🇵🇰 Pakistan Episodes

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring the thinking of Afghani youth regarding Taliban, Pakistan, and Afghanistan with tonight’s guests, Shahrzad and Asad. What is the city life in Afghanistan like? Is there any possibility for the Taliban to make government in Afghanistan? Do the people of Afghanistan resist or support the Taliban? Is there any possibility of a Civil War? What do the youth of Afghanistan think? What do Afghanis think about Pakistan? What do Afghanis think about their other neighboring countries? Future of Afghanistan in the best and worst scenario? Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring fashion blogging and content creation with tonight’s guests, Umara & Kashaf. How did they start blogging? Why did they start their blog together? Are they going to pursue their degrees or not? What were their struggles? What their blog is all about? What is their future for blogging? Why there is not enough problem-solving fashion content available? How was 2020 for their blog? How TikTok videos has not been their thing? “Everybody is doing it I must do it!” Why are people thinking this way? How creative space is important for a content creator? Why don’t Instagram influencers collaborate much like Youtubers? How do they see Pakistan in 2050? Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Umara and Kashaf's Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/umaraandkashaf/

Dr Madhavi Menon comes on the podcast to discuss how the Anglo-American conception of identity does not apply to South Asia. On this deep dive podcast, we discuss how British prudish laws went against how Indians saw identity, gender and sexual fluidity, we discuss gender fluidity in Sufi culture, specifically Sufi poetry, we also get into discussions of consent, the agent of consent, gender performativity, desire, judgment, and our love for the Masala culture of Bollywood.  Madhavi Menon is Professor of English at Ashoka University. She earned her Bachelors and Masters in English from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, where she stood first in College in her BA, and was a University gold-medalist in her M.A. She completed her PhD from Tufts University. Prior to joining Ashoka, she taught at Ithaca College and American University. Her current book project is titled The Law of Desire (forthcoming with Speaking Tiger, 2021). Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://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. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder. https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:30 Fluidity of Identity 8:50 Gender Fluidity vs Sexuality Fluidity 12:30 The Bathroom debate and the state categorizing you 20:30 Fluidity in Sufi Culture 28:30 Section 377: Inclusion, Exclusion and Fighting for the narrative 34:00 Identity Politics: Cis and Trans terminology 44:50 Victimhood and racial identities 53:45 Consent 1:00:30 The Age of Consent 1:10:00 Performing Gender in South Asia on stage 1:14:00 Obviously I will bring up Psychedelics 1:21:00 Desire and Judgment: Pedophilia and Incest 1:29:00 The Hadiya case: Love Jihad and infantilizing women 1:31:00 The British categorization of 'Hindus' and 'Muslims' 1:36:30 Misuse of our history for their ideology and weaponizing victimhood 1:41:20 The masala culture of Bollywood 1:51:30 Pratap's resignation 1:54:30 Violence against women in South Asia

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring investments and stocks with tonight’s guest, Laeeq Ahmad. What is the overall outlook of the economy? Why don’t people invest much? How to manage debt well? Was metro bus a sustainable investment? Why big companies do not invest in Pakistan? How to invest in Meezan ETF? How he thought of sharing mutual funds data? Which market is best to invest in? Tune in to know more on investments, taxes, and poverty! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Laeeq Ahmad’s Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/luckylaeeq Sarmaaya.pk: https://sarmaaya.pk/

Syed Nomanul Haq  is a Pakistani scholar and intellectual historian noted especially for his contributions to the fields of Islamic history and Islamic philosophy. Noman ul Haq is currently the Dean of Liberal Arts at UMT, he has previously taught at Harvard, Brown, UPenn, LUMS, IBA and Habib University. In his career spanning twenty years, Haq has gained widespread repute for his teaching, publications and editorial and research work on the history and philosophy of science, postmodern philosophy, history of religion, history of art and history of literature, for which he has won multiple prizes and awards.  Dr Noman ul Haq comes on the podcast to discuss why Liberal studies are important, why we have an anti-intellectual culture where we think of people like Hasan Nisar as intellectuals, the need to know our Islamic History, Erturgul and Batameez Dil.  On this deep dive podcast I ask him if the Ottoman Empire was brought down because of the printing press, what we need to do to expand the Muslim Mind, the reassertion of the Muslim identity and why LUMS is better than IBA and Habib.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakista nexperience  And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://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. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.  https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh  Chapters: 0:00 LUMS, IBA, Habib 3:30 Why are Liberal studies important 7:50 The Nationalization project 10:30 The East West binary 18:00 Academic gatekeeping of history 23:23 Losing languages and politicizing the language issue 28:50 Ertugrul and the panIslamic zeal 31:00 Cruelty to Animals in Islam 36:30 Reassertion of the Muslim Identity as backlash 52:56 History, mythology and psychedelics 57:30 Love for man in Sufi thought 1:06:00 The Muslim mind 1:11:48 Did the printing press end the Ottoman Empire? 1:17:30 Batameez Dil

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings In conversation with Zainab Fatima, this episode discusses her journey of life throughout YouTube, content creation, and her journey of life. How she ended up being on YouTube? Were her parents supported from the start? Does she earn from YouTube? How does she feel about her content? What equipment does she use for her vlogging? How did she end up appearing as a private candidate in O Levels? How did she get acceptance from all the 12 Universities she applied to? What are the fundamental flaws in the schooling system of Pakistan? Is she moving abroad for her undergraduate degree? How has been her journey on YouTube so far? Tune in to know more about her views regarding Midsummer Chaos, animal rights, and being a woman in this time of age. Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Zainab Fatima’s socials: · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zainabbfatimaa/ · YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/zainabfatima

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring fintech in Pakistan with tonight’s guest, Jordan Olivas. What was his early life like? What brought him to Pakistan? How Pakistan is the best market to invest in? What has his experience in fintech been like? What’s the ‘buy now, pay me later’ concept? What are some problems with loans in Pakistan? How is GenZ in the workforce? Tune in to know more about women in the workforce and how he sees Pakistan of 2050! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Jordan’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-olivas/

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring how “Keero Ki Dunya” came into being with tonight’s guest, Azaz Ahmad. What were his initial struggles and efforts? Who financially supported him? What is the source of his research? Who are his renowned students? How he fought the social stereotypes? How is he documenting his research? What is his vision? Difference between the vision of villagers and Exurbanites regarding science? Tune in to know more on how he sees the Pakistan of 2050! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Keero Ki Dunya’s Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/286611558733930

Urvashi Butalia comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss why it is important to tell feminist histories,  challenging his story,  and the current state of publishing.  On this deep dive episode, we get into a discussion around the fluidity of identity, stories of partition survivors, and having empathy of the other.  Urvashi Butalia  is an Indian feminist writer, publisher and activist. She is known for her work in the women's movement of India, as well as for authoring books such as The Other Side of Silence: Voices from and the Partition of India and Speaking Peace: Women's Voices from Kashmir.  Along with Ritu Menon, she co-founded Kali for Women, India's first feminist publishing house, in 1984. In 2003, she founded Zubaan Books, an imprint of Kali for Women.  In 2011, Butalia and Menon were jointly awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, for their work in Literature and Education.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://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. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.  https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 History vs herstory: Erasure of women from History 10:06 Womens bodies become the targets 20:30 Sona Chaman kee kahani 24:50 Hum Hindu ya Musalman nahee, hum Dalit hain 30:50 Identity and violence 37:00 Flexibity and fluidity in Identity 51:00 Reassertion of Identity during times of crisis 1:00:00 Grappling with Partition and your history 1:06:45 Does Pakistan's triumphant narrative about 1947 leave space for grief? 1:20:00 Empathy of the other 1:23:00 You cant compare traditional history vs peoples history 1:36:20 Can you write about something that is not your identity?  1:42:20 What is the ethos of a feminist publishing house? 1:48:00 Publishing is not commercially viable 1:54:30 Audience Q&As

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring career counseling and how the lack of it affects students with tonight’s guest, Dr. Zunaira Saqib. How her journey evolved from high school? How has she got into human resources? How has she decided that career counseling was her thing? Why do students choose a university first before selecting a program later? What is her model of solution for career counseling? What is the financial model for ‘Mera future’? How does she feel about her tech team? Tune in to know more on how we can get better at career counseling and what are the major problems she is facing with digital marketing! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Dr. Zunaira Saqib’s socials: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-zunaira-saqib-1b00189 Mera Future: https://merafuture.pk/

Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings In conversation with Salman Javed, this episode discusses the current situation in Afghanistan is alike. What is the sentiment of an ordinary Afghan regarding the central government and the Taliban? The efforts of Pakistan in the present and past for negotiations of peace? Why Pakistan Holds the Key to Peace in Afghanistan? Why did India open a backchannel to the Taliban? What is the major concern of Pakistan in Afghanistan? Indian Influence in Afghanistan and its Implications for Pakistan? What are the efforts which Pakistan has put up for the betterment of Afghanistan? Russia’s involvement in Afghanistan. Tune in to know more on has the Taliban really controlled 85% of Afghanistan and why Pakistan Refuses to Host Additional Afghan Refugees? Do not forget to subscribe and press the bell icon to catch on to some amazing conversations coming your way! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Salman Javed’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_EssJay

Sarah Belal comes on the podcast to discuss the Death Penalty, criminalizing torture and the Criminal Justice System. Sarah Belal is the Founder and Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), a legal action non-profit organization that provides pro bono representation to the most vulnerable Pakistani prisoners facing harsh punishments in the courts of law and the court of public opinion.  Ms. Belal won the prestigious Echoing Green Global Fellowship in 2013 – making JPP the first Pakistani organization to be recognized in the fellowship’s 25-year history. In 2016, Ms. Belal was awarded both the inaugural Franco-German Prize for Human rights and the National Human Rights Award by the President of Pakistan.  Ms. Belal studied History at Smith College, Northampton. She completed her law degree from Oxford University in 2006 and qualified a barrister after completing the Bar Vocational Course in 2007. She obtained her license to practice in Pakistan in 2007 and gained rights of audience in the High Court in 2008. She has served as a member of two court-appointed Commissions as well as assisted the Lahore High Court as amicus curiae.  Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://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. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.  https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh  Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 Capital Punishment  4:30 Public perception  8:00 Pubilc sentiment on Capital Punishment 10:00 Does Capital Punishment work? 19:12 Mental Health and Capital Punishment  25:00 The economic argument for Capital Punishment 28:48 Do people care? 37:50 Wrongful convictions  41:00 Islamic principle of forgiveness 46:00 Issues in the Criminal Justice System 51:50 Criminalizing Torture  1:02:30 The Blasphemy Law 1:12:00 True crime content  1:16:00 Conclusion

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring her journey into profit and journalism with tonight’s guest, Ariba Shahid. How her journey evolved from High School to the current date. How did she end up being in journalism? Why do women in Pakistan are not interested in business and economics? Why people buy gold for their daughters? How is her work-life like being a journalist? Why she has bitter views regarding overseas Pakistanis? Tune in to know more about trolling, harassment, the evolution of the internet. Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Ariba Shahid socials: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AribaShahid LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aribashahid

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring her journey into content creation and her personal life experiences with tonight’s guest, By Rooj. How her journey evolved from High School to Content Creation? Why she took a two-year gap in education? What was she struggling with? When does she start using Instagram? What does she think of Multan? At what point she felt like her content creation can be a thing? How does she perceive herself currently? How everyone copes up differently with different miseries? What does she think about cancel culture? How relationships affect when you are an influencer? Is there any possibility to be completely real on social media without getting hate? Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Urooj Fatima’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by.rooj1

Mariam Shafqat Goraya, Amna Shafqat Goraya, Preh Memon, Sajeer Shaikh, Ekta Shaikh and Laiba Zainab join us to discuss their lived experiences and the experience of living as a woman in Pakistan.

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring where she went MIA with tonight’s guest, Momina Munir. Why she took a trip up north? Where was she? What is going on in her life? Why was she not making any content? What is her gap year situation like? Does she reflect a lot? Why does she think getting a degree is important? Does she challenge herself every year? What is she creating on YouTube these days? How does the next 5 years look for her as a YouTuber? How she became interested in hip-hop? Why diss tracks are a major thing in rap? Tune in to know more about her views regarding TikTok, rap culture, Pakistan of 2050, and change! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Momina Munir’s socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mominamunir/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAB40nQK12SvOCnJDzvnHKQ

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring her journey of how she got into the police force and how she prepared for her CSS exams with tonight’s guest, ASP Amna Baig. What was her thought behind joining police forces? How did she prepare for CSS exams? What was her feeling when she passed? What is the procedure after the final interview? Does she investigate murders? How do they affect her? Is therapy available in the police force? What is the helpline she has built for women? What are the other reforms she has been able to bring? Tune in to know more about drug epidemics, financial independence, digital community policing, elite school training, and Pakistan of 2050! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Amna Baig’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/amnaappi

1947 and 1971 are the two most pivotal moments in Pakistan's history yet they remain largely unknown. What we know about them depends on what the state wants us to know; your perception of events will be clouded by what side of the border you were born in.  The most important aspect of the story is often left untold by the state narratives: the people, the lived experiences of millions. The recording of oral histories sheds light on those experiences. Through a peoples history you can piece together the experience of 1947 and 1971.  Anam Zakaria comes on the podcast this week to discuss how to tell a peoples history, and why it is important.   Was Bangladesh inevitable? How do state narratives differ in India and Pakistan? Should an author put themselves into the work? Is there such a thing as 'objective history'? How to deal with trauma memories?  Find out this and more on this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience.  Anam Zakaria is the author of three books - 1971: A People's History from Bangladesh,  Pakistan and India (2019), Between the Great Divide: A Journey into Pakistan-administered Kashmir (2018);  and The Footprints of Partition: Narratives of Four Generations of Pakistanis and Indians (2015), which won her the 2017 KLF-German Peace Prize.    Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience    And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://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. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tinder.                 https://www.facebook.com/Shehzadgs/ https://twitter.com/shehzad89 https://instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh    Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:45 Are we getting more radicalized 3:50 Oral histories and history at the margins 10:30 Putting yourself into your wrok 16:00 The process of recording Oral histories 23:00 Dealing with trauma memories 31:00 Wars fought on Womens bodies 36:30 The Reckoning for Partition 42:20 State narratives of 1947 in India and Pakistan 57:00 The Nationalization project after 1971 1:04:00 When it is labelled a genocide is political 1:09:00 Are displaced people ever home? 1:12:00 Was Bangladesh inevitable? 1:21:50 The equation of violence 1:29:00 Notions of identity 1:35:00 The politics of language 1:38:40 Pakistan's apology to Bangladesh 1:42:30 Is there more hate in urban centers or rural areas? 1:47:00 Visiting India 1:49:00 Conclusion and what's next 1:54:00 Is there any hope?

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring her journey of Midsummer chaos and how she became the youngest self-made millionaire in Pakistan with tonight’s guest, Bisma Khan. How she became what she is today? What are her different businesses? How has she started? What were the problems she had to face? How much hate does she get on social media? How it affects her? How she handles it? Does she think her reel life persona can misdirect teens? Why is she interested in joining politics? How her generation is different from the previous ones? How she became part of the midsummer cast? How was her experience? What she thinks about the hate ‘Midsummer chaos’ is receiving? Tune in to know more on what is missing in the ‘Midsummer chaos’ plot and why content in Pakistan generally becomes controversial! Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Bisma Khan’s socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bismakhannn/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FK6vjLycfru0AMqTNYN7w

International listeners can support TBT here: https://buy.stripe.com/14keVU54r5hQ55S000 Be part of our community by joining our Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtbehindthings Exploring US, Afghan & Pakistan’s relations with Islamabad Policy and Research Institute’s executive director, Dr. Hussain Nadim. What was his thought behind joining a think tank? How did he reform IPRI? Why don’t boomers trust the youth of Pakistan? What is the concept behind G5 IO? How TikTok has reached out to the grass-root level? What does he think about US forces leaving Pakistan? How does it affects Pakistan? What is the best and worst scenario? What is the impact of the border fences created by Pakistan on security? How important is it? Why there has been no call from President Joe Biden to Prime Minister Imran Khan? In the context of Pakistan, why are we refusing to call Osama bin laden the way everybody is calling? Connect with us: • https://www.instagram.com/thoughtbehindthings • https://www.instagram.com/muzamilhasan Dr. Hussain Nadim’s socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussain-nadim-12147512/