pakistan, appreciation of Indus Valley Civilisation ties in with attempts to erase its Hindu past. Scroll.in. August 24, 2018.
In Lahore’s shadow lie the remnants of a great multicultural city lost to Partition. Scroll.in. August 17, 2018.
Does Imran Khan’s victory in the Pakistan elections herald the rise of a new Takht-e-Lahore? Scroll.in. August 10, 2018.
The two worlds of Pakistani culture – one that abuses animals and another that holds them sacred. Scroll.in. August 3, 2018.
‘Any friend of Modi’s is a traitor’: Anti-India rhetoric played a role in Pakistan elections. Scroll.in. July 27, 2018.
From Mughal times to today’s poll-bound Pakistan, the battle of legacies goes way back. Scroll.in. July 20, 2018.
Criticism for Imran Khan over Sufi shrine visit shows religion is not a personal matter in Pakistan. Scroll.in. July 6, 2018.
How a valiant Sikh woman ruler helped Ranjit Singh rise from a chieftain to the Maharaja of Punjab. Scroll.in. June 29, 2018.
With Pakistan’s rivers dying, are its ancient cities running out of time? Scroll.in. June 22, 2018.
Born of 1857 war, the British legacy of divide and rule still holds sway in India, Pakistan today. Scroll.in. June 15, 2018.
A Sikh leader’s murder in Peshawar has dealt a blow to Pakistan’s narrative of inter-faith harmony. Scroll.in. June 9, 2018.
Pakistan merging its tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a good time to debate our colonial past. Scroll.in. June 1, 2018.
From Guru Hargobind to Guru Gobind Singh: How the Sikh community militarised to take on the Mughals. Scroll.in. May 25, 2018.
In Pakistan, students are fighting sexual abuse – and a culture of silence and honour. Scroll.in. May 18, 2018.
This village near Lahore serves as a reminder of Sikhism’s diverse past. Scroll.in. May 11, 2018.
As Pakistan promotes its ancient Buddhist heritage, silence surrounding its Hindu culture is telling. Scroll.in. May 4, 2018.
The 1915 Ghadar plan to free India from the British was a failure – but it sparked a revolution. Scroll.in. April 27, 2018.
Lahore owes Hindu philanthropist Ganga Ram more than it would care to admit. Scroll.in. April 20, 2018.
Lost in Partition, the Sikh-Muslim connection come alive in the tale of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana. Scroll.in. April 13, 2018.
First Anglo-Sikh War: In 1845, a vengeful queen plotted the fall of the mighty Khalsa Army. Scroll.in. April 6, 2018.
What several South Asian religious traditions have in common with Zoroastrianism. Scroll.in. March 30, 2018.
How Bhagat Singh helped Jawaharlal Nehru push the Congress to demand complete independence. Scroll.in. March 23, 2018.
Poet of the people. Scroll.in. March 16, 2018.
For Pakistan’s Bengali babas, Hindu djinns are always evil. Scroll.in. March 9, 2018.
Punjab, the Urdu literary hub of Pakistan, is slowly waking up to its lost Punjabi identity. Scroll.in. March 2, 2018.
Faiz Ahmed Faiz: Pakistan’s symbol of revolution is today a universal symbol of peace, democracy. Scroll.in. February 23, 2018.
In the land of Heer: What does fighting Valentine’s Day have to do with saving Pakistan’s culture? Scroll.in. February 16, 2018.
Basant: A eulogy to Lahore’s greatest festival that may soon be a fading memory. Scroll.in. February 9, 2018.
View from Pakistan: ‘Padmaavat’ puts together every stereotype of Muslims in India. Scroll.in. February 2, 2018.
Republic Day story: On Ravi’s banks, a pledge that shaped the course of modern India 88 years ago. Scroll.in. January 26, 2018.
The Ravi river has run dry in Lahore. But this monument stands as a reminder of its Mughal past. Scroll.in. January 19, 2018.
On Lohri, remembering Dulla Bhatti, the landlord who stood up to the mighty Akbar. Scroll.in. January 12, 2018.
How Pakistani Sikhs fleeing the Taliban made the city of Nankana Sahib a cultural hub. Scroll.in. January 7, 2018.
Pakistan remembers its Sufi saints fondly. But why has it forgotten their progressive values? Scroll.in. December 29, 2017.
Katas Raj temple complex is a sad monument to Pakistan’s unease with its Hindu heritage. Scroll.in. December 22, 2017.
Skewed priorities: Lahore’s orange train project stands for all that Nawaz Sharif’s party represents. Scroll.in. December 15, 2017.
Ayodhya parallel: A gurdwara in Lahore was at the core of a bitter battle between Sikhs and Muslims. Scroll.in. December 6, 2017.
The Pakistan protest that brought the government to its knees, and the changing face of Sufi culture. Scroll.in. December 1, 2017.
The revolutionary Udham Singh is just one of the many faces of Punjabi identity. Scroll.in. November 24, 2017.
The legacy of Lala Lajpat Rai: Remembering a fierce nationalist who forever changed India’s politics. Scroll.in. November 17, 2017.
How Nanak’s Muslim followers in Pakistan never abandoned Kartarpur Sahib, his final resting place. Scroll.in. November 10, 2017.
Guru Nanak, Wali Qandhari and other stories about how the city of Hasan Abdal in Pakistan got water. Scroll.in. November 3, 2017.
Sufi traditions, a Sikh past and Islamic influences come together in a Christian shrine in Pakistan. Scroll.in. October 27, 2017.
These banyan trees are proof of Pakistan’s roots in inter-religious peace and harmony. Scroll.in. October 20, 2017.
Over cups of tea and conversation at Pak Tea House, Lahore emerged as a cultural capital. Scroll.in. October 13, 2017.
A gnarled tree in a Lahore shrine bears witness to a tradition that puritans are bent upon uprooting. Scroll.in. October 6, 2017.
Piro Preman, the Punjabi Sufi poet who pushed the boundaries of sexuality with her verses. Scroll.in. September 29, 2017.
The 1857 fire of revolt failed to singe Punjab, save for Ahmad Khan Kharral’s short-lived rebellion. Scroll.in. September 22, 2017.
A Partition narrative overrides Pakistan’s colonial past, but traces of the British era remain. Scroll.in. September 15, 2017.
Heer-Ranjha and Sohni-Mahiwal, the love legends from Punjab that turned gender roles on their head. Scroll.in. September 8, 2017.
Despite Mughal-Sikh conflicts, inclusion of Muslim poets in Guru Granth Saheb is proof of close tie. Scroll.in. September 1, 2017.
Lahore saw the birth of Nawaz Sharif’s career. Does his homecoming rally there mark its end? Scroll.in. August 25, 2017.
How Pakistan misconstrued the two-nation theory in its quest for an identity. Scroll.in. August 14, 2017.
How Lahore came to claim the rebellious and gifted Mughal princess Zeb-un-Nisa as its own. Scroll.in. August 11, 2017.
What’s in a name? In Pakistan, it could be an attempt to deface (and reclaim) history. Scroll.in. August 4, 2017.
Pakistan past and present. Scroll.in. July 28, 2017.
Hindu past in an Islamic country. Scroll.in. July 21, 2017.
On Guru Purnima, a Pakistani writer’s tribute to his teachers. Scroll.in. July 16, 2017.
Pakistan’s Sikh heritage could be a bridge to peace, if not bound by its hostile ties with India. Scroll.in. July 7, 2017.
How a Hindu temple was renovated by a Muslim and a Sufi shrine revamped by a Sikh in Pakistan. Scroll.in. June 30, 2017.
Folk Islamic traditions are dying out in Pakistan. Scroll.in. June 16, 2017.
Intrigue, manipulation, deception: How Guru Arjan’s brother put up a serious challenge against him. Scroll.in. June 9, 2017.
Emulating Nehru. Scroll.in. June 2, 2017.
Takht-e-Babri, the first Mughal construction in the subcontinent, is grand only in name. Scroll.in. May 26, 2017.
Pakistan’s ancient Shiva temple at Katas Raj has a rich non-Hindu heritage, now lost forever. Scroll.in. May 19, 2017.
A Partition tragedy. Scroll.in. May 12, 2017.
Pakistan Paradox. Scroll.in. May 6, 2017.
Celebrating Baisakhi at a Hindu shrine in Pakistan. Scroll.in. April 28, 2017.
How Sikhism changed from Nanak to Gobind Singh. Scroll.in. April 21, 2017.
How the Bhakti tradition’s celebration of Radha-Krishna is like Sufism’s exaltation of Heer-Ranjha. Scroll.in. April 14, 2017.
De-mystifying the diamond. The News on Sunday. April 9, 2017.
How Lahore, the city that once propelled Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to greatness, also led to his undoing. Scroll.in. April 7, 2017.
Lahore’s ‘festival of lights’. Scroll.in. March 31, 2017.
Bhagat Singh lives on in Pakistan today. Scroll.in. March 23, 2017.
Both colour and memories of Holi have faded from Pakistan’s Multan, where the festival was born. Scroll.in. March 17, 2017.
Power of symbols. Scroll.in. March 10, 2017.
Tracing the journey of Pakistan’s Hindus through Shivratri at the Katas Raj shrine. Scroll.in. March 3, 2017.
Why Pakistani officials do not want to believe that Thursday’s blast in Lahore was a terror attack. Scroll.in. February 25, 2017.
How a gurdwara in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib preserved and promoted Punjabi for centuries. Scroll.in. February 24, 2017.
Pakistan suicide bombing: Why ISIS feels so threatened by Sindh’s Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine. Scroll.in. February 17, 2017.
As Pakistan cracks down on love, hate makes deeper inroads into the country. Scroll.in. February 17, 2017.
A world without the written world. Scroll.in. February 10, 2017.
A writer goes in search of Guru Nanak’s legacy in Pakistan. Outlook India. February 8, 2017.
Has Lahore forgotten why January 26 was chosen as India’s Republic Day? Scroll.in. February 3, 2017.
The tale of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Aurangzeb embodies the simplification of Sikh-Mughal history. Scroll.in. January 27, 2017.
Revisiting the miraculous deeds and words of Guru Nanak in Pakistan’s Nankana Sahib. Scroll.in. January 20, 2017.
As Pakistan marches to modern time, the winter festival of Lohri falls off the calendar. Scroll.in. January 13, 2017.
At Pakistan’s folk shrines, glimpses of how the subcontinent has indigenised Islam and Christianity. Scroll.in. January 6, 2017.
A visit to Pakistan’s Eimanabad, where Guru Nanak once stayed, throws new light on Babur’s legacy. Scroll.in. January 2, 2017.
Burnt after Babri attack, this Pakistani temple now celebrates Christmas with as much joy as Diwali. Scroll.in. December 23, 2016.
Searching for fragments of Hindu temples dedicated to goddesses in and around Lahore. Scroll.in. December 16, 2016.
In Pakistan, voices of tolerance are clamouring to be heard amid the dominant extremist rhetoric. Scroll.in. December 9, 2016.
Shivaji the great to Aurangzeb the terrible. Scroll.in. December 2, 2016.
Ignoring the Sikh-Islam history of friendship, Pakistan bans Muslims from gurdwaras. Scroll.in. November 25, 2016.
In Pakistan, first the State went after its Hindu past. Now militants are going after Sufi shrines. Scroll.in. November 18, 2016.
Poet, rebel, political adviser. Scroll.in. November 11, 2016.
In Pakistan, the efforts of a few have preserved fragments of forgotten Hindu links. Scroll.in. November 4, 2016.
How did Pakistan, where Punjabi literature was born, come to shun the language? Scroll.in. October 29, 2016.
In Pakistan, a move to ban dance classes, a clamour for India to return Mohenjo-Daro dancing girl. Scroll.in. October 21, 2016.
How the media in India and Pakistan created a war where there wasn’t one. Scroll.in. October 16, 2016.
India and Pakistan will be left poorer without a cross-border exchange of films and artists. Scroll.in. October 7, 2016.
The language curse. Scroll.in. October 2, 2016.
And quiet flows the Indus. Scroll.in. September 24, 2016.
To escape Partition violence in Lahore, these Hindus and Sikhs converted to Christianity. Scroll.in. September 16, 2016.
Why Pakistan’s Hindus, Sikhs and Christians came out to protest against Narendra Modi last week. Scroll.in. September 9, 2016.
Sacred geography. Scroll.in. September 4, 2016.
Lahore’s iconic mosque stood witness to two historic moments where tolerance gave way to brutality. Scroll.in. August 26, 2016.
Beyond Harappa: Pakistanis struggle with the paradox of their Indian heritage. Scroll.in. August 24, 2016.
A tale of two countries, two Gandhis, and two days that should be mourned – not just celebrated. Scroll.in. August 14, 2016.
Lahore metro. Scroll.in. August 5, 2016.
Thinning the herd. The Caravan. July 31, 2016.
Pakistan cheered when Musharraf was overthrown. Why, then, has democracy fallen out of favour? Scroll.in. July 29, 2016.
How the murder of Qandeel Baloch is tied to the tragedy of Heer-Ranjha. Scroll.in. July 22, 2016.
As the world wakes up to educated Islamic militants, Pakistan needs to secularise learning. Scroll.in. July15, 2016.
Abdul Sattar Edhi. Scroll.in. July 9, 2016.
From Myanmar’s Rohingyas to Pakistan’s Ahmadis, how nations change names to oppress minority groups. Scroll.in. July 8, 2016.
Driving down the Multan Road Highway, exploring Pakistan’s Sikh heritage. Scroll.in. July 1, 2016.
From Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain to Amir Khusro, same-sex references abound in Islamic Sufi poetry. Scroll.in. June 17, 2016.
Metres apart, these two memorials in Lahore mark contrasting moments in Sikh history. Scroll.in. June 10, 2016.
For the third gender, Pakistani shrine is oasis of acceptance in a land where discrimination is rife. Scroll.in. June 3, 2016.
Muslims who can’t say they worship in a mosque. Scroll.in. May 28, 2016.
1857 Revolt. Scroll.in. May 20, 2016.
In Lahore, overflowing garbage marks the spot where the final blow was dealt to the Sikh Empire. Scroll.in. May 13, 2016.
Beyond blasphemy. Scroll.in. May 6, 2016.
Malangi and Nizam Lohar, the Robin Hoods who ruled the forests of Pakistan Punjab. Scroll.in. April 29, 2016.
Three decades since his secretive hanging, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s legend continues to grow. Scroll.in. April 22, 2016.
A Gurdwara opens after seven decades in Peshawar as city’s Sikhs struggle for survival. Scroll.in. April 14, 2016.
Lahore’s storied Chauburji faces threat from metro-train project. Scroll.in. April 7, 2016.
Untold stories of Sri Lanka. Express Tribune. March 26, 2016.
Pro-Qadri protests. Scroll.in. March 29, 2016.
A travelogue par excellence. The News on Sunday. March 27, 2016.
A piece of cloth ties three distinct religious traditions together in Pakistan. Scroll.in. March 23, 2016.
A Sufi saint and a murderer. Scroll.in. March 16, 2016.
What a shrine with dogs reveals about the state of puritan Islam in Pakistan. Scroll.in. March 9, 2016.
Are Pakistani authors doing justice by writing in English? Dawn.com. February 24, 2016.
Untold story of Kerala’s past. Express Tribune. February 13, 2016.
Pakistan’s Sufi dervishes, Digambar Jain Monks and Udasi Sadhus. Sutra Journal. January 2016.
Why Indian identity would collapse without the existence of Pakistan. Scroll.in. January 17, 2016.
Royal Kohinoor. Dawn.com. November 16, 2015.
Beyond shiny houses. Dawn.com. November 10, 2015.
The naked ascetics. Scroll.in. November 8, 2015.
Ruins of gurudwaras blur the lines on the India-Pakistan border. Scroll.in. October 25, 2015.
A visit to Bhagat Singh’s Lahore. Scroll.in. October 11, 2015.
These temples in Pakistan are now madrasas. Scroll.in. September 27, 2015.
Sufi shrines, Nanak’s gurdwara and ancient cities lie hidden in the heart of Lahore. Scroll.in. September 20, 2015.
Nation and identity. Scroll.in. August 9, 2015.
Travel tales. Scroll.in. August 17, 2014.
Contesting history. Scroll.in. July 15, 2014.
In my dreams. The News on Sunday. July 13, 2014.
Syncretic tales. Scroll.in. June 14, 2014.
Mai Kolachi and after. The News on Sunday. May 4, 2014.
Locating Kafirkot. The Friday Times. April 11, 2014.
My favorite souvenir. The News on Sunday. March 16, 2014.
Muslims at a Buddhist monastery. The Friday Times. December 20, 2013.
‘There are Taliban ahead’. The Friday Times. October 18, 2013.
Relevance of history. The News on Sunday. October 13, 2013.
Sacred space. The Friday Times. September 27, 2013.
Before leaving home…on four wheels. The News on Sunday. September 15, 2013.
Before the conversion. The News on Sunday. July 7, 2013.
Simply Divine. The Friday Times. July 5, 2013.
Satgarah’s secret legend. The News on Sunday. June 2, 2013.
What’s in a name? The Friday Times. May 31, 2013.
A city of love. The News on Sunday. April 14, 2013.
The Sri Lankan lesson. The News on Sunday. March 17, 2013.
Save the last mound. The Friday Times. March 8, 2013.
Star-struck with a white Mughal. The News on Sunday. March 3, 2013.
Signals at the border. The Friday Times. March 1, 2013.
Verses of peace. The News on Sunday. February 24, 2013.
The saint who loved horses. The Friday Times. February 15, 2013.
Boundaries of love. The News on Sunday. February 10, 2013.
Forbidden loves. The Friday Times. January 25, 2013.
Saving history. Himal Magazine. January 14, 2013.
Strangers on the bus. The News on Sunday. January 6, 2013.
Sarais of the Multan Road. The Friday Times. January 4, 2013.
In conversation with Aliya Rasheed. Herald. December 2012.
What’s in a name? Herald. December 2012.
The horse shrine. The Friday Times. November 16, 2012.
A Gandhi for Pakistan. The Friday Times. October 26, 2012.
Before the show begins. The News on Sunday. October 21, 2012.
Babar’s bondage. The Friday Times. October 12, 2012.
He left me in ruins.The Friday Times. September 28, 2012.
Shrine of the Walking Tree. The Friday Times. September 14, 2012.
Man behind the archives. The News on Sunday. August 26, 2012.
The spy who knew too much. The Friday Times. August 17, 2012.
A tale of two cities. The Friday Times. July 20, 2012.
The unburied saint. The Friday Times. July 6, 2012.
The martyrs of Maraka. The Friday Times. June 22, 2012.
The child-giving saint. The Friday Times. June 8, 2012.
Badnaam becoming popular. The News on Sunday. May 27, 2012.
A walk around Dipalpur. The Friday Times. May 25, 2012.
A bit of kinnow-how. The News on Sunday. May 20, 2012.
The last stand. The Friday Times. May 11, 2012.
“Manto should be read widely”. The News on Sunday. May 6, 2012.
The sweet-loving saint. The Friday Times. May 4, 2012.
Chronicles of a death foretold. The Friday Times. April 20, 2012.
The fight goes on. The News on Sunday. April 1, 2012.
Cultural side of Kharak. The News on Sunday. March 11, 2012.
The half witnesses. The Friday Times. March 9, 2012.
Where dreams were given a life. The News on Sunday. March 4, 2012.
The story of Nawa Kot and Choti Chuburji. The News on Sunday. February 19, 2012.
The cult of Malangi. The Friday Times. January 27, 2012.
Among the believers. The Friday Times. December 23, 2011.
A lost mausoleum. The News on Sunday. December 11, 2011.
The people’s voice. The Friday Times. December 9, 2011.
Tabarakat of Muharram. The News on Sunday. December 4, 2011.
A symbol of Lahore. The News on Sunday. November 27, 2011.
Festival Time. The News on Sunday. November 20, 2011.
Baby I love your way. The Friday Times. October 28, 2011.
No peace for Shanti Nagar. The Friday Times. October 21, 2011.
Baha’is in the city. The News on Sunday. October 16, 2011.
No place like home. The News on Sunday. October 2, 2011.
The bibiyan in the city. The News on Sunday. September 25, 2011.
Tongue tied. The Friday Times. September 2, 2011.
Where should the mad woman go? Himal South Asian. August, 2011.
Crossing over – Part III. The Friday Times. August 12, 2011.
Crossing over – Part II. The Friday Times. July 29, 2011.
Crossing over – Part I. The Friday Times. July 22, 2011.
From Guru Arjun to Ranjit Singh. The News on Sunday. July 24, 2011.
Ayaz and Lahore. The News on Sunday. July 17, 2011.
Celebrating Vaisakhi at Ram Thamman II. The Express Tribune Magazine. July 10, 2011.
Celebrating Vaisakhi at Ram Thamman. The Express Tribune Magazine. July 3, 2011.
The law of the market. The Friday Times. July 1, 2011.
Forever red. The Friday Times. June 24, 2011.
On shaky grounds. The News on Sunday. June 19, 2011.
Cats and the mazaar. The News on Sunday. June 5, 2011.
The Way of the Gurus – Part III, The Friday Times, May 20, 2011.
The Way of the Gurus – Part II. The Friday Times. May 13, 2011.
The Way of the Gurus – Part I. The Friday Times. May 6, 2011.
Between music and the machine. The News on Sunday. May 8, 2011.
Contentious calendars. The Express Tribune. May 8, 2011.
A prophecy come true. The News on Sunday. May 1, 2011.
Muslim bodies, Hindu spirits. The Friday Times. April 29, 2011.
Holi’s home. The Friday Times. April 15, 2011.
In the name of Bhagat Singh. The Friday Times. April 8, 2011.
Between two worlds. The Express Tribune. March 20, 2011.
The marriage made in heaven. The Friday Times. March 18, 2011.
House in a temple. The News on Sunday. January 9, 2011.
Together forever. The Friday Times. January 7, 2011.
Mosques, temples or mere structures. The News on Sunday. January 2, 2011.
The impure in the land of pure. The News on Sunday. December 12, 2010.
No love for Nanak. The Friday Times. December 10, 2010.
The story of a temple. The Express Tribune. December 4, 2010.
The forgotten fight. The Friday Times. November 19, 2010.
What the Baba ordered. The News on Sunday. November 14, 2010.
Celebrating Valmiki. The News on Sunday. November 7, 2010.
Ram, Laxman and Ravan – II. The Friday Times. October 29, 2010.
The folklore of Chunian. The Express Tribune. October 28, 2010.
The nanehal of Nanak. The Friday Times. October 22, 2010.
Reliving 1992. The News on Sunday. October 17, 2010.
Baba’s footsteps. The News on Sunday. October 3, 2010.
Keepers of tradition. The Friday Times. September 24, 2010.
A leaf from history. The News on Sunday. September 19, 2010.
Grabbing the Guru’s legacy. The Friday Times. September 3, 2010.
Partition and the Mughals. Daily Times. July 15, 2010.
Nanghe Sadhu. The News on Sunday. July 11, 2010.
The great Kikkar Singh. The News on Sunday. June 13, 2010.
Popular with the people, forgotten by the State. The News on Sunday. June 7, 2010.
Shaheed-e-Muhabbat. The News on Sunday. May 30, 2010.
Symbol of a revolution. The News on Sunday. May 16, 2010.
A forgotten hero. The News on Sunday. April 25, 2010.
Harvest Time. The News on Sunday. April 18, 2010.
Soft targets. The News on Sunday. April 11, 2010.
Bhutto or Saint? The News on Sunday. April 4, 2010.
In Bhagat Singh’s memory. The News on Sunday. March 28, 2010.
Common tradition. The News on Sunday. March 7, 2010.
Padahana and its perpetual chief. The News on Sunday. February 7, 2010.
Unexplored heritage. The News on Sunday. January 3, 2010.
Off the people. The News on Sunday. November 29, 2009.
The holy pets. The News on Sunday. November 8, 2009.
Where the land changes its nationality. The News on Sunday. October 11, 2009.
Partly preserved. The News on Sunday. September 13, 2009.
Rethinking the modern woman. The News. August 18, 2009.
The emperor was here. The News on Sunday. July 26, 2009.
Off the record. The News on Sunday. July 5, 2009.
A living encyclopedia.The News on Sunday. June 14, 2009.
The politics of guruhood. The News on Sunday. May 17, 2009.
His very own world of images. The News on Sunday. May 10, 2009.
The town’s got history. The News on Sunday. May 3, 2009.
One of the oldest buildings in Lahore. The News on Sunday. April 12, 2009.
Temple wrought with stories. The News on Sunday. April 5, 2009.
Layers of history. The News on Sunday. March 22, 2009.
Present without a past. The News on Sunday. March 15, 2009.
I am the Banyan Tree. The News on Sunday. January 11, 2009.
Bhagat Singh’s village. The Post. December 15, 2008.
A visit to Nankana Sahib. The Post. December 8, 2008.
Bahadur Zafar Jang. The Post. December 1, 2008.
Kos Minars, a mile to the past. The Post. October 27, 2008.
Samadhi of Bava Jhengardh Shah Alias Suthr. The Post. October 20, 2008.
Samadhi of Basti Ram in shambles. The Post. September 22, 2008.
The baradari of Shah Bilawal. The Post. August 5, 2008.
Depredation of historical monuments. The Post. July 22, 2008.
Bhadar Kali Mandar. The Post. June 9, 2008.
Lethal evaluation system and GPAs. The Post. May 27, 2008.