This is a discussion of Yasir Pirzada with #Islamic #Madrassa students of Jamia Naeemia Lahore. In this session, various aspects of religious education in Pakistani madrassas have been discussed. From religious intolerance to respect of law and from democracy to extremism in Pakistan wide range of questions were asked by the students which were answered by the columnist. Worth watching.

About Yasir Pirzada

Yasir Pirzada is one of the leading Urdu columnists who have built a wide readership over a very short period of time. His weekly column, Zara Hat Kay – “off the beaten track” – in Jang, Pakistan’s most widely circulated Urdu daily, addresses issues of an ordinary citizen in a unique and humorous style which is original and quite distinctive. The All Pakistan Newspaper Society has awarded him with the Best Columnist Award twice in a row.

Apart from this, Yasir, a career civil servant (CSS officer), has also identified a new dimension in the Self-Help theories and has come up with some unique and innovative ideas for young men and women who aim to improve their lives in a country like Pakistan. He is a public speaker and delivers motivational and inspirational lectures on self-help, success, happiness, critical thinking, peace, personal growth, leadership, stress management, spiritualism and rationalism, communication skills, positive thinking and similar other areas of life for every age group including businessmen, corporate executive, employees, students, housewives, networkers, sportsmen etc.

Yasir appeared in the Central Superior Services Examination (CSS) and passed that exam as youngest ever candidate and stood 78 all over Pakistan. He completed his Masters degree afterwards and then joined Civil Services Academy in 1996. As a federal officer, he has served as Commissioner Income Tax and Member Administration Capital Development Authority.

Yasir approaches his typically serious subjects in a uniquely poignant manner, using an idiom of subtle humour and satirical innuendo. His columns approach a variety of social issues directly relevant to the human condition and Pakistan’s emerging bittersweet psyche. Yasir has inherited this light-hearted yet serious mood of writing from his father, Ata ul Haq Qasmi, himself a respected literary figure. Yasir is probably the only Urdu columnist who has consistently written on those issues, which were alien to the Urdu press earlier, including topics like feminism, gender discrimination, religious extremism, radicalism etc.

Yasir has so far written three books which are compilation of his columns and his 4th book is in the pipeline with the title "Pakistanio k Mughaltey" (Fallacies of Pakistanis). He has also written, apart from many other satirical scripts for different TV channels, a comedy drama serial Afsar Bekar e Khaas for PTV that was aired for more than two years continuously from 2009 to 2011 and was widely appreciated.

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Website: http://yasirpirzada.com/