Monthly Archive:: December 2009
GHQ, CIA and Pakistani Media: Hamid Akhtar’s op-ed on Kamal Azfar’s statement in the Supreme Court of Pakistan:
This is the worst American-Hindu-Jewish conspiracy of the year!: Our Talibanic media, our everything-Arab-worshiping politicians and generals, and religious leaders have always explained that no Muslim can do any act of barbarity. Every suicide bombing, destruction of schools, and rape of women is dubbed a big lie and
Supreme Court’s Lopsided Decision Against NRO: Double Standards, Justice Chaudhry?: ISLAMABAD, Dec 16 (APP): A larger bench of Supreme Court here Wednesday declared NRO as null and void as it violated various constitutional provisions as a law void ab-initio.The
Failed state? Try Pakistan’s M2 motorway – by Alistair Scrutton: Wednesday, 16 Dec, 2009 For sheer spotlessness, efficiency and emptiness there is nothing like the M2 in the rest of South Asia. –File Photo ISLAMABAD: If you want a slice of peace and stability in a country with a
If politicians have the “Sindh Card”, “Islam Card” etc, army has the “India Card”: The travails of our democracy —Munir Attaullah The days of direct military rule are now probably over. Even though nothing is certain in unpredictable Pakistan, every passing day makes it more and more likely that the public will resist
Tahir Sarwar Mir’s rebuttal to Shaheen Sehbai’s column: Tahir Sarwar Mir’s rebuttal to an op-ed by the veteran CIA agent Shaheen Sehbai (The News):
Punjab: Bullets in Bansri – Guest post by Bahadar Ali Khan: The rural Punjab has gone through a subtle but certainly very conspicuous change during the last two decades. The ‘new’ Punjab doesn’t resonate with its traditional and historical composition, as it used to be known for its friendliness, easy
Will General Kayani care to save the young, impressionable soldiers from the pro-Taliban brainwashing?: Abracadabra! By Kamran Shafi Tuesday, 15 Dec, 2009 We must make efforts to ensure that the impressionable minds of our soldiers are not tainted by visions of heaven that we saw lately in our press. –Photo by AP And
A perspective on Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s judicial murder: Nazir Leghari offers a perspective on Zulfiar Ali Bhutto’s judicial murder, which was a handiwork of the Mullah-Military-Judiciary Alliance in Pakistan:
Saif-ur-Rehman versus Jang Group – Guest post by Aamir Mughal: Let us assume PML-N’s ex-senator Mr. Saifur Rehman’s allegations against President Asif Ali Zardari telecast through Geo TV/ Jang Media Group (Meray Mutabiq by Dr Shahid Masood) are correct, then how would the same Jang Group of Newspaper and
A tale of two classes – by Mohammad Waseem: Tuesday, 15 Dec, 2009 In Pakistan, two dominant classes compete with each other for influence and privilege. One is the middle class, which provides the catchment area for the civil bureaucracy, technocrats, the military’s officer cadre and the business
The NFC Award – Aik Lohar Ki: Here are a few op-eds on the historical NFC Award, a landmark achievement of the democratic government in Pakistan. The op-eds are by: Dr Ashfaque Khan, Nazir Naji and Saleem Safi.
Chief Justice of Punjabi Taliban Khawaja Muhammad Sharif of Lahore High Court blocks deportation of terror suspects to the USA: Chief Just of Lahore High Court Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, an ex-employee and loyalist of Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif of PML-N, and a secret member of Jamaat-e-Islami and Hizbut-Tahrir, has once again shown his true colours. Not unlike certain other
“The Politicians’ Corruption Card” and the Supporters of Taliban: Here is an op-ed by Zamarrud Naqvi on this topic:
Book Review: Punjabi Taliban: In the following article, Hamid Akhtar offers a review of Mujahid Hussain’s book “Punjabi Taliban”. The book reveals the linkages between the ISI, Sipah-e-Sahaba and certain pro-PML-N politicians and religious leaders in Punjab. The book also reveals how jihadi
Remembering Sohail Qalandar – by Muhammad Amir Khakwani and Latif Chaudhry: Muhammad Amir Hashim Khakwani remembers Sohail Qalandar in the following article:
Anti-Americanism – by Talat Masood: Monday, December 14, 2009 Anti-Americanism continues to rise unabated in Pakistan. It is not confined to fringe elements alone but is spreading in the mainstream. A few recently retired military officers and politicians have gone as far as accusing
Blackwater in Pakistan? A clandestine affair: Blackwater Worldwide, now known as Xe Services, has been in the news for many months now. It is a private military security firm, also serving as one of the private security contractors used by the US State Department. Recently
The 7th NFC Award – a step towards attaining fiscal federalism in Pakistan – Guest post by Qudrat Ullah: Amid the daily reports of truculent Taliban’s interminable terrorism, explosions and deaths, coupled with a gasping economy with little respite for the indigent hoi polloi of the society, the unanimous approval of 7th National Finance Commission Award in Lahore
How to Mend Fences With Pakistan – by Asif Ali Zardari: December 9, 2009. With thanks. NYtimes NOW that President Obama has recommitted the United States to stand with Pakistan and Afghanistan in our common fight against terrorism, extremism and fanaticism, it would be useful for Americans and Pakistanis to
National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA): A wise step by the people’s government: Pakistan creates Counter Terrorism Authority Sat, 12 Dec 2009 The move comes days after series of terror attacks in all major Pakistani cities that had left hundreds of people dead. The Pakistani government has established an agency called National
Speculative stories and the PPP – by Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi: The increased role of the intelligence agencies, especially the ISI and the MI, in the political domain from the mid-1980s onwards caused distortions in politics and made it easy to float speculative reports about civilian political leaders An interesting
$1.5 billion per year – by Dr Farrukh Saleem: Sunday, December 13, 2009 Has the government of Pakistan made a plan as to how it will spend $1.5 billion that will be coming our way courtesy the Treasury Building, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC? Has any of
In the name of religion – by Ghazi Salahuddin: Sunday, December 13, 2009 This insane surge in terror bombings early this week is bound to prey on our minds. Yes, the instinctive response is likely to be that of utter dejection. Still, the situation calls for some soul-searching.
Why is Imran Khan’s idea of dialogue with Taliban not workable? by Muhammad Amir Khakwani: Here is an op-ed by Muhammad Amir Hashim Khakwani describing the impracticality of a dialogue with the sectarian groups infested Pakistani (Punjabi) Taliban.
NRO for Balochistan – by Asadullah Ghalib: Asadullah Ghalib welcomes the PPP government’s national reconciliation (NRO) for Balochi rights fighters.
Renowned journalist Sohail Qalandar passes away: Sohail Qalandar, one of the very few courageous, anti-Taliban and anti-terrorism voices in Pakistani journalism, is no longer with us.
Anti-Asif Zardari malice exposed – by Fasihur Rehman: Saturday, December 12, 2009 Is democracy all about a plethora of documents whose authenticity remains doubtful for more than 13 years now, on many counts and in the backdrop of the PML-N Quaid’s own statement that the accountability process
How teenagers were lured by Taliban. Security forces discover jannat and porn in South Waziristan.: MAKIN (South Waziristan): A soldier guards a damaged training centre of militants in the once stronghold of the Taliban.—AFP How teenagers were lured by Taliban Saturday, 12 Dec, 2009 PESHAWAR: An artificial paradise (Jannat) established by terrorists for brainwashing
Spurting savagery – by Babar Sattar: One form of such denial produced by a misplaced sense of patriotism is the assertion that perpetrators of such depraved attacks cannot be Pakistanis and the increasing spate of terror attacks has to be the handiwork of our foreign
Mirza Sarwar, an associate of Professor Ahmad Rafique Akhtar, martyred by Taliban – by Haroon-ur-Rasheed: Mirza Sarwar was a driver and close associate of a famous religious scholar Professor Ahmad Rafique Akhtar. Originally from Gujar Khan, Sarwar was killed in Friday’s suicide attack by Taliban in Parade Lane Mosque in Rawalpindi, which claimed at
Enemies of Quaid-e-Azam, saviours of Pakistan? – by Asadullah Ghalib: Asadullah Ghalib offers an historical perspective on those elements in Pakistani establishment, politics and media (e.g. Munawar Hassan, Hameed Gul, Ansar Abbasi) who have been, at various points in history, consistently conspiring against the state and the nation of
Finally, NFC Award deadlock is over: In 1996 the interim government of Farooq Leghari gave a draconian and discriminatory NFC award which was adopted by successive governments; PML-N government in 1998 and also by the Musharaf regime, Leghari’s NFC award further maligned the smaller provinces and added to
Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry disappoints Dr Shahid Masood, Shaheen Sehbai and other democracy haters. “We won’t let system derail”: CJP: ISLAMABAD: The government filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Thursday, contending that any decision on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) outside the scope of what the challengers had sought could destabilise the democratic system. After remaining silent
Mehdi Shah of PPP elected Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister. A great day for democracy in Gilgit Baltistan.: SKARDU: Syed Mehdi Shah has been elected unopposed the first Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan in session of the regional assembly. Mehdi Shah is also regional president of Pakistan People’s Party. Wazir Baig of PPP has been elect speaker and
Sherlock Holmes and the minus-one mystery — by Samiullah Khan: They seemed to have hated Benazir before Zardari and their previous generation hated Bhutto. They spread scandals about him all the time and never miss an opportunity to blackguard him. They feel he wiggled out of the long list
Establishment – by Harris Khalique: To me, the ‘establishment’ is also a way of thinking. Its agenda is undoubtedly set by a significant segment of senior civil and military bureaucracy, not all of them, in cahoots with a certain kind of conservative, right-wing politicians.
Imran Khan puts Taliban terrorists on the same pedestal as the state. Mediation? No, thanks!: Imran Khan says that he is ready to mediate between terrorists and the government. [This stance is not much different from Imran Khan’s ideological father Mullah Munawar Hassan how claims that Taliban are our brothers.] By saying this, he