https://youtu.be/SEORCDjDlV0?si=FGcR8FUu4i1zR__5 Imam Rahim Aga Khan Addresses More Than 30,000 in a Major Dallas Gathering By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada Dallas Downtown Dallas glowed with an unusual sense of serenity on Sunday night as Imam Rahim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, offered didar to more than 30,000 followers and addressed them in a half-hour speech that blended spiritual guidance with reflections on daily life, social responsibility, and personal well-being. Speaking to the assembled crowd, the Imam warned that social media is reshaping the human brain, noting that its excessive use has diminished attention spans, weakened relationships, and…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
https://youtu.be/H-rFbwp5pZw?si=GsnD_PSPY2xq2k98 America’s Journey of Light — The Visit of Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, Houston’s Historic Moment, and Dallas’s Sacred Anticipation By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada In recent days, something in the air has shifted for the Ismaili community across the United States. There is a quiet fragrance of prayer in the atmosphere, a sense that a gentle light has stepped onto this land without announcement. Many within the community describe this moment as if history itself has turned a new page. This visit of Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, his first to the United States since assuming the office…
New Provinces and the Call for Justice in the Court of Power By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْاِحْسَانِ” (النحل 90) “Indeed, God commands justice and kindness.” (Quran 16:90) Field Marshal, I have had the chance to listen to you, twice, in Washington and Tampa. The memory of that unexpected encounter in Tampa still lingers: the quiet gravity in your expression, the stillness in your tone, the unmistakable sense that a nation’s expectations were resting on your shoulders. That meeting, brief yet revealing, made one truth evident: some conversations must now be directed to you alone, because…
A Society in Dimmed Light-Karachi’s “Lesboween Day” and the Echo of Surah Lut By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada I have lived in the United States for the past twenty five years. I have watched the colors of civilizations shift, felt cultures rise and fade, and observed the world’s moral tides from up close. Yet a single story that surfaced on social media from Pakistan struck me with the force of an unexpected storm. Karachi marked a day called Lesboween Day on the thirtieth of October. It was not just another online post. It was a tremor that travelled thousands of…
A Promise of Light in a City of Darkness: Zohran Mamdani’s Victory and the New Politics of Rebellion By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada When the political dusk settled over New York City, a young man lit a lamp. His name is Zohran Mamdani,34 years old, a Muslim, a Democrat, a Socialist — who, on November 4, 2025, won the mayoral race to become the first Muslim, first South Asian, and youngest mayor in the city’s history. His victory was more than a political triumph; it was a rupture in the old order, a quiet uprising that signaled a shift in…
At the Closed Doors of Pakistan’s Establishment, Altaf Hussain Seek Reconciliation By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada Under a dim, dust-hung sky where noise, neglect, and deprivation breathe together, a familiar voice has returned from behind the walls. Altaf Hussain, the name that once burned into the hearts of Karachi and Hyderabad’s youth as an emblem of identity, appeared two nights ago in a small TikTok frame. His words were small in format but large in consequence. The question he posed is stark: has the state forgotten this city and its people? Echoes of reconciliation have become a recurrent sound in…
https://youtu.be/OvCFPQtIue4?si=49MCifEFmfCS4j_m Halloween — A Festival of Fear, Art, and Philosophy: From America to Pakistan By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada There’s a peculiar whisper in the autumn air of America. As trees shed their golden leaves like silken robes, it feels as though nature itself is changing costume. And within the rustle of those falling leaves, one can almost hear the footsteps of Halloween, that night of October 31 when humanity stands between light and shadow, between laughter and fear. The glowing pumpkins, the fluttering bats, and the echoing laughter of children — all of it transforms fear into celebration. Yet…
The Ghost of Chicken Man — A Tale of Threats, Halloween Politics, Satire, and Nightmares. By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada As autumn sweeps through the United States, the air grows colder, pumpkins glow in suburban porches, and Halloween draws near, a night of masks, mischief, and monsters. But this year, the Pakistani-American community in Texas has added a unique twist to the festivities: a political costume that blends satire, fear, and farce into one hilarious creation. In Texas, a few supporters of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) designed a new Halloween costume. When it was shared with me, my first…
https://youtu.be/nkZa5Jv0lKk Dallas Fundraising Gala Raises $100,000 for Pakistan Relief Efforts as Singer Quratulain Balouch Captivates Audience By Raja Zahid Khanzada Dallas: A fundraising gala in Dallas, Texas brought together prominent members of the Pakistani diaspora, local officials, and humanitarian advocates, raising nearly $100,000 in support of relief and development projects in Pakistan. The event honored the work of Todd Shea, an American humanitarian whose organization CDRS (Comprehensive Disaster Response Services) has been operating in Pakistan for two decades. The gala was organized in collaboration with the local human rights group CECS, drawing an energetic turnout from business leaders, physicians, and…
https://youtu.be/wXAmV76rvy8?si=aoUU-ssAn9k-qM0_ $60 Million in Bounties… From Outlaws of the Riverlands to VIP Guests — Red Carpet Welcome Inside Police Stations By Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada A remarkable shift has emerged in Sindh: Bandits from the riverine “kacha” region — once feared fugitives — are now being treated as Very Important Persons, with red carpet ceremonies rolled out at police stations. This transformation, officials say, follows approval at the highest levels — first sanctioned by President Asif Ali Zardari and top security authorities, later formally endorsed by the Sindh Provincial Cabinet. Yes — official amnesty and privileges for criminals.…
