Ministry for Information and Broadcasting

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, of heera mandi attack fame, who is often called to talk shows when a little ghunda element is needed has been given the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Dr Awan is now responsible for ‘handling’ the media, and tactfully explaining the government’s policies and defending it’s mistakes.

From now on, after every single cabinet briefing, we’ll see Dr Awan taking the stage. I have a sneaking suspicion that the leader has been given this portfolio simply to avoid the burden of the inevitable backlash of the government’s decisions. After all, who better than someone like Dr Awan to stand her ground, and mollify the poisonous arrows of criticism?

She has an imposing personality and a booming voice, that is loud enough to be heard over any number or screaming journalists. So, instead of criticising the government for choosing someone who is not exactly known for her tact, perhaps we should applaud them for choosing someone who has the power to suppress any incoming attacks.

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/4340/skeletons-in-the-cabinet-a-reshuffle-that-makes-no-sense/

How many women are able to win a general elections seat in Pakistan? Dr Awan was able to defeat a sitting speaker of the National Assembly and that too by no less than 30000 votes. She is extremely well liked by her constituency in Sialkot.

“from Shireen Rehman to Fidos Aashiq Awan” summarized the performance of Zardari Govt.

no offense to anyone but it is a reality..

Shaheryar Ali
October 28, 2009 at 12:49 am

Though i would generally agree [with Raza Rumi’s article on Kashmala Tariq-Firdous Ashiq Awan], with the premise that Pakistan’s media has brought the misogyny to a new height, I would rather disagree with the representation of this premise in the article in form of Awan-Tariq exchange on the media.

The problem with it is that it takes a rather “moral” stand on the issue, in the philosophical sense of the word ie “ethics”. Its precisely a certain kind of “morality” which is the cause of the issue under discussion. When “male defined view” of woman’s sexuality is under critique i rather find it ironic that we read lines like “This was as ugly as heerra mandi lineage—”. This unfortunately again a “male oriented or Patriarchal view of reproductive relations” and its certainly not helping the crusade against misogyny. In Lahore, there is the artist Iqbal Hussain who rather celebrates his Heera Mandi lineage by doing so he is reclaiming what has been discarded by the patriarchal society and this is liberating. The more contemporary feminism, the third wave feminism actually favors the “reclaiming” approach.

In this approach words like Bitch and Slut and Cunt are adopted as symbols of pride rather than degradation, in text we see books like “Bitch: In praise of difficult women”. That was a rather passing remark not alluding to the conversation two ladies had on TV. The passing of political judgment on bases of the sexist? [though its rather controversial weather two women can be sexist to each other, or a black man calling other black man a nigger is racist, or a guy guy calling other gay guy faggot is offensive ] remark is not a very good strategy if we keep the premise in mind.

Whether Kashmala Tariq’s remarks were “fair” should have not been part of this article because , Tariq is sitting in parliament not as a equal human being but as a reserved seat nomination, a political bribe by male politicians to fill in “women rights column of their election manifesto”.

Tariq was nominated by PML-Q, her seat in parliament exist totally due to will of her party but she was the first person to make “Forward Group” as Musharraf was defeated in General elections. Her political conduct cant be called “fairer” as compared to Awan’s, whose change of political party was validated by people of her constituency and she is a grass root political worker.

I think this scenario was not a very typical one to highlight this very important issue. Raza Rumi otherwise is superb writer and despite the critique reading this article was a sheer pleasure.

http://www.razarumi.com/2009/10/26/media-misogyny/

author of this article seems to be a professional ‘palshia’. khoob makhan lagaya hai secret fund se wazeefa laine ke liye ……….. stupid

hi,i just want Dr.firdous aashiq to take notice of educational corruption in biggest college of sialkot which is GOVT.POST GRADUATE COLLEGE FOR WOMEN SIALKOT.Mrs.Ismat Mazhar is principal of this college and she with a director ARSHAD BUTT And principal of punjab group of colleges AKMAL are doing corruption.akmal has taken on govt.lecturer miss.afifa muslim as a visiting english lecturer and since last year she is teaching in punjab college boys campus and Mrs.ismat mazhar supports her in this and in return she gets money and other lucrative benefits by akmal.director arshad butt is main person in supporting afifa muslim to do govt. and private job at the same tima because she is his girl friend and arshad also attends punjab college functions as chief guest.eve. education secretary of punjab also suppot them due to arshad butt being a member of muslim league nawaz group.please take action against it.thanks

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