Newspaper Articles Archive
The bad Sufi – by Qalandar Bux Memon: It is often assumed that Sufism stands opposed to Wahhabism. Wrong. Sufism and Wahhabism, in fact, share a fatal characteristic – they are religions of the status quo. In Pakistan, Sufism legitimises barbarities of inequality and starvation – ‘do
accounts of family members of jihadis: From BBC Urdu جہادی کہانیاں یہ بات اب کسی سے ڈھکی چھپی نہیں رہی کہ ماضی میں جہادِ افغانستان اور جہاد کشمیر میں شریک کئی شدت پسند تنظیموں کو پاکستان کے ریاستی اداروں کی مکمل سرپرستی حاصل رہی ہے۔
Shazia’s death and the shameful role of the lawyer fraternity: The torture and slaughter of Shazia, a 12-year-old maid, in DHA, Lahore has caused a stir. Here are a few reports which suggest that: 1. Domestic servants in Pakistan, house maids in particular, remain vulunerable and subject to physical, emotional
The post-NRO dynamic – by Talat Masood: In these times when Pakistan is beleaguered with multiple crises — a major insurgency, constant fear of terrorist attacks, lurking danger of economic melt-down, political infighting etc — it is additionally burdened with the unique challenge of managing the
Democracy under siege — by Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi: The PPP-led federal government, especially President Asif Ali Zardari, faces a siege like situation due to the subtle behind-the-scene moves by the military top brass, the political fallout of the Supreme Court judgement on the NRO, and the off-again,
Making sense of the distorted history of Muslims in India – by Nadeem Paracha: “Why do many Pakistanis spend more time celebrating Islamic history of regions outside India (especially Arabian), the ummah, and seem to show more concern in what is happening to their brethren in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir.” Writes Nadeem
A sane advice to the Supreme Court by a PML-N’s leader – by Ataul Haq Qasmi: Supporting Khawaja Saad Rafique’s statement, Ataul Haq Qasmi hopes that the Supreme Court of Pakistan will respect the constitutional immunity available to President Asif Ali Zardari, and refrain from any adventurism in its future decisions and actions
Proud to break the law!: We’ve made out-of-turn allotments, so has PML-Q: Sanaullah * Law minister admits CM allotted houses to ‘favourite’ officers * PML-N govt cancelled 270 ‘illegal allotments’ made by ‘Q’ * PPP MPA says Gymkhana has become ‘DMG-only’ club Staff Report
Attention Justice Iftikhar! This is from your beloved PML-N’s leader’s mouth. Do you have the courage to take a suo motu notice?: ‘Security depts involved in smuggling’ By A Reporter Friday, 22 Jan, 2010 ISLAMABAD: MNA Khwaja Asif of the PML-N has alleged that personnel of Frontier Constabulary and other security departments are involved in smuggling consumer goods from Afghanistan and
The La La Land Internal Jihad Movement of Pakistan – by Nadeem Paracha: The La La Land Internal Jihad Movement of Pakistan (also called LLIMP) is a hybrid vegetable/fruit that is becoming popular among middle-class health food fanatics. The medical benefits of LLIMP have been known since ancient times. The Neanderthals are
After the Bangladesh Model…: By Aliarqam Durrani The very much debated NRO and the SC judgment about it has clearly indicated the tendencies of our political class and the non political forces of a journey in the circle. Unfortunately biases and prejudices have
We the honorable judges hereby declare that we are above law and morality!: Selection of judges By I.A. Rehman Thursday, 21 Jan, 2010 According to some well-involved sources a new row between the judiciary and the executive has begun and the issue is the appointment of judges to the superior courts. The
Who rules Pakistan? This is what the Balochistan CM has to say: ‘FC running a parallel govt in Balochistan’ LAHORE: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani on Wednesday said the Frontier Corps (FC) had established a parallel government in the province, and the provincial government had no control over it, a
Shape of things to come: corrupt generals and morally bankrupt judges in collaboration: SC can seek army’s help for implementation of verdicts: Pirzada Staff Report ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court can seek the army’s help in getting its verdicts implemented in letter and spirit, as the army is part of the executive and
For Pakistan, no turning back from reform – by Asif Ali Zardari: When I was elected president more than a year ago, Pakistan was in grave condition, strained by terrorism and a ravaged economy. Countering the effects of a decade of dictatorship requires bold actions, some of which are unpopular. I
The Saddam Hussein of Pakistan, i.e., Imran Khan: Who else? It has to be “Sir” Imran Khan. Here is an excellent op-ed by Asadullah Ghalib on this topic based on Mujib-ur-Rehman Shami’s idea:
No comments!: JI slams ignoring Pak cricketers in IPL auction Wednesday, January 20, 2010 By Our Correspondent LAHORE AMEER Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Syed Munawar Hasan has said that ignoring Pakistani cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction despite an official invitation
Anti-women Islamofascist mullahs win again!: Senate defers bill on women’s rights at workplace Wednesday, January 20, 2010 By Muhammad Anis ISLAMABAD: The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2009, which was moved in the Senate on Tuesday, was deferred as senators from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the
Taliban, social emancipators, and political economy – by Ishtiaq Ahmed: The ideas of human dignity and decency as understood by modern people are anathema to the Taliban. Wherever the Taliban juggernaut has run roughshod, it has crushed under its deadweight, writes Ishtiaq Ahmed
Deconstructing Pakistani Generals’ strategic depth theory: Defining ‘strategic depth’ By Kamran Shafi Tuesday, 19 Jan, 2010 Will our army pack its bags and escape into Afghanistan to disengage itself from the fighting, if India goes to war with Pakistan? –writes Kamran Shafi
House of DawnNews correspondent attacked by ISI sleuths: The Islamabad police has registered a case against unknown persons and are investigating the incident. –File Photo ISLAMABAD: In the wee hours of Tuesday, January 19, unknown persons attacked the house of Dawnnews investigative reporter Azaz Syed. They locked
Jyoti Basu’s life encompasses the entire period of the Left’s rise and fall in India: Here are two articles in loving memory of Jyoti Basu, the eminent Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) from West Bengal. India’s veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu dies By Sailendra Sil (AFP) KOLKATA, India —
Some confusions about economic progress – by Ali Arqam (Articles by Nimer Ahmad): معاشی موشگافیوں سے جڑی کچھہ کنفیوژنز پاکستان میں آج جب کہ بی بی سی کے ایک نامہ نگار کے بقول ہر کوئی 23روپے خرچ کرکے ایک انگریزی اور ایک اردو اخبار خرید کر دانشور بن سکتا ہے۔اس جملے میں
Mapping the establishment – by Ayesha Siddiqa: As the battle rages between the political government and its rival, popularly known as the establishment, the public silently awaits the final result. For some, the civilian government has already lost because its capacity to influence policymaking or make
Is MQM a secular and liberal party? Reality vs fantasy – by Mosharraf Zaidi: Related articles: MQM Right Wing Alliance MQM: reality vs fantasy When bodies start piling up in Karachi, the gut reaction of the Pakistani mainstream outside Karachi is to blame the MQM. This is a twenty-five year old problem. The
This is from Air Marshal Asghar Khan: Air Chief Marshal Asghar Khan, a hero of the 1965 war ‘Pakistan responsible for wars with India’ Friday, 15 Jan, 2010 LAHORE, Jan 14: Tehreek-i-Istiqlal patron Asghar Khan holds Islamabad responsible for all the wars Pakistan fought against India.
Klashni-country: A brief history of the Kalashinkov culture in Pakistan – by Nadeem Paracha: By late 1979, markets in the tribal regions of Pakistan were flooded with AK-47s, smuggled across by Afghan refugees. – File photo The famous Russian assault rifle, the Kalashnikov, also called the AK-47, or Klashni in the street and
The Taliban’s war on Pakistan and the role of our religio-political leaders: Saleem Safi, an eminent journalist and a veteran of the Afghan ‘jihad’, offers a critical perspective on the hypocritical role of our religio-political leaders (such as Fazlur-Rehman, Sami-ul-Haq, Munawar Hassan, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Sahabzada Fazl-e-Karim etc, as well as
Pakhtun diaspora: irresponsible and insensitive — by Farhat Taj: Rich Arabs in the Middle East are ‘earning’ a place in paradise in the life hereafter through never ending generous donations to the Taliban and the madrassas producing foot soldiers and a jihadi mindset on the Pakhtun land. They
Four-year tenure for assemblies — by Barrister Dr Ehtasham Anwar: By reducing the tenure of assemblies by 20 percent, we can increase the sense of being accountable and consequently the efficiency of elected government by the same ratio, at least in theory
Planned hype against President Zardari – by Dr Masooda Bano: The crisis mode created around President Zardari’s speech has an air of planned maneuvering around it. Zardari is not without his weaknesses but the air of tension being created after his speech on the second anniversary of Benazir Bhutto’s
President Zardari, implement the Charter of Democracy with no further ifs and buts please: Here are three articles, published in three different newspapers today (i.e. Dawn, Daily Times and Jang), which suggest that in order to safeguard democracy, President Asif Ali Zardari must listen to Nawaz Sharif’s voice. If united, PPP and PML-N,
Pakistani generals and the Taliban: Pakistani links to Haqqani militants again under spotlight The revelation that the Haqqani network may be behind the deadly CIA bombing throws the spotlight back on to Pakistan’s connivance with militants operating on its soil. Pakistan has refused to
Teen Jeem – by Hamid Akhtar: تین جیم – جج ، جنرل اور جرنلسٹ While the anti-democracy establishment and their agents in media are all out for the accountability of politicians, Hamid Akhtar wonders who will conduct the accountability of the teen jeem (i.e., three
Taliban are escalating the cost for the public – by Syed Talat Hussain: In the following article in Daily Times, renowned journalist and TV anchor Syed Talat Hussain discusses a new strategy of the Taliban militants, i.e. a deliberate and strong effort to escalate the
The Sindh Card: Here are two articles, first one by Hasan Mujtaba of BBC Urdu and the second one by Nazir Naji. The articles suggest that contrary to the ‘mainstream’ propaganda, the so called Sindh Card is a tool which has been
You too Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader of the legal community?: Related articles: Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP and Long March: A critical perspective – by Abbas Ather PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz Ahsan as member of Central Executive Committee (CEC) Pakistan’s left tilts towards right. Partners in crime? Distinguished figures among LPG
Hamid Gul’s challenge to Iftikhar Chaudhry: Try me if you can!: Hamid Gul admits he had role in IJI formation LAHORE: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Hamid Gul has said that he played a role in forming the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and any accountability of the issue should be
The Christian Cross: A Fading Symbol in Pakistan – by Zeresh John: A fading symbol By Zeresh John Monday, 04 Jan, 2010 The cross is the most widely recognised religious symbol of Christianity. Down the years, the emblem has faded from the public eye, rarely seen in the humdrum of everyday
Some predictions for the new year – by Dr Syed Mansoor Hussain: Old predictions and new The 17th Amendment will eventually go this year but not until the PPP, without whose parliamentary support no new amendment can be passed, has extracted its ‘pound of flesh’ (and blood) from the N-League leadership