A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 – by Mureed Bizenjo
Related posts: Social Media Summit in Karachi which never was!
Aisha Aijaz and Saad Khan’s My Bit for Ahmadi Phobia
I had registered myself as a guest, not as a nominee, in the Pakistan Blog Awards (PBA), obviously not expecting an award. The following is an attempt to offer an unbiased commentary on the PBA based on my personal observations.
When I reached at the venue (Regent Plaza hotel, Karachi), I began to recognize some ‘famous’ tweeps and bloggers as I saw them. I saw them again in the highlights of the first Pakistan Blog Awards they showed, I also noticed the host on the stage mentioned them unnecessarily a couple of times.
The event kicked off with a recitation and performance of 4 group of kids up on the stage to represent each province’s culture to which nobody seemed to be interested in. Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto songs were played and traditional dance performed whereas an Urdu song was played to perform on the Balochi culture, to me which was very disappointing but not surprising. This all appeared to be a tokenism tactic when majority of mainstream media as well as blogs continuously ignore the ongoing mass murders of the Balochs, Pashtuns and Shias by the Deep State and proxies. As a sign of protest, I did not stand up when Pakistan’s national anthem was played at the end of the PBA.
I didn’t check on the nominees’ list but most of the bloggers receiving award were announced to be from Karachi except a couple from other cities.
As the event continued, the host announced a surprise appearance and requested a standing ovation for Imran Khan (Chairman Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf) who was greeted with immense applause by most of those present in the hall. Khan was accompanied by Arif Alvi (General Secretary PTI) and his son Awab Alvi (of a pro-PTI blog Teeth Maestro) around him.
Imran Khan came up on the stage and after thanking the organizers requested everyone to make his PTI Jalsa on 25 December 2011 a success, which was very unexpected and not the right place to make such requests. It made at least some people around me very uncomfortable, being a guest he wasn’t supposed to lobby for his party but of course the organizers did not seem much perturbed. Khan appeared only for a while, Abid Beli received an award from him for making National Anthem world record successful. Imran Khan after receiving an award himself for his presence, walked out and the clearly biased awards started again.
Here is a list of some of the bloggers / twitteratis present on PBA: Faisal Qureshi, Beena Sarwar, Ali K Chishti, Awab Alvi, Faisal Kapadia, Badar Khushnood, Rabia Gharib, Abdul Hameed Kath, Abid Beli, Jehanara etc.
I personally believe the awards for bloggers don’t make a difference in most people’s work/blog. The real achievement is what difference they make in other people’s lives.
However, if such awards are to take place, there must be at least a few criteria to ensure objectivity and transparency, which are:
- A blog is expected to be a non-mainstream or alternative media. Thus, those bloggers who write on non-mainstream topics and issues deserve to be particularly highlighted and encouraged. (For example, those promoting non-majority cultures, e.g., Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi, Hazara, or focus on non-majority religions, e.g., Christian, Hindu, Ahmadi, Shia, or highlight issues suppressed by the mainstream media, e.g., ongoing massacres of the Balochs, Pashtuns and Shias by Pakistan’s Deep State, the ongoing persecution and murder of Ahmadi Muslims etc)
- A blog is expected to be critical of the mainstream. Thus those blogs which offer critical assessment of mainstream media, politics and culture deserve to be appreciated.
- The blog awards need to be made more inclusive, representing all cultures, faiths/sects and political inclinations. The awards must not be dominated by a few urban networks, corporate persons and other influential people with non-transparent political and ideological inclinations.
- The names of the hosts and organizers (who they are, what is their investment and interest, what is their ethnic, religious and political identity, what is their expertise on Pakistani blogs etc) as well those of the judges must be clearly and transparently announced long before the event (before the nomination process begins).
Obviously, the Pakistan Blog Awards did not meet many of the above criteria, which compromised the overall quality and objectivity of the whole exercise.
For example:
- Aisha Aijaz received Best Social Activist Blog for ‘My bit for change’ blog, which is commonly known for promoting pro-Imran Khan and pro-Jamaat-e-Islami views; in fact, on the blog’s facebook page and main website, many commentators from the Sipah-e-Sahaba, Jamaat-e-Islami undeterredly post anti-Ahmadi, anti-Shia, anti-Pashtun and anti-Baloch comments.
- Best Journalist Blog award was given to Beena Sarwar, an employee of Jang Group’s Aman Ki Asha. While Beena’s actual services to Pakistani journalism remain a mystery, why at all a Blog Award is to be given to a mainstream journalist on the payroll of a mainstream media group?
- Best Current Affairs blog award was given to a blog “NeWs” which is so ‘uncurrent’ (ie, unkown) in Pakistan’s blogging community that many thought it was Jang Group’s newspaper, The News. Most bloggers had never heard the name of the NeWs blog previously.
- Several other blogs awarded in the PBA were as anonymous as were several members of the so called jury.
Last but not least, the event could have been carried out in modest manner rather than such haughtiness.
Here’s an alternative list of noteworthy blogs which are making non-mainstream contributions to Pakistani society, culture and politics but were, not surprisingly, absent from the PBA event. I am intentionally omitting LUBP from the following list for the sake of objectivity:
- Al Ufaq
- Baghi: Marvi Sirmed
- Baloch Hal
- Baloch Johd
- Hazara News Pakistan
- Karbala-e-Quetta
- Pamir Times
- Pakhtunkhuwa Peace Forum
- Pakistan Blogzine
- Pakistan Christian Post
- Pakistan Hindu Post
- Naveed Ali (Urdu Section)
- Pakistan Media Watch
- Saraiki Waseb Development Organization
- Shaheed Foundation
- The Parachinar Observer
- The Kyyber Watch
- The Shia Post
- Wasaib
In fact, after receiving his award at the ceremony, one of the blog award recipients Mr. Ali Chishthi recorded his dissenting note on Twitter:
“Thanks everyone who voted for my blog. It won the “best political coverage” at #PBA. As a protest to the fake and unjust #PBA – I am returning back my award. There was no transparency at the Blogs Awards. no transparency / no-one knew the judges; enough of this ‘noora khusti’ and cheapness apart from monopoly of the few on social media. Are Google, PC-World, Telenor, Dell supporting #PTI and Imran Khan too? Badar Khusnood should be ashamed at bringing and escorting Imran Khan to #PBA. He represented Google and used his position to help #PTI.This was not #Pakistan Blog Award but a #Karachi Blog Award or PTI Blog Award.”
Video: Imran Khan at Pakistan Blog Awards Dec 23, 2011
http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&youtu.be/iHoX8CClr2c
To the audience’s delight, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan made a surprise entrance at the second Pakistan Blog Awards that kicked off Friday evening at the Regent Plaza hotel.
“This year around, it is great,” blogger Sana Saleem said. “You can gauge the importance of media from the fact that almost every news organisation’s website has a blog now,” she added.
Applause roared across the hall, which housed around 300 people, as Rabia Gharib, the host for the event started to announce the winners.
“Each nomination represents a different hue of Pakistan,” Gharib said.
“The environment is electric,” remarked CEO P@sha Jehan Ara. “Blogs are definitely going to go a long way.”
However, prominent talk-show host Faisal Qureshi said, “Pakistani blogs have quantity, but don’t have quality. We are a nation of complainers, not advocacy. We should be more responsible about our content,” he added.
“Internet usage is converging in Pakistan, which is helping new and social media,” said Badar Khushnood, the Google Pakistan’s country consultant. “There is always a certain level of noise and hype, but in my belief, blogs have done a lot of good to citizen journalism.”
http://tribune.com.pk/story/311277/internet-advocacy-blogs-in-pakistan–no-more-a-silent-revolution/
I congratulate the author on writing an objective evaluation of PBA. I too was one of the affectees (participants) and I can’t forgive myself for wasting my time in such a shallow group of few elites surrounded by a few dozen aspirers.
One thing I must say: The disco molvi Sami Shah is not funny at all.
Why did not Ali Chishti announce his dissent right on the stage before or after receiving the award? Why did he lobby for this award in the first place? Just Askin!
They will keep showing cultural tableau on the Baloch, while not writing a single column or blog on the silent Baloch genocide by FC and ISI.
A few corrections:
Baloch are our brothers, we cannot ignore the involvement of RAW, CIA and Iran in Balochistan. Pakistan army is only fighting against separatists and terrorists.
Imran Khan is a sign of change. People including bloggers have been disappointed by PPP, PMLN etc. If LUBP is on PPP’s payroll, don’t expect others to be dishonest and biased.
The presence of Imran Khan at the awards should be viewed as a recognition of the importance of alternative media by his party, unlike other parties. It should not be viewed negatively. Furthermore, the awards were probably judged on the basis of votes by readers. They may have been biased, however having a nationalist view is not a crime. All the blogs that have been suggested by the author are on the borderline of being “hate speech”. At this critical time in our history, we need to focus on things that bind us together as a nation, rather than those that split us. The failures of the present and past governments are still not excuses for declaring Pakistan as a failed state. We have to rise above our differences!
@Riz1
I agree with you. Why speak of Balochi, Pashtun, Shiite, Qadiani. We are are all Pakistanis.
PakSoldiers.Com wins “Best Sector Coverage Award for 2011″ in Pakistan Blog Awards. Credit goes to our Team specially Muhammad Zohair Chohan and our all reporters and technical team.
The ceremony took place in a local hotel in Karachi, in which the Chairman of PTI Imran Khan made an unexpected appearance.
While speaking to the audience Imran Khan said that Karachi will witness the biggest change on 25th December 2011.
http://www.paksoldiers.com/2011/12/23/paksoldiers-com-wins-in-pakistan-blog-award-2011/
I like Aisha Aijaz, Farhat Hashmi, Jehan Ara and Aafia Siddiqi. Azeem Khawateen
Best social activist-Aisha Aijaz
Unbelievable, they could find a less lame person than this lady who thinks that Maududi is a visionary
Honestly, excuse my saying so, but, if anything, your post definitely sounds biased. I too was at the Blog Awards and was not as a nominee either! However, I had followed the entire Blog Awards very carefully because I wanted to know more about it. Were all the “worthier blogs” you mentioned at the end even participating in the event? Did you, or the bloggers themselves nominate for the event? The Best Journalist Award category had only 3 nominations. If you had bothered to check it out previously, you would have agreed that Beena’s was actually pretty good…and the best in that particular category… Try doing your homework please next time? 🙂
I absolute agree with Ali K.Chishti – he’s one of the most bravest individuals whose unbiased to the core and his stand and returning the award should be applauded.
Thanks @Amused for pointing out that this post is actually biased!
How can anyone be even described as a social activist or journalist who does not cover genocide of Hazara Shias, Balochs and others in Balochistan by Army and army-backed LeJ?
Great post. Keep up the good work.
Let’s hope the organizers read this and have some shame (if they are not shame proof!)
Laibaah1 Laibaah
Best Social Activist blog award given to key supporter of Imran Khan, Maudoodi, Aafia Siddiqui and Farhat Hashmi, i.e., Aisha Aijaz #PBA
Laibaah1 Laibaah
Aisah Aijaz is a blogger version of Farhat Hashmi and Aafia Siddiqi. Her ‘My Bit for Change’ is a refined propaganda of JI, Ikhwan & PTI.
Laibaah1 Laibaah
Best Current Affairs blog was given to …. The News. A blog award to a mainstream media group? What a cruel joke!
Laibaah1 Laibaah
Beena Sarwar is neither a journalist nor a blogger. She is a known flatterer of the rich and the powerful including Mir Shakil of Jang Group.
“I agree with you. Why speak of Balochi, Pashtun, Shiite, Qadiani. We are are all Pakistanis.”
@Shahid:
Because their rights are being violated. No they are not Pakistani, they are lesser people.
“I like Aisha Aijaz, Farhat Hashmi, Jehan Ara and Aafia Siddiqi. Azeem Khawateen”
@Mussalman:
Of course you do like all religious bigots do.
Does anyone known these people? What do they know of Pakistani blogs?
Some of the judges are:
Laila – Director of Jakarta Fashion Week,
Motasshim Ahmed from ITTazee,
Ali Haris – A Pakistani from Disney,
Abbas Ali Khan – the Singer,
Farhan Ibrahim – member of Corporate IT Company,
Zafar Khan from Sofizer
Pakistan Blog Awards Winners
List of winners thanks to Fariha Akhtar’s live blogging 🙂
Best Journalism blog: Journeys to Democracy – Beena Sarwar
Best Current Affairs Blog – Winner: The News,
Merit Awards: Seedhi Baat
Best Political Coverage Blog – Winner: AKC (Ali K Chishti)
Best Social Activist Blog – Winner: My Bet for Change,
Merit: To Whom it may Concern – Sara Khalili
Winner of D-Juice Agents of Change Blog – The Good News
Merit Award for D-Juice Agents of Change – Revolution Flame
Best Youth Blog – Winner: My World
Merit winner – Envisioning Future
Best Aggregator Blog -Teabreak.pk
Winner in Best Education Blog – LSE
Merit Award in best Educational Blog category – Bachpan k din
Best Medical Blog Winner – Medicalopedia
Best Science Blog Winner: Telecommunication and electronics project
Best Business Blog – Winner: Life Etc
Best Marketing Blog – Pak Media Blog
Best Sector Coverage Blog – Winner: Pak Soldiers
Best Celebrity Profiling Blog Winner – Pak Spice
Best Fashion Blog – Winner: Pink255
Merit: Sarah Hassan’s Blog
Best Infotainment Award – Listphobia(DJ Bubble)
Merit award – 3Woogle by Mehwish Sattar
Best Music Blog – Winner: Easy Learn to Play Guitar
Best Diarist – Winner: The After Life
Merit: A Myth in Creation
Best Literature Blog – Winner: Desi Writers Lounge
Best Culture Blog – Winner: Lahorenama
Best Travel Blog – Winner: I Explore Pakistan
Best Video Blog – Winner: 24/7 Online TV
Best Food Blog – Winner: The Crazy Chef by Tehniat Aftab
Best Sports Blog – Winner: Sport Fuss
Merit: Khailo Pakistan
Best Humor Blog – Winner: Sami Tahami
Merit: Dufferistan
Best Tech Blog International – Winner: Tech Devil
Merit: Tips’o’Tricks and Technology Cafe’
Best Technology Local – Winner: TelecomPk.Net
Best Regional Language Blog – Winner: Indus News
Best Urdu Blog – Winner: Danishnama
Merit Award – Pak.Net
Best use of Urdu Language in a blog – Winner: ITNama
Best Photo Blog – Winner: Galiyaan
Merit: Basil’s Photography
Best Urdu Blog – Winner: Danishnama
Posthumous Award: Asher Chaudhry. He submitted his blog this year and passed away 10 days before the closing date
http://wordsmithess.tumblr.com/post/14674466436/pakistan-blog-awards-winners
Aisha Ijaz sahiba is a patriot Pakistani and a true Muslimah. Unlike many Hindu and Angraiz looking Pakistani women.
@Shahid:
“we cannot ignore the involvement of RAW, CIA and Iran in Balochistan.”
Of course we can. This is just Punjabi establishment hogwash. They blame all their crimes on others; US, Israel, Mars anything but them. There is no evidence of that provided by ISI despite several years of this going on. Obviously this is an inside job as people of Baluchistan widely claim and is justified by other evidence.
“Pakistan army is only fighting against separatists and terrorists.”
Where is the evidence for it? When are Baluchis presented in court and crimes are proved against them? This is just an excuse for Punjabi Army to eliminate Baluchis completly eventually. This is genocide of Baluchis by Punjabi army nothing less. Nothing new, since the same Punjabi Army has been killing Bangalis, Sindhis, Urdu Speakers and Pakhtoons too.
@Shah Nawaz Khan:
“Aisha Ijaz sahiba is a patriot Pakistani and a true Muslimah. Unlike many Hindu and Angraiz looking Pakistani women.”
Of course someone like Asiha Ijaz a follower of Maududi who called Pakistan Na-Pakistan, called Quaid-e-Azam fasiq-o-fajir and opposed creation of Pakistan tooth and nail and even after Pakistan’s creation only caused havoc has to be a patriotic Pakistani.
@Shah Nawaz Khan
So what was this Muslimah doing at the awards among so many na-mehram?
Imran Khan was surrounded by none other than Pakistan’s top blogger Faisal Qureshi.
What? You don’t know who he is?
A candid conversation with an urban journalist & TV anchor, Faisal Qureshi
http://pakistanblogzine.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/a-candid-conversation-with-faisal-qureshi/
Who cares!
AamirRaz AamirRaz
@faisalkapadia Find th list in comment here: criticalppp.com/archives/67182 // btw, do read th blog, too 🙂 #pba
BalaachMarri TheBaloch
A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 – by @MureedBizenjo shar.es/WfhR9 Read @akchishti’s note on #PBA too. Good job both.
Chiltan salma jafar
But who cares!! A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 – by Mureed Bizenjo @MureedBizenjo shar.es/WfhR9
RababKhan RababKhan
And here it is: A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 at LUBP bit.ly/vBb4Ee
WasiJaved Muhammad Wasif Javed
Hmmm, Agreed With Him Mostly! ›› @RababKhan: And here it is: A critical comment on #Pakistan #Blog Awards 2011 at LUBP bit.ly/vBb4Ee
faisalkapadia FK
The blog by lubp on #pba is worth a read!!!
akchishti akchishti
Unbiased take of Pakistan Blog Awards criticalppp.com/archives/67182 #PBA
AiliaZehra Ailia Zehra
A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 – by @MureedBizenjo criticalppp.com/archives/67182
@shahid : Change? What Change?
A question about Pakistan blog awards
By Faisal Kapadia – Dec 24th, 2011
Last nights blog awards were pretty interesting. At least for me because I didn’t hang out too long in the 2010 blog awards due to jet lag, however I heard they were a grand affair. Suffice to say the organizing of such an event must be something very difficult to achieve and even more so with a broken finger so A to Rabia for effort.
I do however have a question. I had some last year as well but did not ask them, because I was nominated personally and people would have said he is being a sore loser. This year though the case is a bit different so I will get right to the point. The current affairs category in these blog awards was won by a blog called “The news” We shall assume that by the news the organizers and judges (whoever they are) mean the blog owned by jang group on the news website here.
My question and this is not just to the organizers i.e Rabia and co but the entire blogging community of Pakistan: Where in the category “current affairs” on the blogawards website is the blog “The news” nominated?
Let me ease your burden by providing screen shots taken by two sources other than me to verify my position
Now, im a bit blind on my good days..so I would appreciate it if someone could point out to me “if” I have missed it..
If it has not been nominated, what does the blog “the news” have that is so special that it can get an award without even competing in the category? Plus shouldn’t blog awards be given to non corporate blogs in any case who do not have staffers and trillions of rs to spend on their websites and resources? Even if we are to consider all corporate blogs owned by news sites the judges at pba came up with “the news” ahead of “Dawn” and “etribunes” blog?
Now obviously this may be a mistake, but if it is then its a pretty glaring one. I wont bother to talk about the other mistakes I noticed as those I can point out as feedback by email as well. I would however like an answer to this strange fact and I would like it publicly. I would also like to know the names of the judges who judged this particular category if it is not a matter of national security?
Source: The News Tribe
The writer of this piece must be either on weed or a shameless liar. I have been following MyBitForChange.org , the website and facebook page for sometime now. I challenge Mr. Bizenjo to show me even a single anti-Ahmadi, anti-Shia, anti-Pashtun and anti-Baloch comment. With more than 20K likes on the page, somebody might have said something bad but it is always ensured that it is removed immediately.
Please give an example of what you’ve just said.
The trouble is that any tom and dick like Mr Bazenjo can vomit anything in English. The people behind this website should see what crap is being published here.
hushamahmed Husham Ahmed
Congratulations to @Razarumi for getting best culture blog award at #PBA for his Lahorenama.
AamnaTaseer Aamna Taseer
CongratsRT “@Razarumi: Congrats to @beenasarwar for the best news blog #pba”
faizanlakhani Faizan Lakhani
It was sad to see a group of bloggers not standing for Pakistan’s national anthem at #PBA
Pakistan Blog Awards: From A Blogger’s View
December 24th, 2011
Kinza Tahir
Attending Pakistan Blog Awards was an honour, a prestige for me, a huge opportunity to meet and greet the blogging world. It was an experience beyond measure since it was my first time being present at such an event!
I was so nervous I could hear my heart beating in my head, but I never thought of winning I just wanted to capture and remember each and every moment in my mind.
Wearing three inch heels with a pink dress and heavy clad earrings, I thought that’s formal enough but when I entered the hall I noticed people were too casual wearing jeans. I just ignored that fact and moved to enjoy!
The whole event was perfect for me but the icing on cake was the special appearance of Imran Khan which left me in bewilderment. I was very excited mainly because he came to promote youth, he talked about the fact that how the youngsters were going to play a huge role in bringing change and how he needs our support. Cameras were going click click and as he was going he left everyone in admiration!
http://www.doodhpattiblogs.com/pakistan-blog-awards-from-a-bloggers-view/
Al Ufaq has been on the horizon for a few months now and has been reporting boldly about the situation of human rights in Pakistan. This role was acknowledged even by some international agencies and observers. Al Ufaq deliberately kept itself away from the blog awards drama because the intentions of the organizers was very clear. We have cross published Mureed Bizenjo’s post who attended the awards as an independent observer.
http://alufaq.com/critical-comment-pakistan-blog-awards-2011-mureed-bizenjo
@Ahmad:
I have myself seen several Sipah-e-Sahaba activists posting hate comments on Aisha Aijaz’s blog (My Bit of Al Qaeda).
I challenge you to show me a single post on:
1. Baloch genocide by army and proxies
2. Shia genocide by army and proxies
3. Pasthun genocide by ISI-backed Taliban
4. Condemnation of Imran Khan’s and Munawar Hasan’s pro-Taliban stance
5. Condemnation of increasing USA-phobia and Xenophobia in Pakistan
She is a known disciple of Zakir Naik and Farhat Hashmi. Not a single post she allows to publish in appreciation of Imam Hussain or to remember the Karbala sacrifice of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad Imam Hussain (R.A.)
Enough?
Some examples from Aisha Aijaz’s My bit of Al Qaeda:
On promoting Zakir Naik along with Imran Khan:
People like Zakir Naik, Ahmed Deedat, Israr Ahmed, Nouman Ali Khan etc are wonderful exams to study Islam in the right light, not forgetting our great scholars.
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/selective-islam/
On Raymond Davis and Aafia Siddiqi:
What’s the price of my blood as a Pakistani, three of us killed by an American a few weeks ago and thousands killed by unquestioned drone attacks which we have now gone immune to. What’s the fate of Aafia Siddiqui, whose crime was never proven, whose trial was never run here, whose pain and torture melts no stonehearted leaders? And what’s the price of the blood of a young girl called Shumaila Fahim who committed suicide knowing, very rightly, that death in my country is easier and less painful than expecting justice for years and years.
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/whats-the-price-of-my-blood/
You do not need to be physically captured to be a slave. Was our land occupied when our authorities handed over people to the U.S? Were we not independent and autonomous, when Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was taken to trial in the U.S and when Raymond Davis killed our citizens in the daylight and got away with it? No! We were a sovereign entity! But were we, ever?
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/the-complexity-of-inferiority/
Our leaders are completely deaf for this kind of voice. Coward and impotent, they can even give away the daughters of the soil for a bag of dollars. Remember Aafia?
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/is-once-a-slave-always-a-slave/
In this column, Aisha Aijaz clearly describes her pro-Taliban, anti-liberal agenda:
Find me the antonym, please!
Feb 22nd, 2011 | By Aisha Aijaz
So, you belong to The Ghairat Brigade, and you know exactly why! It hurts you, when you hear a bad news about Pakistan or the Islamic world and you have a very narrow mind-set which is not evolving with the ‘changing world’. You weigh everything ‘unnecessarily’ against morals, values, traditions and faith. How boring and dry! You try to look for a conspiracy theory behind everything that goes bizarre. How schizophrenic! You are so blinded by your love for roots, religion and the word of God and the Prophet (SAW) that you cannot see the benefits that could come your way if you keep saying ‘YES’ to your ‘masters’ and blindly follow their path. How unrealistic!
The Ghairat Brigade, a newly invented term which groups all ‘old-fashioned, conservative-minded, grumpy lot’, has become a favourite style of blogs and articles discussing almost all the painful issues of the country. Thanks to media which is actually getting a perfect price for dividing the nation into ‘backwards’, ‘liberals’ and the ‘enlightened moderates’. I’d list only a few stories out of the news.
The civil society, the dollar-funded NGOs, human right activists and the so called liberal bunch is remarkably quiet on Raymond Davis issue and the the suicide of Shumaila Faheem. In one of the many talk shows discussing him and his crime, one of the very prominent human right activists Ms Farzana Bari had actually got no point to discuss, for or against this CIA agent. She found nothing to be ferocious about, as the murderer was an American and not an Imam of a Masjid.
The Ghairat Brigade talks about torture and pain of Aafia Siddiqui, her unjust handing over to the US and illegal detention of her children and gets labelled by the liberals as ‘The Aafia Mafia’.
They feel ashamed when they are reminded of Mullah Zaeef, who was a diplomat and who did have immunity under Vienna convention. He was not a murderer of innocent Pakistanis (unlike Mr Davis) but was beaten brutally before being flown to Guantanamo Bay.
They shout loud when innocent civilians are killed as ‘inevitable collateral damage’ in their very own homeland and the sovereignty of the state is attacked. They consider ‘Laal Masjid’ massacre as mishandling of the issue, not justified by any law and carried out just to please the masters.
The Ghairat Brigade feels the pain when fellow brothers are killed and attacked on an aid ship called Mavi Marmara where peace activists are shown as ‘terrorists’. Their nights go sleepless when they see the most horrifying images from Abu Ghraib prison, which show the most inhumane crimes of US soldiers against their helpless preys. They are then labelled as ‘Thaykaydaars of the Ummah’.
They hit the streets when the world calls ‘drawing of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’ in most indecent fashion, as ‘freedom of speech’.
And, guess what! The liberal lot stays stunningly quiet!
When the Ghairat Brigade talks about existence and multiplication of American security contractors in Islamabad, and now all over the country, they are labelled as paranoid, unnecessarily hunting for conspiracy theories behind the unrest. But when the western journalists talk about same theories, now turning into realities, the liberals rather prefer to talk about something else.
While the Ghairat Brigade moans about the disintegration of moral fabric of the society, the liberals make Veena Malik a ‘National Hero’ and celebrate ‘party culture’ of Valentine’s day and New year’s night more than it’s celebrated anywhere in the West.
So, is the world really changing or is it just an illusion, hyped up by the media, controlled and influenced by a handful of ‘enlightened moderates’? I am sure the majority in Pakistan wants to change the sickening situation of the country by reviving tradition, values, religion and of course, ‘Qoumi ghairat’. But the silence of such people, who can really bring about the change and snatch back the sovereignty and national dignity, is utterly criminal. I firmly believe that conspiracy theories have existed since the time of origin of mankind. But, they only become successful if you are mute or weak enough to create room for them. So, again, the problem needs mending at home.
Chashm e num jaan e shoreeda kaafi nahin
Tohmat e ishq posheeda kaafi nahin
Aaj bazaar main pa ba jaulan chalo..
Mourning and lamenting would not help changing the current state. If you believe in something, stand for it. Surely, the people equally responsible for this hype are ‘the silent majority’. I quote George Orwell,
‘During the time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act’.
By the way, could someone please find me an antonym dictionary? I need to look for the opposite of the term ‘The Ghairat Brigade’..
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/find-me-the-antonym-please/
Surprised to see ‘the news’ winning award it was not nominated. still its not on pak blogawards web.
Horrified to see such a useless piece of excrement. I have been following My Bit for Change for a while now and I havent seen even a single article that is anti Shia, anti Ahmedi, anti Baloch or anti Pakhtun. These allegations are totally baseless with no proofs whatsoever. Would the writer please give references of these charges and also where can he see Sipah-e-Sahaba people on the website? As far as PTI is concerned, it is non violent, stands for justice, does not preach hatred and hence nothing wrong in supporting it.
Also (not) surprised to see some of the comments supporting this article especially by one Jahangir Aslam who is hell bent on picking things out of the articles which HE doesnt like rather than something being actually wrong in them. When asked to give examples of the things I have asked above, he has no answers and instead he is just beating around the bush and taking the story somewhere else.
Moreover, the award is won by the blog website and not the Facebook page. Anybody can post comments on the Facebook page and with 20000+ followers, you cant keep a check on who is posting what. Still, the challenge remains to point out any anti-Shia, Ahmedi, Pakhtun or Balochi comments on the website!
@Zarrar Butt
The entire blog has some 20 articles, you call this blog. It has the usual non sense of mullahs that we read on daily basis on electronic and print media. Their understanding of history hasn’t surpassed the Punjab textbook board books. Tell me one author of repute who mentions in his book that Jinanh wanted an ideological state? It has nothing but some lame articles inspired by Maududis concept of Islamic fascist state. They are silent over butchery by Islamic terrorists. Its crude and immature stuff.
this article is really a pack of lies. if you negative minded , hate monger ppls cannot contribute to the society then better shur ur filthy mouths. My Bit for change and Aisha Ejaz is role model for patriotic Pakistanis.
@Imran
What has she done that she be considered a role model for Pakistanis? Can we even once talk objectively and logically? Some low quality articles with usual cliches makes you patriotic? A person who is silent over the slaughter of 40,000 soldiers and civilians cant be patriotic
مجھ سمیت پانچ اردو بلاگرز موقع پر موجود تھے لیکن ہم اور اردو بلاگنگ کمیونٹی اس وقت انتہائی شاک میں آگئی جب ایک ایسے بلاگر کو بہترین اردو بلاگر کا ایوارڈ دیا گیا جسے کوئی جانتا بھی نہیں اور جسکے بلاگ کو بلاگ کہنا اردو بلاگنگ کی توحین معلوم ہوتی ہے۔
سمجھ نہیں آیا کہ کن اصولوں پر ایوارڈ دئے گئے۔
@Kashif Naseer, Looking forward to your post on the corporate elites drama.
How sad, all I see is complaining. My blog on Pakistan was nominated, had I been able to attend it would have been an honor to me.
Your comments regarding My bit for change reflects bughz-e-Blog rather than any solid criticism.
Everyone has a right to express his views on their blog and you also have right to express any thing. But reasons mentioned like anti-shia, anti-ahmadi and all other crap is baseless. I find no objectionable post/blog at this website which falls under ur criticism.
Please grow up!
@Jahangir Aslam
Your comments have resulted in new respect for the blog My Bit for Change. Thanks! As a token of gratitude, I will pray to Allah to bless you with guidance. Ameen!
Aisha Aijaz is a fan of notorious Taliban apologist Orya Maqbool Jan
My bit for change
Orya Maqbool Jan’s enlightening talk ~ Part 2 — with Aisha Aijaz, Orya Maqbool Jan, Orya Maqbool Jan, Shoaib Saleem, Asad Aijaz and Orya Maqbool Jan.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150404410615239
It’s about time sonmeoe wrote about this.
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An example of how Osama bin Laden lovers Hizbut-Tahrir turtles rule on Aisha Aijaz’s My Bit of Al Qaeda:
Mubeshar Rashid: Tanzeem e Islami struggling for Khilafah Plz join and participate for Islami Revolution.
Bilal Hashim Siddiqi: oh yes there are…the media plays around portraying TTP as the afghan talibans…the two have nothing to do with each other. this is a deliberate move to demonize the freedom resistance in afghanistan of the talibs.
Ramiz Nasir: @ muhammad asif moin siddiqui do u know about the letter written by mullah umer to baitullah mehsood??? if not go and check that, saleem safi quoted that letter in his programe jirga in the presance of those ulema who visited afghanistan during taliban rule.. TTP has got nothing to do with afghan taliban or al-qaeda…
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150404410615239
@Kashif Naseer
I dont agree on the part that ” us Blog ko blog kehna Urdu blooging ki toheen ho gi” but there are other quality urdu blogs better that the winner.
@Susan Marie Public Relations
You really need to open your eyes and read this post. Do you know any thing about the Baloch, Pashtun, Shia genocide by ISI-backed LeJ? Ask your friend Beena Sarwar how much salary is she paid by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman of Jang Group to be silent on these issues.
Maududi’s Jamaat Islami opposed the creation of Pakistan. Maududi is Aisha Aijaz’s ideal. On her facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2076806885572&set=o.148108231912865&type=3&theater
Aisha Aijaz promoting homophobia on My Bit of Al Qaeda:
Before it’s too late!
Jul 4th, 2011
A “Mullah meeting” was in progress with around 20-25 participants. It was organized by a hardliner, radical Islamist group with extremist views. A man with a turban on his head and unknown identity was speaking to the gathering and encouraging the new “recruits” for more terrorist attacks and their rewards in the hereafter. Suddenly a youngster from the gathering volunteered himself for the next attack. He spoke some emotional, brainwashed phrases to show his commitment and inviting others to do the same. He prepared himself, left the place and went into a nearby market. Upon entering a shopping mall he took his hand to the suicide jacket’s pin and shouted Allah-u-Akbar, detached its pin and……
”No…!” I screamed and jumped out of bed. I woke up sweating and my heart pounding like anything. I took a glass of water and then thanked God that it was only a bad dream and nothing more.
It was a usual day and I started surfing the internet where I read news….
“US Embassy holds gay, lesbian ceremony in Islamabad”.
I was shocked as it was not the US embassy in any liberal European country or China, not even in a so called secular state like India. In fact, it was held in the heart of our very own ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN…!!!. I remembered a BBC news few days back that an NGO organized a meeting for homosexuals who were gathered from all over the country to Nathiagali (KPK), I remembered a similar event organized a couple of years back in Karachi and thought where we are heading to??
The event was arranged by none other than the US embassy itself, assuring full support to these “enlightened moderate and liberal class”.
“I want to be clear that the US Embassy is here to support you and stand by your side every step of the way”, said Charge d’ Affaires Ambassador Richard Hoagland at US embassy.
Wow… Isn’t this wonderful?? The world’s super power is backing you to live a “Jesay chaho jeo” life in Pakistan. Our police, rangers, FC and military are alert enough to catch the bombers before they are successful in their attempt and we hear the news every day that a potential suicide bomber is arrested; a planned suicide attempt was engaged etc. Our authorities, our police may have been ignorant and may be this event was carried out secretly. But wait, we have an official press release by US embassy informing everyone that we will promote “whatever we want” and “wherever we want” “jo kerna hai ker lo” (Do whatever you like).
How can “OUR” authorities even think of questioning them about this?? They can only catch Jihadist literature from a Madrassa, they can invent Al-Qaida personnel from wherever they want, they can let Kashmir Singh (Indian RAW spy) go back with full protocol and last but not the least they can give a CIA spy safe exit who was on Exit Control List as per High Court orders. What would have happened if the “Mullah Meeting Dream” was real and it took place in a local hotel, had it gone unnoticed the same way? Could they issue a press release as well with our foreign office and authorities being dumb and mute?
Why am I comparing these two completely different scenarios?
Promoting these shameful events like a Homosexual gathering is as harmful as promoting the Talibanization. In the West, this failed culture has made life a hellfire in itself with crushed family system and miserable youth, and now they want to rot our roots and weaken our generations.
‘’We also sent Luut, and recall when he told his people: “Do you commit shameless acts with your eyes open? Do you lustfully approach men instead of women? Nay, you engage in acts of sheer ignorance.” But this had only one answer from his people. They said: “Expel Luut’s folk from your city. They pretend to be absolutely clean.” Eventually We saved (Luut) and his family, except his wife. We had decreed that she should be among those who would remain behind. And We rained down upon them a rain. It was an evil rain for those who had already been warned.’’ (Surah Al-Namal 54-58)
The liberals and the enlightened moderates, when they condemn Taliban, repeatedly quote Quran “Taking a single human’s life is like killing the whole humanity”. Would they also be quoting the above straightforward verses of the same Quran where it condemns this shameful act?
I went through some blogs and articles speaking the same language as the US embassy on our very own “Sexpress Tycoon” which has a clear agenda to promote this kind of immoral, non-Islamic and alien culture in Pakistani society. I have also seen sarcastic comments for people who talk about values and roots as “They pretend to be absolutely clean” as quoted in above verse. But, it was very encouraging to see most of the comments on social media condemning this US embassy event. It is a ray of hope that Pakistanis will not be so dumb to let this penetrate in their society that easily, but is it too late or we still have time for reverse engineering for going back to our cultural roots??
Just a note of clarification: I consider any suicide attacks in Pakistan to be absolutely against Islam but at the same time I firmly believe that these plots against our values and religion are more hazardous as they (on a long term) are bound to weaken our cultural and ideological roots and a strong family system, on the basis of which we still stand in the world, despite all the evils in the society.
Tags: gay rights, lesbian ceremony in Islamabad, US Embassy, US Embassy holds gay
11 COMMENTS
Usman July 4th, 2011 9:45 am :
Good one Asad ! Fully agree..
Imran Umer July 4th, 2011 10:38 am :
Good on you Br Asad. May Allah save us from the plots of evil doers
Omer Noor July 4th, 2011 11:07 am :
Good to see someone writing about this issue, i read this news a few days ago i was absouloutely dumbfounded by this. It was agonizing
Nabil July 4th, 2011 1:07 pm :
Excellent article, Asad, both in content and ‘dramaee tashkeel’
Sidra July 4th, 2011 2:21 pm :
Absolutely agree with you on that one! I’m still in shock that they dare celebrate the passing of an obnoxious law in our country. And tomorrow we’ll have youth who’ll be confused and lack values and turn into just like the youth in America. It’s utterly sad.
Auspicious July 4th, 2011 2:26 pm :
After hearing this news and getting shocked what are our responsibilities? if you have observed in past few years not more only in 2years, we have noticed, if we only talk about facebook, we would see lot of vulgar females sudden appear on fb with their muslim or pakistani identification mostly from lhr / khi / isb making friendship mostly with boys and spreading vulgar pics (astghfirullah). if not vulgar at least their personal pics they are shwoing with ppl and waiting for vulgar comments. wht is this? ever you tried to stop them? NO!! even we as muslim try to friendship with them right? our contact list is full of nasty ppl, we only raise our fingers at others but we dont see what we are ourselves.
if you can so try to ignore them. this is my humble request to you .. and someone who u know personally at least u can stop her / him to .. Islam allows us to stop bad things. even it is necessary and it is farz on a Muslim.
Jazak Allah!
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/before-its-too-late/
Aisha Aijaz (My bit of Al Qaeda) promoting Imran Khan’s pro-Taliban, anti-USA dharna:
My bit for change
Dr. Maraj-ul-Huda addressing DHARNA despite fractured Hand
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1825179026725&set=o.148108231912865&type=3
Aisha Aijaz (My bit of Al Qaeda) peddling Al Qaeda and Taliban’s xenophobic propaganda: (Rulers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan etc doing a sajda to USA)
My bit for change
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2030211763743&set=o.148108231912865&type=3
Likes and Interest of Aisha Aijaz’s facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/mybitforchange?sk=info
Likes and Interests
Likes
Team Palestina,
Sarah Joseph,
The News Tribe (TNT),
Press TV,
Inspired By Muhammad,
Activists around the world for Palestine,
FehemeQuran,
Pakistan – Aik Junoon,
Dr. Shahid Masood,
Dr Shahid Masood,
Ahmed Quraishi,
Syed Talat Hussain,
Islam and his last wish.,
Javed Chaudhry,
Yvonne Ridley,
Justice and Freedom for Aafia Siddiqui
Aisha Aijaz’s propganda for ISI-backed Imran Khan:
The call to gather was for ‘change’. Imran Khan talks of the common man and he has delivered, although on a smaller scale (Shaukat Khanum and Mianwali University Projects). He talks of the ‘Rule of Law’. Having explored the Western culture and comparatively studying Islam, he takes pride in owning Islamic values and systems. He promises not to bow for anyone’s interest and keep the interest of Pakistan supreme. He opposes Pakistan’s alliance with US War on terror and condemns the innocent casualties as a result of US drone strikes in Pakistan.
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/is-the-silent-majority-awake/
Shahid Ali Syed
11.17.11
Salam un alaikum,
As far Aisha Aijaz blog is concerned (not the owner), i say it is a biased platform where only those are entertained or some space is given whom are considered favorable or favorites. If u look around each article(s) published for some particular reason i.e. my bit for change, it can easily be perceive, and conceived as well, that the contributors are seeking just the +ve support and critic of any sort is forbidden.
In healthy environment, it is essential that review be given some space for critics too. And in this case, it is absent, giving a certain level of assimilation.
[Reply]
sana Reply:
November 29th, 2011 at 11:24 am
So true Mr Shahid. Ms Ijaz simply kick you out from the group if you try to go agaisnt their point of view. This is why you would always see comments supporting the posts. Get real!
http://pakistanblogawards.com/2011/11/17/best-political-coverage-blog-dr-aisha-aijaz/
On Aisha Aijaz
This blog’s name should be ‘My bit for change- a Jamat e Islami perspective’…very anti-american and pro extremists …they should accept this fact and include it in their info!..the likes include shahnawaz farroqi who calls Osma Bin laden SHAHEED…this blog is full of hypocray just like thier JUI leaders
http://pakistanblogawards.com/2011/11/17/best-political-coverage-blog-dr-aisha-aijaz/
@Jahangir Aslam You have completely lost it.
A blog, by definition is opinion of somebody or a group of bodies. You have every right to disagree with it.
As for as promoting homophobia … there is a religion called Islam, which we claim to be adherent of. If Islam says homosexuality is a crime, IT IS A CRIME. Same goes for anything forbidden in Islam. If you have a problem with that, I cant care less.
My Bit For Change is a group of people driven by Islam, most of the posts reflect that. Now if anyone be it Imran Khan, Maudoodi, Orya Maqbool , Nawaz Sharif , or even Zardari talks about reviving Islam as a social system, their views would match. You cant blame anyone for that.
@Ahmad
Thank you for proving my point. My Bit for Change is a blog of Islamists, the Khilafah turtles, the Taliban apologists, the homophobes and the US-phobes.
Shame on Pakistan Blog Awards. But what else could we expect from urban merchants of lies and deception.
Great post by Bizenjo. We need more critical voices and posts like this one in Pakistani blogsphere.
Three people most hypocritical in the event were:
Bald-head Shobz (Shoaib Taimoor) who is the most lowly flatterer Pakistan has ever produced;
Bearded Sami Shah whose sense of humour is as limited as is his little brain;
Sana Saleem (whose recent post on silence was complete silent on Shia genocide)
Beena Sarwar and Bina Shah were absent but many others similar to these two were there.
@Jahangir Aslam
Stop picking personal details from Facebook profiles. After all reasoning fails, resorting to personal attacks just shows your lowly worth. Is that the best you could come up with?
Selectively choosing comments and likes of Facebook fans (which have nothing to do with the blog awards anyway) proves how much time you have for nit picking!
Coming to where it all started, still waiting for any anti shia, balochi, ahmedi or pakhtun articles on the blog site.
and Jahangir Aslam, you forgot to mention this article:
http://www.mybitforchange.org/2011/have-we-got-the-right-ingredients/
where it says:
‘ If we believe in the same God and prophet, there should be absolutely nothing to hate. If you believe in same God and a different prophet, or no prophet or no God, even then we are sons of Adam and we can still work together towards a collective change. It demands extreme love amongst us, and passion towards the goal. Tolerance is a virtue we’ve heard, but as an ingredient, it’s ‘religiously’ required more than anything.’
maybe because it doesnt fit your ‘pickings’.
or looks like you are still trying to manufacture the anti shia/baloch/ahmedi/pakhtun articles. good luck for that!
@Susan Harry
You really need to open your eyes and read this post. Do you know any thing about the Baloch, Pashtun, Shia genocide by ISI-backed LeJ? Ask your friend Beena Sarwar how much salary is she paid by Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman of Jang Group to be silent on these issues.
Please don’t attempt to school me on Pakistan. What this is in this article is bashing others. Please correct me if I am wrong but being a Muslima and practicing Islam certainly does not include taking out other brothers and sisters. I said NOTHING political, I said: How sad, all I see is complaining. My blog on Pakistan was nominated, had I been able to attend it would have been an honor to me.
And it is sad.
I ctrl+F’ed the word “nomin” and I could see nowhere that anybody even bothered to nominate the list of blogs that you’ve listed as alternative. I told somebody related to LUBP a month ago to nominate Critical PPP and any other blog you considered worthy. So where were the nominations of all the blogs you think are great?
I have got to agree with Susan Marie. All this is just griping about a blog award show that was announced long in advanced.
If you have a problem, then nominate the blogs you think are worthwhile and actually win. Or lose. But at least try.
Mureed Bizenjo: Oh those FCS! They took our internet candy!
I hope Mr Bizenjo nominates all his beloved alternative blogs next year so that we don’t get another whiny post like this in 2012.
Amused put it best:
Were all the “worthier blogs” you mentioned at the end even participating in the event? Did you, or the bloggers themselves nominate for the event? ….
Try doing your homework please next time?
@TLW
Re-read this post; this time with open eyes.
Given that the nuances are beyond your understanding, try to read what Al-Ufaq wrote:
http://criticalppp.com/archives/67182/comment-page-1#comment-194989
anon for a good reason
Are you the same Anon For a Good Reason that hung around Cafe Pyala? Man you guys really drove those guys into the ground with your name calling.
nuances are beyond your understanding
Nuances are not beyond my understanding, but when I’m confronted with 7,000 words plus of petty politics over blogs, then it becomes pretty pointless.
Broad strokes are sometimes the most important since they can be seen from a distance
And if one blog, Ufaq, wants to be huffy over not being nominated, then nominate the other ones.
Ghar baithay agar mein bhi waa-waila karta, I would never have gotten anything of mine published.
I’m not going to waste my time re-reading this whole and my advice to those getting whiny about the blog awards, but not even nominating blogs they like is either fish or cut bait.
Otherwise, keep crying into your keyboard. LoL Good night.
@TLW
As I said nuances are beyond your understanding. AK Chishti’s blog was nominated, he received the award and announced to return it as a token of protest.
Now bark again. It is amusing…
An open letter to CIO / Pc World Pakistan
December 27th, 2011 | 39 Comments
To: CIO/PC WORLD
Dear Sir/Madam:
Respectfully submitted as follows:
1. That I am addressing you as the co-editor of the blogzine, http://www.pakteahouse.net (“PakTeahouse”) which was a nominee the recently concluded “Pakistan Blog Awards”.
2.That you awarded the “best current affairs blog” to a little known blog called http://zaviews.blogspot.com (the “ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS”).
3. That the PakTeahouse team has perused the aforesaid and the team unable to decipher how you came to the conclusion that ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS is the best current affairs blog, given that it has only a few blog entries, few of which are directly relevant to the recent events in Pakistan.
4. That in comparison PakTeaHouse blog has established its credentials as the go to blog for Pakistani current affairs and the same has been recognized not just nationally but internationally by such publications as The New York Times in the United States of America and The Hindu in India.
5. That there is no topic or event that can be termed “current affairs” which has not been covered by the PakTeaHouse blog. The same cannot be said for ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS. Even a cursory glance on the topics covered at the PakTeaHouse and ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS makes it abundantly clear that while the PakTeaHouse blog has covered everything from war on terror to memogate and from persecution of minorities to the periodic Veena Malik scandals, ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS falls short on each count.
6. That in terms of the quality of content, PakTeaHouse contains an independent team of writers which has written fearlessly, critically and openly on issues that are considered taboo.
7. That in terms of unique hits generated and viewership there is no comparison between the aforesaid ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS and PakTeahouse.
8. That it is our apprehension that you have deliberately sought to ignore the pre-eminent place that the PakTeaHouse blog enjoys in the Pakistani blogosphere, especially when it comes to current affairs.
9. That your conduct in the matter is highly arbitrary to say the least. It is therefore requested that you make plain the criteria upon which you have selected ZAVIEWS AKA NEWS as the best current affairs blog for 2011.
10. That in order to preserve the integrity of your award and their credibility, it is urgent that you
a. Give a reasoned explanation of the basis of your adjudication; or
b. Review your decision vis a vis the best current affairs blog.
Please do not hesitate to contact me in the event of any queries.
Yasser Latif Hamdani
Co-editor, PakTeaHouse
——-
Comments:
Jalsa Jaloos says:
December 28, 2011 at 1:26 am
Are you talking about the event in which Imran Khan was invited at the last moment ?
کاشف نصیر says:
December 28, 2011 at 1:54 am
Award for the Best Urdu Blogger was given to Danish Nama, which Blog is even not familiar for the Urdu Bloggers Community. Similarly Award for the Best Urdu Blogger on merit was given to a forum not a blog. I think jury should answer about their criteria.
Teeth Maestro (Awab Alvi) says:
December 28, 2011 at 11:12 am
My question – and I ask this more as an unbiased manner – Why the sore looser attitude – Had if PTH picked this question with irregularity on the Urdu category or any other blatant problem. but when you are seen whining about loosing in your own category …. it reduces the overall impact of the argument you are making
That said mind you I have little doubt that if I were to choose between PTH & the little known ZaViews – I would choose PTH hands down – literally there is no comparison…. but please dont act like a sore looser, i warned everyone even in the Out of Bounds show with FK – not to be sore loosers
F.K (Faisal Kapadia) says:
December 28, 2011 at 11:27 am
Its not about PTH winning or losing awab.. its about the principle of fairness. Since you think this is sore loser attitude and recognize the fact that the urdu category might have an irregularity in it why dont you speak up for the urdu category. Whats holding you back?? We might be sore losers but what are you?
Teeth Maestro (Awab) says:
December 28, 2011 at 1:33 pm
… for one im not a looser im a BAGHI, mein Baghi hoon
im ok at speaking up but guide me to the areas you suspect let me do a critical analysis – bottomline is giving out awards is hazardous in Pakistan – if i were to receive such out-lash id simply walk away –
YLH says:
December 29, 2011 at 11:21 am
What the hell is a “looser” Awab. As a PTI budding leader you disappoint me by defending nepotism and a clear case of corruption.
Admir Hozdic says:
December 29, 2011 at 11:26 am
Dear PAK TEA HOUSE team.
Your criticism is laughable. You people are showing a very childish attitude. One must accept his defeat like a gentlemen. I am a regular visitor of your blog. At the time when blog award voting line was open, your blog was quite out dated with clutter of un-relevant stories in which majority was a copy-paste version of Indian authors.
Pak Tea House was an intellectual cafe in Lahore, Pakistan. It has been closed now. Now it only exists in history. By just taking a name of famous PAK TEA HOUSE (restaurant) of Lahore, you can’t expect that much UN-DUE fame for your blog.
Secondly you got just 30-40 votes where as the winner blog has 500+ votes under his belt. Then how your blog could expect first prize?
Takecare
Admir Hozdic
Reactionary says:
December 29, 2011 at 3:59 pm
The judging citeria on the blog awards website says the decision will be based on a blogs history among other things. It is rather funny to see the history of certain blogs tht have won and i am not speaking of te current affairs category only. We might call pth losers because we think they are crying over spilt milk but infact we are doing this because they are the only ones who have to date dared to speak up against the karachi mafia of blogistan.
If indeed pc world and its various cronies are so transparent and fair
1) How are the judges still not announced?
2) why is there so much silence from the top bloggers of karachi, they are usually singing praises for days after each cio/pc world event?
3) who has given pc world the authority to claim they represent new media in pakistan?
4) why did so many ppl who attended last year decide not to re attemd the pba?
5) how was a political party allowed to hijack new and free media and ask everyone to atten their jalsa?
6) The same organization has in the past associated with the us embassy to bring pksms to karachi – woukd someone tell us in how many countries have foreign counsulates sponsered blogger meetups and would could be their reasons to do so??
these are just some questions..there are many more out there that lead to darker things. The fact is..it is the right of any stakeholder to ask a valid question from an org who is displaying to the world that they represent this community.
Tilsim says:
December 29, 2011 at 6:30 pm
If the PBA team are sensible, they will take on board the points raised and improve their judges, transparency and standards. I don’t think it’s about being a sore loser – an easy and unthinking accusation to throw at someone without engaging with their complaint.
We should collectively all strive to make sure the new media in Pakistan is recognised for excellence- that does not necessarily mean an award giving body needs to be a closed shop of the best of the best but it does need to set its award judgement criteria and the judge’s decision should therefore speak for itself. These judges and this process has clearly left the nominees confused.
If giving amateur awards is the objective, that’s great but then set your stall out as catering to newcomers and amateurs. Let us know that that’s what you aim to encourage and that is the criteria.
I also don’t like this Karachi versus the rest accusation. Let’s focus on how to make it better and not just brush complaints under the carpet or indulge in ad hominem attacks.
Pankaj says:
January 2, 2012 at 12:48 pm
YLH
You recently wrote THREE articles on JINNAH in DAILY TIMES
.
Why didnt you post them here AS you used to do earlier
YLH says:
January 2, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Pankaj,
PTH has changed the policy. We don’t re-publish anything included articles appearing in the national press by Raza Rumi, myself, Dasghar and everyone else. PTH only posts original posts written for PTH.
http://pakteahouse.net/2011/12/27/an-open-letter-to-cio-pakistan/
A question about Pak blog Awards part 2
Sat, Dec 24, 2011Unexplainable Phenomena
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The question I initially had, about the blog awards in part one of this post has been half answered. My question was a result of the confusion generated from giving an award in the current affairs category to “The news” I had asked how this blog could win when it had not even been nominated. A fact I displayed by exhibiting two screen shots of the nominated blogs in this category.
As anyone can see there is no blog called the news nominated on these pages.
I was informed by Tamjid and Awais via twitter that the blog which got this award was not the blog belonging to the news website but this one.
Obviously this fact was not evident to us from the audience as there was no clarification given, no url displayed and no answer from the organizers of the pak blog awards.
Now for the next part of the question : Would someone let us know who the judges were in this category? How did they reach the magnificent decision of awarding this blog site the best in current affairs blogging in Pakistan? The over all judging criteria is listed on Pak blog awards website but I fail to see how the winning blog even qualifies.
Let me state this clearly. I am not nominated in this category neither is it my intention to malign the organizers of this event. I just wish to know the truth and therefore I am asking for a reply.
This is what the Pakblog awards website shows us on the judges page…complete blank. See where the issue is now? I would also like the blogging community of Pakistan to come forth and ask what they want to ask. I have heard enough in private conversations. I think its time we all came out in the open with what issues we have within our community.
Noumaan Yaqoob Says:
December 29th, 2011 at 5:59 pm
People are afraid to ask questions because apparently the organizers of the blog event are not very open minded about answering criticism. I believe that we should be thankful that they have chosen not to respond because when they are responding to criticism they often loose temper and act very rudely.
Judging criteria was not only flawed, it was actually very humiliating to see the kind of blogs that were winning. For example, the tech category. I mean there are like a gazillion blogs about iphones and android. Talking about gadgets is not exactly talking about technology. A gadget review website is not exactly a technology blog. It has no opinion on trends reshaping current and future technologies, no commentary on latest happenings in the tech scene and certainly no knowledge that could help people understand tech in the information age. However, judges were either blind, or too stupid to understand that, or may be all they had were these gadget review, jail break, ios, android, mobilink, HTC blogs.
In Urdu blog they awarded a blog that is not even worth reading (My apologies to Farhan Danish) just because of votes. Since Farhan is among my facebook friends so I knew how he begged on each page, group and profile for the votes.
There is criticism for each and every category which I witnessed and heard first hand since I moderate the largest online community of Pakistani Bloggers on Facebook.
There is usually criticism from loosers and commentators after each awards. Whether its Grammy or PBA. But it was clearly evident that judging was not done properly and the event was organized half heartedly. For example, the performance of school children was stupid. The repetitive mention of the friends by the hostess was really annoying. The hostess asking attendees to give standing ovation to Imran Khan was also unethical. Inviting Imran Khan to use this platform for publicity, without informing the attendees was also unethical.
What “national anthem” had to do with blogging? Why it deserved an Award? If any tom dick and harry started the most people to hold Pakistani flag campaign, or most people to say i love Pakistan campaign would we start treating them as bloggers? I mean please stop selling us crazy PR campaigns in the name of patriotism. Please stop making people fool in the name of Pakistaniat, patriotism and soft image.
Also the blogging community is really tired of seeing the same 5 to ten people in each every event occupying the lime light and not letting the others to shine. At each event friends and their friends overtake the entire event and other people, the participants, feel foolish. The organizers who actually love organizing events should at least allow participants to take over the lime light and do something. They should highlight the attendees take their pictures ask them questions make their videos and share them on social media.
In the end, I would like to thank the organizers for having the decency of not giving an iPad to one of their friends.
I support Pakistan blog awards and encouraged group members to nominate and actively take part in the event. I will continue to do so, and I will continue to hope that people who can do events will try to improve their attitudes and their events. Because honestly guys, if you were any good at doing this, you could have changed the tech scene altogether by now.You are doing it for years, may be you live in cave age but in information age this is a lot of time to admit failure and move on.
http://deadpanthoughts.com/2011/12/a-question-about-pba/
Judging Criteria in Pak Blog Awards:
Some things that the jury panel will be looking at and you may need to watch out for when submitting your blogs. As stated earlier judging will be done on the basis of aesthetics, content, technical and overall feedback. Apart from these the judging processes, evaluation factors may also include (though there may be other influencing factors relative to each jury panelist):
Relevance to Pakistan (measured by the number of links)
Creativity in design and multimedia elements
Number of votes
History of the blog (years providing service)
Content
User Friendliness
Technical Aspects
Originality
Complexity
Consistency of Posting
Relevance of Content to the Title of a Blog
Number of Feedback Posts on a Blog
Interactivity with and use of other popular social media platforms and landscapes like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube etc. in conjunction with the blog.
The judges may also be subjective and assert their power to make a low vote/viewed blog win (or vice versa make a high vote/viewed blog lose) if they feel that the blog/blogger meets or does not meet their own standards. And that’s also what will keep the suspense going as to WHO the winners are since nobody will know until the envelopes open up on the evening of the blog awards ceremony. So if you want to do a little housekeeping, go ahead and do so.
http://pakistanblogawards.com/how-it-works/criteria-for-judging/
@TLW
What do you think about Pak Tea House’s open letter? Their blog was nominated. No? http://criticalppp.com/archives/67182/comment-page-1#comment-198229
Three Karachiites discuss Pakistan Blog Awards.
Ali K. Chishti was unable to explain why is he still holding the blog ten days after he announced he does not accept it. He also could not explain why he first stood up then sat down during the national anthem.
Awab Alvi’s arguments on Imran Khan’s arrival and his defence of the PBA were clearly weak.
Faisal Kapadia was relatively better than others, yet all three of them dishonestly ignored the very first and most comprehensive critical post on PBA by Mureed Bizenjo.
http://youtu.be/jJ83o5wTpdM
http://247online.tv/247onlinetv/urdu-2/out-of-bounds/pakistan-blog-awards-2011-karachi-lahore-islamabad/
from Twitter:
akchishti akchishti
@
@afiasalam not when you are the prime sponsor b, BLA delayed twice to fit #PTI jalsa c, when you are also in PTI social media team!
1 hour ago
akchishti akchishti
@
@sanasaleem @badar76 should have said No to Imran Khan at #PBA as the event was used/abused to support a political party’s agenda! 🙂
1 hour ago
akchishti akchishti
part of PTI social team too“@afiasalam: @akchishti huh? how do you mean? He was one of many sponsors al beit a major one”
1 hour ago
sanasaleem Sana Saleem
@
@akchishti And you should ask @badar76 via email on his involvement in arranging the event. Don’t slander.
afiasalam afia salam
@
@akchishti @sanasaleem @badar76 The organizers should have said No to Imran khan if they disagreed with his political persona.
akchishti akchishti
Why did Badar Khusnood a Google Representative who sponsored Blog Awards indirectly used/abused Google funds to help #PTI campaign? #PBA
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply
akchishti akchishti
were the sham blog-awards by Rabia Garib/Salaina and Badar Khusnood were delayed twice because of Imran Khan? Ofcourse! #PBA
anthonypermal Anthony Permal
Man the way I see it, if ppl insult u on such sites+twitter hiding behind a pseudo+avatar, they’re manure @shobz @samishah @sanasaleem
shobz Shoaib Taimur
@
@samishah @anthonypermal @sanasaleem can u imagine how life would be like if they couldn’t use the Internet to trade barbs?
15 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
shobz Shoaib Taimur
@
@samishah @anthonypermal @sanasaleem they don’t bother Me. At least I know I am doing something right 🙂
@samishah
Sami Shah
@anthonypermal @shobz @sanasaleem its fine. Its part of the reason the internet was invented.
shobz Shoaib Taimur
@
@sanasaleem haha. it just made me laugh. @samishah these ppl really have time to target others
16 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
in reply to ↑
@samishah
Sami Shah
@shobz @sanasaleem its easy to do when you havent achieved anything in your life except molesting a first cousin when you were 13.
16 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone
Favorite Retweet Reply
replies ↓
shobz Shoaib Taimur
@
@samishah oh yeah. a bunch of idiots. @sanasaleem
samishah Sami Shah
@
@anthonypermal @shobz @sanasaleem its fine. Its part of the reason the internet was invented.
15 hours ago
samishah Sami Shah
@
@sanasaleem @shobz Fozia wahab and son plus laibaah who thinks liberals are pro army! Wow! A veritable brain trust!
16 hours ago
samishah Sami Shah
@
@shobz @sanasaleem i am still not sure what LuBP is by the way? Like who is it by and who is on it?
16 hours ago
»
samishah Sami Shah
@
@shobz @sanasaleem its easy to do when you havent achieved anything in your life except molesting a first cousin when you were 13.
16 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
samishah Sami Shah
@
@shobz @sanasaleem i tend to avoid LuBP as much a possible. Probably something about how terribly unfunny i am or some such i imagine.
sanasaleem Sana Saleem
@
@samishah @shobz Bunch of guys. Know ppl in ppp, backed by Fozia wahab & son.
16 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply
sanasaleem Sana Saleem
@
@shobz @samishah can’t be assed. forget it.
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I did not get a chance to read this post earlier and only yesterday got a link to it. I found it a brilliant piece of yellow journalism full with spite, hate and a twisted sense of logic.
Kudos to you and the site for fully utilizing the power of blogs to spew your venom and hate and propagating your biased and jaundiced views.
I was a nominee last year, declined my nomination this year (as I didn’t deserve it) and also had many issues with the awards ceremony.
I agree with you 100% that Blog Awards should not have made Imran Khan a surprise guest and used this platform for launching his jalsa. I also think the awards process should be more transparent and open.
I also however, believe that AKC, who is a friend, should have had his epiphany pre-event and not post. He could have gone up to the stage and refused his reward and that would have been noble. Returning it several days after is an after-thought.
As for the blogs that you want highlighted, did any of them actually bother getting nominated?
Regards
-Aly
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Aisha Aijaz, of My Bit of Al Qaeda”, is in denial about who is killing Shias in Pakistan. Here is her blog post on News Tribe:
Sectarian Killings – Who benefits
By Aisha Aijaz – Aug 19th, 2012 (No Comment)
2
I knew big Satan was chained during this holy month but I forgot that there are many amongst us, wolves disguised as sheep. Everyday Pakistan has depressing news to face. While most of us are preparing for Eid, some of the homes are preparing for funerals of their loved ones, crying and screaming. While most are repenting in this holy month, some have willingly opted hellfire for themselves.
Sectarian killings are on the rise. Anyone can see they are programmed and planned. Gilgit incident and thenKarachi blast on a rally, and a lot more in the recent past. Why? Is someone taking responsibility? Is a religious scholar encouraging it? Does a common Sunni have a problem with a Shia classmate, neighbour or a colleague?
NO!
-Then, who are these militants? Where have they come from? Who are they working for? What agenda they are after?
-Who benefits from a weak Pakistan? Who benefits out of a broken, disunited nation?
-Who is inciting hatred between us and what do they get out of it?
-Who is labelling us as Shia, Sunni, and Minority?
Killing of an innocent human being is actually the killing of humanity. I would say it is worse than being an animal. No animals kill their kind.
It’s impossible to rule out conspiracy theories completely as they have always existed and become all the more stronger underlying factor when you have made many enemies by becoming an ally of a power that is only a friend of her own and is revered nowhere in the world.
Of course, the killers are from us. And when one says they can’t be Muslims, it doesn’t mean they are Non- Muslims or outsiders, but it’s a statement to make it loud and clear that Islam has nothing to do with it. It clearly sends the message to the barbaric hyenas that whatever your names, faiths or outfits are; killings and chaos are not taking you to paradise.
In an unsafe Pakistan, with attacks on shrines, funeral prayers, labelled casualties and just-a-number collateral damage, drone attacks, bomb blasts, a helpless nation, with no government to look up to for help, can only pray in despair :
May the wrath of God fall upon the killers of the innocent and the conspirators against our nation.
Blogger Intro
Aisha AIjaz is a medical doctor, specialising in Acute Medicine. She loves nature and likes to read poetry. Aisha writes on current affair, social and behavioural issues for TheNewsTribe’s blog.
http://blogs.thenewstribe.com/blog/67819/sectarian-killings-who-benefits/#.UDHUW91lSi0
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I think what you posted was actually very reasonable. But, what about this? what if you added a little content? I am not suggesting your information isn’t solid., however what if you added a post title that makes people desire more? I mean A critical comment on Pakistan Blog Awards 2011 & is a little vanilla. You ought to glance at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they create article headlines to get viewers to open the links. You might try adding a video or a pic or two to get people excited about everything’ve written. In my opinion, it might bring your posts a little bit more interesting.
very good thoughts
Attension please
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