The Pakistan Experience

Kesava Menon comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss his book, "Never Tell Them We Are The Same People: Notes on Pakistan" - on this episode we discuss the SCO, Indo-Pak Relations, the possibility of peace and friendship between the countries, and how India is changing.

Kesava Menon is an analyst and writer on political affairs. He was The Hindu’s first Pakistan Correspondent, from July 1990 to October 1993. He was also the Editor of the Malayalam newspaper 'Mathrubhumi' for 8 years.

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction and SCO

4:55 Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan

7:54 Modi's visit to Pakistan

9:30 Perceptions of Pakistan before coming

12:30 Experience of living in Pakistan

18:30 The Hindu and the Left

23:30 Land Reforms and Nehru's Legacy

26:50 India's Economic Strength and Aggression

29:00 India's importance in Pakistan's electoral politics

30:30 Establishment and Peace with India

32:30 Visiting Pakistan 1990-1993

41:00 Meeting Pakistani politicians

44:50 Takeaways from visiting Pakistan

47:00 Never tell them we are the same people

50:50 How is India changing

57:30 Can we be friends

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy comes back on The Pakistan Experience to discuss his new book, "Pakistan: Origins, Identity and Future" - on this podcast covering a wide range of topics Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy drops some bombshells about Jinnah, the Pakistani Identity, the Two Nation Theory, The History of the Sub-Continent and Hindutva Politics in India.

On this deep dive podcast, Dr. Hoodbhoy and I discuss the Pakistani Identity, the imposition of Urdu, Jinnah's vision for Pakistan, Myth-Making, the Ideology of Nations, the history of Hindus in the Sub-Continent, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Land Reforms, and Dr. Hoodbhoy answers your questions.

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

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Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy is a Nuclear Physicist holding a PhD from MIT. He taught physics for nearly 50 years at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad and was a visiting professor at several US universities including University of Maryland, Carnegie Mellon University, and MIT. He is a sponsor of The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a member of the Permanent Monitoring Panel of the World Federation of Scientists, and founder-director of the Eqbal Ahmad Centre for Public Education. Since 1988 he has headed Mashal Books in Lahore which translates books into Urdu for promoting modern thought, human rights, and women's rights. Last year he started The Black Hole, a community space in Islamabad sector G-11/3 for promoting science, art, and culture.

In 1968 Dr. Hoodbhoy won the Baker Award for Electronics, and in 1984 the Abdus Salam Prize for Mathematics. In 2003 he was awarded UNESCO's Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science. In 2010 Dr. Hoodbhoy received the Joseph A. Burton Award from the American Physical Society and the Jean Meyer Award from Tufts University. In 2011, he was included in the list of 100 most influential global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine. During 2013-2017 he was an adviser to the United Nation’s Secretary General. In 2019 he received the honorary doctor of law degree from the University of British Columbia.

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

1:10 The Creation of the Pakistani Identity and Provincialism

12:05 Jinnah as Governor-General and his vision for Pakistan.

23:45 Would things be different if Jinnah survived, Bengal, and Land Reforms

31:52 What is an Islamic State and Political Islam

38:47 Pervez Hoodbhoy’s plea to those looking to leave Pakistan by sea

39:55 What is Pakistan’s actual ideology, myth-making, parallels in America and Israel, and the war for cultural identity

53:20 Dissecting the desire to go back in history to justify being the first, naya India, destruction of temples and Mughal history

1:00:20 Fetishizing Arab identity as ours and Indian cultural pride, Pakistan’s need for change, and whether our polarization and economic problems are intertwined

1:07:44 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan: reformist or colonist; Allama Iqbal and his hate for the west

1:17:38 Writing a book on Pakistan’s history as a non-historian

1:26:49 Audience Questions

Pakistan Lost is a series of audio essays on history exploring the choices that were made that impacted millions of people for decades to come.

Episode 5 of the series looks at the loss of East Pakistan, the war for Bangladesh and the rise of Dhakka.

Watch all the episodes of Pakistan Lost:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HVcorSr-vM&list=PLlQZ9NZnjq5qRLMfNjRNQyCTBkT0etuaZ

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:00 1947-1971

10:21 Destroying the Myths

25:51 How we remember 1971 and Lessons

Podcasts you should watch:

1. Khurram Hussain on the Economic History of Pakistan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68NUwsRH6vo

2. Anam Zakaria on a People's History of 1947 and 1971:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YKulPg_TxA

3. Asim Sajjad Akhtar on the political history:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbH4m6tfUKk

4. Yousouf Nazar on 1971 and the Economy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncXBoovBcSI

5. Ali Usman Qasmi on the history of Pakistan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZhd_CgFzrA

6. Mustafa Nawaz Khokar on Reimagining Pakistan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZfLwGnjim0

7. Tariq Ali on 1971:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOoYYGwRORk

Sources:

A) Books

1. Murder of History by K.K. Aziz

2. Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military by Hussain Haqqani

3. Witness to Surrender by Siddiq Salik

4. From Jinnah to Zia by Muhammad Munir

5. Diaries of Justice Muhammad Ibrahim

6. Sheikh Mujib's 6 point Formula by Syed Humayun

7. Conflict Unending by Sumit Ganguly

8. A Tale of Millions by Major M. Rafiqul Islam

9. The Great Tragedy by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto

10. Pakistan: Eye of the Storm by Owen Benett Jones

11. 1971: A People's History by Anam Zakaria

12. The Pakistan People's Party by Philip E. Jones

13. Hamood ur Rehman Commission Report and the Supplementary Report

B) Articles

1. https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,830952,00.html

2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24494181

3. https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2022/08/12/1971-and-the-erasure-of-the-biharis/

4. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2017/8/15/haunted-by-unification-a-bangladeshi-view-of-partition

5. http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/csas/PDF/Mussarat%20Jabeen%207.pdf

6. https://www.dawn.com/news/1353861

7. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3023816

8. https://www.nytimes.com/1954/11/23/archives/pakistani-leader-airs-merger-plan-mohammed-ali-says-both-east-and.html?searchResultPosition=2

9. https://tribune.com.pk/story/40218/the-cyclone-that-broke-pakistans-back

10. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/cyclone-not-above-politics-east-pakistan-disaster-politics-and-the-1970-bhola-cyclone/08E3F02666C89C041F57933C0C1B447E

11. https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2011/02/23/agartala-conspiracy-case-was-not-false

12. https://www.dawn.com/news/1602835

13. https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/28/archives/bhutto-meets-with-mujib-says-hell-continue-talks-bhutto-meets-with.html

14. https://www.dawn.com/news/130047/niazi-surrendered-on-yahya-s-orders

18. https://www.dawn.com/news/1664104

19. https://www.dawn.com/news/1462757

28. https://www.dawn.com/news/1726305/fact-vs-fiction-pakistan-must-accept-the-uncomfortable-truths-about-the-1971-war

C) Videos

1. https://twitter.com/DrMAliShaikh/status/1628081771509166081

2. https://twitter.com/kashmiriRefuge/status/1279667976086548480?lang=en

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eATr7e03N6w

4. https://twitter.com/DrMAliShaikh/status/1628414565586284544

5. VOA Series on 50 years of Fall of Dhaka

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

Book Review of Big Capital in an Unequal World: The Micropolitics of Wealth in Pakistan by Dr. Rosita Armytage

Watch the podcast with Dr. Rosita Armytage here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCgueX5TGGM

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Arafat Mazhar is the founder of Puffball, an animation studio, and director of multiple animated short films, including Shehr e Tabassum (2020) and Swipe (2020), which takes on the nexus of technology and religious extremism, which has won multiple accolades including best short film at the oscar 2023 qualifying film festival - CINANIMA. Swipe also became the first animated film from Pakistan showcased at Annecy 2021. Arafat has also created multiple educational online platforms: Shehri Pakistan, which produces civic and legal literacy animations; Hashiya, a channel with a focus on critical approaches to history. He is a published author in the Bloomsbury publication ' Freedom of Expression in Islam: Challenging Apostasy and Blasphemy Laws.

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

2:30 The Blasphemy Law

6:30 Hadh, Ijma and Application on Non-Muslims

18:00 How the Pakistani Blasphemy Law was Drafted

40:00 Use of religion in Politics

47:30 Reformation Arguments and State-Religion Nexus

57:00 Discussion in the Parliament

1:01:30 Citizenship of Non-Muslims and Jurisprudence

1:18:00 Definition of Ishq and Speech

1:26:30 Things to be mindful of and Actionable Items

1:38:00 Conclusion and Mashal Khan

Pakistan Lost is a series of audio essays on history exploring the choices that were made that impacted millions of people for decades to come.

Episode 4 of the series looks the imposition of Urdu as the National Language of Pakistan.

Watch all the episodes of Pakistan Lost:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HVcorSr-vM&list=PLlQZ9NZnjq5qRLMfNjRNQyCTBkT0etuaZ

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

With everybody talking about the Economy, Default and Inflation - Economist Ammar Habib Khan comes on TPE to break down all these concepts for you in a way that everyone can understand.

Ammar simplifies the most complex ideas; where we are, what went wrong and what we need to do.

Ammar Habib Khan has a Masters in Macroeconomic Policy, he is a Risk Manager and Energy Economist.

Will Pakistan default?

How to fix the Economy?

Why the Sehat Card failed?

Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters

0:00 intro

01:06 Barcelona & Karachi and what it means to Default

14:26 lack of talent & brain drain, IMF agreement, Ishaq Dar & fuel subsidy

24:04 Russian Oil, inefficiency and gas prices, CNG policy

33:32 Water distribution issues & inefficient use, the textile industry and industrial policy & concessions

41:53 Govt intervention & elite capture, learning from mistakes, real estate & overheating the economy, gdp growth rates and number fudging

55:31 Amazon, incentive to produce, Pakistan’s branding, banks & risk/return, SME financing and low income housing scheme

1:04:30 Sehat Card, formalizing the economy and demonetizing currency, banking in Pakistan and India’s demonetization policy

1:22:35 keeping cash, UPI, Raast, incentivizing, and loan shark apps

1:27:15 Q&A

Mani comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss the Media Industry in the last two decades, from the launch of Indus Vision to the current Film Industry, Mani has seen it all, and has opinions about it too.

On this deep dive episode, we discuss Sab Set Hai, the Azfar Mani Show, Pakistan Hockey, Covering the 2005 Earthquake, PSP, PTI Karachi, MQM, Online Controversies and Celebrity culture.

Salman Saqib Sheikh, credited as Mani, is a Pakistani actor, politician and host. Mani is mostly known for his comic roles. He started his career as an anchor and first roadshow host before becoming a sitcom and comedy actor. He is known for his roles in Meri Teri Kahani, Sab Set Hai and Streets.

Mani also hosted the Azfar-Mani show on the Radio.

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters:

0:00 intro

01:14 Innovation, career in hosting and moving into acting, censoring content, road shows and becoming popular

11:15 Indus Vision, Sab Set Hai, fake phadday, dealing with complaints, Azfar Bhai and snapchat

19:29 not being attracted to other performers, starting out, acting a celebrity, Fawad Khan, lack of mega stars in Pakistan and Atif Aslam

33:12 Kaam main paisa, cliched commercials, impossibly hypocritical standards for women, and understanding racial identities

41:30 Why overseas Pakistanis love IK, Mani’s early days as a PTI fan, Karachi’s unfair treatment, the Police, and corruption & theft

57:17 Remittances & overseas Pakistanis, Mani’s love for Hockey, sports in Pakistan, needing icons and heroes and treating sports like a science

1:18:45 intolerance and Pakistan’s international perception & treatment of minorities

1:23:26 Karachi, MQM & Altaf bhai, moving into acting and content, choosing who to pick on

1:33:22 the fear of unconventional professions, Mani’s student life and cheating tips, thinking about “log kya kahen ge”, his investments

1:44:46 Hira Mani and having a successful spouse, planning careers, working hard, building their own signature, and jealousy for success

1:57:00 Mani’s work during the earthquake and the charity from Karachi

2:09:22 Q&A

People who do not regularly follow Politics in Pakistan do not understand how politics, and corruption, works in the country.

The narrative that "Imran Khan may not be the smartest person or a farishta but is not corrupt" really needs to be challenged, and facts and evidence needs to be shown to show how the elites have captured Pakistan, and corruption is endemic in the country.

Here are 6 layers that explore this very idea - is Imran Khan financially corrupt?

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Husain Haqqani is the author of 4 books, The Director of South and Central Asia at Hudson Institute and the Former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States of America and Sri Lanka.

Husain Haqani comes on The Pakistan Experience to clear the air about the conspiracy theories surrounding his role in the Vote of No Confidence against Imran Khan. On this deep dive podcast, we discuss the Bajwa Doctrine, Corruption, Lobbying, US-Pak Relations, The use of Religion in Politics, India, Modi, Hindutva, Populism, Trade with India, Qazi Faez Isa and more.

The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

To support the channel:

Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912

Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience

And Please stay in touch:

https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience

The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications.

Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh

Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/

Twitter.com/shehzad89

Chapters:

0:00 Introduction

0:58 Conspiracy Theories about Husain Haqani’s role in Imran Khan’s ouster

15:30 Corruption and Lobbying in the USA

20:30 Why did General Bajwa stop supporting Imran Khan?

29:30 Does USA undermine Democracy in Pakistan?

39:00 Decency and the use of religion in Politics

46:30 India, Modi and Hindutva

54:00 Populism,Focus on Cultural Issues by Populists and Elite Politics

1:00:00 The role of Establishment in Politics in Pakistan

1:07:00 The original sins of Pakistani politics

1:11:00 Reliance on American Aid

1:14:00 Relations and Trade with India

1:15:37 Qazi Faiz Isa

1:18:40 Blackwater, the F-16 Deal and Photoshopped Pictures

1:26:30 How to unlearn dogma

1:29:30 Conclusion