Author Archive
Military judiciary nexus is a threat to parliament – by Junaid Qaiser: Good news for Pakistan’s undemocratic forces and bad news for Pakistan’s Parliament and its supremacy: Government accepts judiciary’s recommendations. We are continuously moving towards judicial dictatorship. Pakistan army has always played an integral role in Pakistan government and politics
It smells like General Zia – by Ahsan Abbas: مطلع میں آ پڑی ہے سخن گسترانہ بات ‘ججز بحران‘ کی جڑوں کو یہ لکھ کر تن آسان اور سہل پسند عوام کے سامنے لا کھڑا کروں کہ ’اس میں ضیاءالحق کی بو آتی ہے‘۔ یہی وہ نایاب الفاظ
Laiba, a Pakistani victim of the war on terror: Seven year-old disabled Pakistan girl, Laiba adjusts her artificial foot as she sits in a wheelchair in the street outside her house at Hayatabad in Peshawar. – AFP Pakistan’s victims of war struggle to move on PESHAWAR: Laiba is
Dr Aafia’s appeal – By Rafia Zakaria: The explosive mix of appearing to be the obedient Muslim woman clad in burka and a would-be assassin defying the US make Dr Aafia Siddiqui irresistible as a heroine and an icon. But should such defiance be the only
Morality and atheism – by Irfan Husain: Consider this demographic projection for the UK, and ponder its implications for a moment: within five years, the majority of babies will be born to unmarried parents. However, before you put this down to yet another example of Western
Sufi chants and revolutions — by Dr Manzur Ejaz: If one reads Punjabi classical poetry, with no presumption of Sufism, it is just good poetry of a certain period that has withstood the test of time. I do not know anybody who would claim that just reading and
Judicial activism may lead Pakistan towards a military intervention – by Amir Mir: LAHORE, 15 February 2010: A fresh tussle between the Pakistani President Asif Zardari and the Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry over the appointment of the superior court judges has snowballed into a major political crisis which may lead to yet
Some legal aspects of Aafia Siddiqui’s case: A rebuttal to Babar Sattar – by Usman Ahmad: ‘Blinkered justice’? As a nation we suffer from what can only be described as persecution complex. The knee-jerk reaction of “they are out to get us” has been our response to countless issues ranging from the war on terror
Sexy Islamism – by Khawer Khan: Sexy Islamism |ˈseksē ˈisləˌmizəm; ˈiz-| |ˈseksē ˈɪsləˈmɪzəm| |ˈseksē ˈɪzləˈmɪzəm| noun Like conventional Islamism, Sexy Islamism is a political ideology that holds that Islam is not only a religion but also a political and economic system. In addition to this, Sexy Islamism is also a genre of
Basant: has Elvis left the building? – by Qudrat Ullah: The constitutional head of the largest province of Pakistan Mr Salman Taseer never hides any feeding frenzy when it comes to unreasonably rag the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. And, he did not even spare any second to create
Why is Governor Salman Taseer blocking appointment of new judges in Lahore High Court?: Apparently, a very valid question, and according to Justice (retired) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, the real bone of contention. Thus, there are valid reasons for us to scratch this issue a bit further. If one is to believe Senior Adviser
PPP protesters torch effigy of controversial judge Iftikhar Chaudhry, express solidarity with President Zardari in rallies across country: Rejecting the apex court’s decision, the PPP leaders in their fiery speeches said “We want an ‘independent judiciary’ and not the ‘ruling judiciary’.” * PPP leaders say party has always adhered to ‘law of the land’, never violated constitution
Amir-ul-Momineen Nawaz Sharif declares Persident Zardari as the biggest threat to democracy – by Mehmal Sarfraz: Mian Nawaz Sharif, a leader reincarnated, did not like being overshadowed by President Zardari. Ah, the mind boggles at this political ‘brotherhood’. Reminds one of the ‘brotherly rivalry’ between the Mian brothers themselves. The elder Mian sahib must not
Defeating militancy in Musharraf style? – by Talat Masood: Defeating militancy Gen Musharraf spoke ad nauseam on fighting extremism and terrorism. And the West and many of our fellow citizens, especially amongst the elite, mistakenly believed that he was the leader who could really steer the country from
Urban middle-class activists of Pakistan: A herd of sheep? – by Nadeem F. Paracha: A herd of sheep? Nadeem F. Paracha Sunday, 14 Feb, 2010 What we have at hand as urban middle-class ‘activists’ are actually figurative sheep: NFP. There have been three major occasions when the Pakistani middle-class has broken away from
Pakistan’s Supreme Court declares war on the democratic government – by Abdul Nishapuri: In a (not so) surprise move, top judicial bureaucrats sitting in Pakistan’s Supreme Court and Lahore High Court have declared war against a fragile democracy in Pakistan. The (right-wing) establishment has taken its dagger out for a final attack
Peshawar romantics defy Taliban for Valentine’s: Thanks: Dawn, 13 Feb 2010 This picture taken on February 11, 2010, shows a woman choosing Valentine’s Day gifts at a shop in Peshawar. — AFP PESHAWAR: Hip young romantics in Pakistan’s most dangerous city are splashing out on
A media academy for the PPP — by Elf Habib: The objective at the academy should be to groom a team with the cutting edge expertise to expose the extent and inanity of the propaganda against the party leaders and their policies and emphasise the need and effectiveness of
The discreet charm of the bourgeoisie — by Salman Tarik Kureshi: Our captains of industry can justifiably blame inconsistent government policies, bureaucratic corruption, Bhutto’s nationalisations, political instability, bad law and order, infrastructural limitations, the power crisis and so on. But the fact of a powerless and politically inert big bourgeoisie
The curious case of Aafia Siddiqui and the conspiracy theorists – by Ahmed Naqvi: Aafia Siddiqui’s legal case has done its round in Pakistan’s media. From the anti-government newspaper The Nation, to the relatively liberal and seemingly unbiased Dawn, everyone has taken a swipe at this jaw-dropping, mind-numbing political situation. Yes, political situation.
We are proud of you, Naseem Hameed, South Asia’s fastest woman: Pakistan’s Naseem Hameed has created history by becoming the fastest woman of the region when she won the 100-metre sprint gold medal at the South Asian Games. Daughter of Pakistan The 22-year-old from Karachi clocked 11.81seconds, 0.12seconds ahead of
From Maududi to Aafia – by Nadeem F. Paracha: She’s being called the “daughter of the nation” who needs to be rescued from the fanged jaws of the Americans. Her name is Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. Pakistani TV channels and drawing-rooms are buzzing with talk of this gallant woman
Iran’s Islamic revolution is dead?: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks on the 31st anniversary of the Isalmic Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of government supporters have massed in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created Iran’s Islamic republic.
Castigating politicians: A sense of gloom and all-pervasive disillusionment and despair seems to have overtaken the country. Since a civilian elected government is at the head of affairs, the anger and frustration of wide sections of the people is turning on
Independence of judiciary and military boots – by Bawa: عدلیہ کی آزادی اور فوجیوں کے بوٹ عدلیہ کی بحالی سے عدلیہ کی آزادی تک مصنف: باوا ایک طویل جدوجہد کے بعد اٹھارہ سو پینسٹھ میں امریکی آئین میں تیرھویں ترمیم کے ذریعے امریکہ میں غلامی کا خاتمہ کر
The case of missing persons: A national shame – by Sakib Ahmad: Va la-qad karramna banee Aadam (Al-Qur’an, 17/70) [Indeed, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam] – but, alas, our secret agencies know not! Early last month, when the government’s defiance of the Supreme Court ruling on Musharraf’s
Farewell, Ajmal Khattak: September 15, 1925 – February 7, 2010 With the death of Ajmal Khattak, a renowned leftist-nationalist politician, poet and writer, another chapter in history has closed. Khattak was greatly influenced by Bacha Khan, the great Pakhtun nationalist leader and
The legend of Sadequain: Here is an edited excerpt from the book ‘The legend of Sadequain’ by Sadequain Foundation February 10 marks Sadequain’s 23rd death anniversary. Sadequain Foundation estimates he painted close to 15,000 paintings, murals, calligraphies and drawings. Most of his work
Bottled water sector in Pakistan: What is needed to be done? – by Qudrat Ullah: In Pakistan, the unchecked and more than needed population explosion has heightened the need to ensure uninterrupted access to improved drinking-water supply, especially in mega cities like Karachi and Lahore where traces of multiple deadly rudiments including the human
The Rise of Religious Fundamentalism in Pakistan – by Hamza Alvi: Thanks: Hamza Alavi Internet Archive Religious fundamentalism has become a powerful and dangerous force in Pakistan, due mainly to the opportunism of successive political leadership that has pandered to it. Militant sectarian religious groups and parties, led by half-educated
Secularism does not mean atheism or la-deeniat: Here are two excellent articles on this topic. The first one has been written by Anand Krishan in Indonesian context, and the second one by Munno Bhai in Pakistani context. Promoting faith-based secularism Anand Krishna Jakarta – 01/18/2010 When
A war that remains unreported: The Saudi Arabian war against the Houthis of Yemen: Here is an extensive archive on a war that remains either unreported or misreported in Pakistani and Western media. Ironically, it is a war in which four different players, namely Saudi Arabia, Ali Abdullah Saleh, Al Qaeda and the
Meena’s life among the Taliban: Bombs and beatings: Life among the Taliban In Pakistan an account of life with the Taliban has emerged from a 13-year-old girl called Meena, who says her own family tried to turn her into a suicide bomber. Meena told
The cost of being a Shia in Pakistan: KARACHI: A motorcycle rigged with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shias near the Nursery bridge in Karachi Friday, killing 12 people and wounding 40 in the second such attack in Pakistan’s financial capital in two months. “Twelve people
A brief, and incomplete, historical context to Zaid Hamidism – by Khawer A. Khan: First published on Khawer’s blog Here are some important events that we need to use to understand Hamidism. This is a work in progress. Im sharing it for feedback. 1903: “Protocols of the Elders of Zion”, a known forgery,
Quran and Peace – by Hamid Akhtar: Here is an excerpt from Hamid Akhtar’s speech in a Seminar titled “Quran and Peace” (held on 1 February 2010).
Hit and left to die – by S Khalid Husain: The Punjab chief secretary left the scene of the accident after his chauffeur-driven vehicle knocked down and killed an ex-army officer; this was a cold-blooded act no different from that of a hit-and-run driver. This was a grave error
Education and values – by Ayesha Siddiqa: The coexistence of various economic classes also meant greater tolerance for other differences, be it class, religion, caste or creed. –File Photo A year ago, some of my old classmates from Lahore’s Cathedral High School tracked me down through
Uncontested dominance – by Cyril Almeida: What makes the army so contemptuous of civilians is the fact that you can only conquer what you understand: while the army thoroughly understands the ways of the politicians, the opposite is anything but true. What does the military-bureaucratic
Hope Persists? – by Nimer Ahmed: Denmark had hosted the 15th UN’s Climate Change Conference from 7th December till 18th December 2009. At Copenhagen 193 countries negotiated to strike a much-needed deal to save entire human civilization but failed to deliver the answers for climate