Afrah Jamal

Published in Daily Times / 23 March 2013 under the Title, Food for Thought Every year an international gourmet festival is held at a local military college that features, among other things, the best of Pakistani cuisine including traditional fare from all four provinces. The event provides a platform where regional delicacies are promoted and diversity can be celebrated. The participants dress the part and proudly proclaim their heritage; the gourmands happily savor an assortment of flavors under one banner. Having a shared heritage can pose a challenge for anyone trying to determine the origins of a Pakistani feast. Shanaz Ramzi came up with an illustrated guidebook that traces the culinary history of food found on the streets of Karachi and the ancient Silk & Spice route, all the way to the mountains of Kashmir giving Pakistani cuisine some much needed context. She is a journalist / critic / GM Publications and PR at HUM Network Ltd. and Editor of Masala TV Food ...

Published in Daily Times / 09 March 2013 under the title MISSION I(A)MPOSSIBLE Author(s) : Lorenza Raponi and Michele Zanzucchi Translated from Italian by Lorraine Buckle Reviewed by: Afrah Jamal Described as an ‘ agent of change ’ and a shining example of ‘ humanitarian Islam ’ by one author and hailed as a modern day ‘St. Francis of Assisi’ by another - the simply dressed old gentleman who sits unobtrusively in the front row is merely on a stop-over before he runs off again to save some lives. Many present at the launch of ‘Half of Two Paisas - The Extraordinary Mission of Abdul Sattar Edhi And Bilquis Edhi’ - co-authored by Lorenza Raponi and Michele Zanzucchi, are already part of the ‘Edhi’ admiration society. Lorenza and Michele met ‘The Edhis' during a trip to Pakistan in 2005. The philanthropist on the frontline of poverty who founded the Edhi Foundation and charmed the visiting Italians has been playing the part of the savior for over six decades. Ms. Raponi ...

Published in SHE Magazine / March 2013 Edited by : Bapsi Sidhwa Reviewed by : Afrah Jamal Bapsi Sidhwa is an award winning author, essayist and playwright who recently edited an anthology that takes a sweeping view of the ‘ Paris of the East ’ which is a time traveler’s guide through Lahore based on the recollections of several narrators. The montage shows the city, a survivor of world wars, under a monarchy, occupation or Raj, between dictators, a victim of pillaging and partition, and beyond. These excursions provide wonderful snapshots of Lahore - ‘ a city of untold monuments ’ at different junctures. Their collective musings used to commemorate a great city are housed within a structured format, divided into seven parts – each holding a precious set of testimonials from various eras. It is the Lahore of yore. Kipling, Faiz, Manto and Iqbal hail passerby’s - Ismat Chughtai relives the days when her book was put on trial - Manto joins the hilarious charade. Kris...