Author Archive
The BISP and the coming election -by Dr Pervez Tahir: Chided by an anchor for ignoring the Bhutto promise of roti, kapra aur makan, Mr Zardari retorted by referring to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). With election rallies beginning to catch the public mood, he followed it up
All aboard: Pakistan turns back the clock with luxury train travel: With a hoot and then a lurch, the 15:30 to Karachi pulled out of Lahore’s railway station bang on time and trailing tinsel. By Rob Crilly, on the Business Express, between Lahore and Karachi The luxury service – complete
The contempt of Kayani court?: On Thursday, we saw a new anti-PPP decision from the so-called independent judiciary. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court on February 13 for the framing of the contempt of court charges.
Pakistan helping Afghan Taliban – Nato: Pakistan is finding it harder to convince outsiders it is not helping the Afghan Taliban and giving safe haven to its leaders. In effect, the accusation is that Pakistan is betting on the insurgents being the strongest power in
Saleem Shahzad Commission results marred by free ride to ISI: Government has to Take on Military and Intelligence Services and end Impunity (New York) – The Pakistani government should redouble efforts to find the killers of the journalist Saleem Shahzad, following the failure of the judicial inquiry commission to
Opening a vein: ‘One Shia after another is killed and you want us to stay silent?’: KARACHI: Protesters blocked Sharah-e-Pakistan for more than six hours on Monday, causing a massive traffic jam during and after the funeral procession of the two Ahle Tasheeh activists murdered earlier o.n. One of them, Jaffar Mohsin Rizvi, was killed
A dream come true: A tribute to Dr. Salam -by Ammad Khan: He was one and only, who won the noble prize for his country. But he also was the one whose country did not recognize him. He was the one on whose death, whole world of science mourned on this
Exclusive: How Pakistan helps the U.S. drone campaign: (Reuters) – The death of a senior al Qaeda leader in a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan’s tribal badlands, the first strike in almost two months, signaled that the U.S.-Pakistan intelligence partnership is still in operation despite political tensions.
Legislatively, this National Assembly has been one of the most proactive and efficient – by Khurram Wattoo: The 35-year-old legislator speaks about Pakistan’s Mexican standoff, and Parliament’s unsung feats. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was served a contempt of court notice by the Supreme Court on Jan. 16. And, rejecting the government’s position, the Army considers
Setting right a historic wrong -by Fauzia Wahab: The Supreme Court of Pakistan under his Lordship Mr Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, has taken upon itself the mantle of purging the country of all its ills and all its impurities. It has and rightly so, in a plethora of
Memo: PPP vs Judges Generals league: The year 2012 has begun with a rift between Pakistan’s fragile civilian government led by Pakistan Peoples Party and the all powerful military & inteligence establishment over a probe into the government’s role in a scandal centered on a
The exploiters and the faithful -by Zeeba Hashmi: This is about the illusions we create about our shaky existence in a world that demands conformity to homogeneous institution we know as religion. With variation in human perceptions, to consider somebody’s lie as an absolute truth and legislate
Pakistan’s slow-motion coup – by C. Christine Fair: Islamabad’s generals are out to destroy Pakistani democracy. Obama should try to stop them. Pakistan’s civilian government, led by the Pakistan People’s Party, has long been an irritant to the country’s generals. President Asif Ali Zardari runs a corrupt
Imran Khan – an ambassador of agencies? – by Nadia Khaan: Playing in the hands of intelligence agencies; this puppet role was played by most of the Pakistani political figureheads and finally had regretted their actions. Nawaz Sharif was instrumental through IJI and now we all know that it was
Justice for all, please -by Ali Aftab Saeed: For the attention of our revered judges, with utmost respect It seems the infamous memo had indeed threatened to tear down the very security of this country; I wonder why our enemies never figured out this way of neutralising
Musharraf’s friends good, elected representatives bad – by Rauf Klasra: میمو کیس: مشرف کے ساتھی سچے، عوامی نمائندے جھوٹے (تبصرہ : رؤف کلاسرا )حسین حقانی کی وکیل عاصمہ جہانگیر کا میمو سکینڈل کیس پر سپریم کورٹ کی طرف سے آنے والے متوقع فیصلے پر یہ کہنا کہ یہ پاکستانی
Needed: a ‘bloody civilian’ at the ISI -by Kamran Shafi: In November 2009 I wrote an article arguing the case for a civilian head of the ISI, our equivalent of Britain’s MI5 (Security Service) and MI6 (Secret Intelligence Service); Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND); France’s General Directorate for External
Some Unforgiven Crimes of Asif Ali Zardari -by Raja M Asad Abbas: While Watching different News Channels I was Wondering that what is that fact that has made Asif Ali Zardari to be one of the Most Criticized Person In Pakistan I was Wondering the Fact that why He is being
Fauj se takar: Gillani aur Zardari ko aab intizar fauji tarkion ka -by Rauf Klasra: فوج سے ٹکر: گیلانی اور زرداری کو اب انتظار فوجی ٹرکوں کا (تبصرہ: رؤف کلاسرا) پاکستان کی برطانیہ میں سابق ہائی کمشنر ملحیہ لودھی وزیراعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی کو ان کے دھیمے مزاج کی وجہ سے مذاق میں “ملتانی
Banned militant groups allowed to roam freely: ‘Citizen safety, protetion for minorities and need for maintaining harmony’ Apropos to our historical and current events that point towards discriminatory and humiliating laws the State of Pakistan have devised by giving in to the Islamist pressure, it is
Can non-Muslims be made friends? – by Dr. Khalid Zaheer: 1) Introduction The tension between Muslims and non-Muslims, in particular Jews and Christians, as a result of the events of September 11, 2001 and beyond has made the world of ours far more intolerant and insecure than it was
AHRC appeal: DG ISI Gen Shuja Pasha must be prosecuted for hatching conspiracy against democracy: ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME Related post: Jang Group must refrain from harassing Ali Dayan Hasan of Human Rights Watch Urgent Appeal Case: AHRC-UAC-248-2011 Send an Appeal Letter PAKISTAN: The head of the ISI must be
Shafqat Mahmood, Imran’s new media czar, was his strongest critic – by Umar Cheema: ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) is flooded with newcomers, the appointment of a fresh recruit, Shafqat Mehmood, as secretary information has raised many eyebrows as he was one of the ardent critics of Imran Khan, terming him a “signal
Veena Malik, Punjabi filmi songs & national honor -by Asif Mahmood: لیجیے ہماری قومی غیرت ایک بار پھر مجروح ہوگئی۔ احباب لٹھ لے کر وینا ملک کے پیچھے لگے ہیں کہ اس نے بھارت میں ملک کا وقار خاک میں ملا دیا۔ معلوم نہیں ان شیر خواروں کو کس نے
How people of FATA see Pakistan-TTP talks: Tom Hussain Special to The News ISLAMABAD: Confirmation by the prime minister on Saturday that talks with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are part of “an ongoing process” represents a delicate and potentially dangerous point in the militant insurgency. If
The ANP and revenge attacks —by Farhat Taj: If terror attacks in Pakistan is Pakhtun revenge, then the ANP must be involved in the attacks. Surely, ANP and non-ANP victims of terrorism share the same culture and social setup By now the notion that several of the
Blasphemy: Australian Shia sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia: The 45 year old man was arrested in Medina while making the annual pilgrimage, and sentenced to lashes and a year in prison because he has insulted “the companions of the Prophet.” The result is a diplomatic incident between
Diaries from Punjab – by Abdul Majeed Abid: Diary of a typical PTI suporter Woke up early in the morning at 8.30 am. Had pancakes and coffee for breakfast. Drove to the university. Used internet to solve surprise quiz in class. After all, it’s fair to do
Deconstructing the SC order on the memo – by Asad Jamal: The Supreme Court’s decision on the alleged memorandum has become controversial — and not just because the court’s nominee for the probe into the matter has refused to head the proposed commission. One criticism of the order is that
Who is the biggest aggressor, Taliban or US? -by Arshad Mahmood: The greater of the aggressors Nato choppers present in Afghanistan attacked Pak Army check posts and killed 24 of our soldiers. Presently our security establishment is furious and as a gesture of true patriotism our social, religious and political
A Pakistani perspective: A series of unfortunate events – by Dr. Muhammad Taqi: Related posts: Husain Haqqani’s replacement with Sherry Rehman was jointly engineered by Uncle Sam and Pakistan Army – by Laibaah HRW and elite media must not misrepresent Sherry Rehman We are reassured to see that at least some writers
Not all deaths are mourned the same – by Murtaza Haider: Pakistanis of all political and religious persuasions are equally enraged by the tragic death of their soldiers caused by an indiscriminate air attack by the Nato forces. Pakistani soldiers, stationed at a border post in Mohmand region, were attacked
Bahrain Independent Commission’s report and the role of Pakistani mercenaries: Also read: LUBP articles on Bahrain KARACHI: Around 8,110 complaints and statements of various human rights abuses were received, and a “systematic practice of physical and psychological mistreatment” was uncovered when the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) began
Criminal cricketers and their accomplices — by Abbas Zaidi: The three cricketers are proven guilty and are thus criminals. They are shameless too. They never accepted their crime. Amir did confess, but only when it was too late and that too on the advice of his lawyer Now
The concept of brotherhood in Islam: How Muslims view each other and how they view Non-Muslims: With the end of the Cold War, a new enemy emerged, Radical Islamic Fundamentalism, made up of Islamic extremists, terrorists and the states that support them. If we are to counter them at all, we must help to understand
Imran Khan is playing in the hands of the military establishment – by Ali Aftab (Beygairat Brigade): Lead singer of Beygairat Brigade, Ali Aftab, asks some tough questions about Imran Khan and the sinister role of Pakistani establishment behind his PTI. And here I am thinking, can PTI clean sweep the next elections? Do they even have candidates
Pathan explains a thing or two to Dharna dude – by Imran Khan: The characters: Dharna dude from Islamabad – loves X-box, facials, and PTI. Pathan from Peshawar – father died in a bomb blast, brother abducted by the Taliban. Dialogue ensues: Dharna dude: Hey Mr Pathan man! What kind of a