Monthly Archive:: March 2010

Promoting senior army officers without consulting the government: State within a state? – by Ayesha Siddiqa: The fact that Gen Kayani has the powers to promote senior officers without consulting the government is far too important to be brushed aside as a minor procedural issue. –Photo by APP It is amusing to note that there
Shifting deadlines and cheerleaders of doom in Pakistani media – by Ayaz Amir: Star-gazing — for what it is worth Islamabad diary Ayaz Amir As I have had occasion to mention before, Islamabad since its birth has been a city dedicated to nothing so much as intrigue and conspiracy. It has always
Messy yet workable: The Raza Rabbani framework for judicial appointments – by Cyril Almeida: The Rabbani committee may actually have set up a rather workable framework for judicial appointments. –Photo by APP The Raza Rabbani court By Cyril Almeida Let’s walk through the process for appointing superior court judges devised by Raza Rabbani’s
My life with the Taliban – by Abdul Salam Zaeef: Humanising the monster Dr Mohammad Taqi My life with the Taliban By Abdul Salam Zaeef Translated from Pashto and edited by Alex Strick van Linschoten and Felix Kuehn Hurst/Columbia University Press; Pp 331 In his foreword to Mullah Abdul
Zardari Visit Threatens Workers Strike in PC Karachi: It now appears that the visit of President Zardari to Karachi is treathening to break the strike of PC Hotel workers. According to Riaz Ahmed, an academic that has been monitoring the strike, the following has occured: “PC workers
Assessing Zardari: On November 22 2008, Zardari, addressing the Hindustan Times leadership summit, talked of reconciliation and promised a no-first use nuclear policy – the first time any Pakistani head of state has done so. He said, in response to a
Hotel Workers Occupation in Karachi being Blacked Out by Media Gurus! Is this press freedom? – By Riaz Ahmed: It has been 9 days that over 150 workers at Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi are protesting against the sacking of 4 union and over 98 other workers. In protest they have occupied the basement of the 5-star hotel for
A poem on Pakistan’s controversial chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his Talibanic cronies – by Syed Saif Zulfi: Contributed by: Ahsan Abbas
An enthusiastic Pakistani child sings national anthem – A must watch:
Manmohan Singh in Saudi Arabia: A lesson and a few reminders — by Syed Talat Hussain: The Saudis, in their national interest, can get into a tighter hug with Pakistan’ archenemy without fearing as much as a raised eyebrow in Islamabad, because Saudi Arabia is a giver and Pakistan is a taker Imagine Israeli Prime
Wahhabization of Gitmo prisoners: Ex-Gitmo detainee now a Taliban commander * US officials say 20% of released prisoners go back to Taliban LASHKAR GAH: A man who was freed from the Guantanamo Bay after he claimed he only wanted to go home and
Wahhabism and women: Saudi woman jailed for being without male guardian RIYADH: A Saudi woman is to be lashed 300 times and jailed for 18 months for filing complaints against court officials and appearing in court without a male guardian, a human
Filthy rich Khadim-e-Aala – by Shafiq Awan: Shahbaz Sharif is ‘very rich’, but where did the money come from? By Shafiq Awan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is the richest member of the Punjab Assembly, with multi-million pounds of foreign assets mentioned in his declared assets
Taliban kill another Shia: SHO murdered in Quetta QUETTA: Unidentified men on Wednesday shot dead a police official near Bareech Market on Sarki Road in Quetta. According to police sources, attackers opened fire on station house officer Arif Ali Shah’s vehicle, injuring him.
Women in Afghanistan: A tale of Afghan women’s plight —by Miranda Husain The Patience Stone By Atiq Rahimi Other Press; Pp 160 Afghanistan, a nation still on fire, a nation still home to a centre-stage Taliban. An entity that still remains resoundingly
PML-N the Taliban midwife: Sir, the militants have multiplied —Sher Ali Khan The recent admission by Rana Sanaullah about his association with the banned militant group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) illuminates that Pakistan is a country where a nexus between politicians and militants is
NA-55, Democracy’s last chortle – by Qudrat Ulla: The recently concluded NA-55 by-elections in the heart of Rawalpindi were highly capricious in many ways- it was the finale political Armageddon of the shrewd Sheikh of Potohar in which he tried to play all his tricks but to
Taliban Mindset of Punjab Police – by Dr. Khurram Shaukat Yousafzai: The Police were beating 8 people as seen in a video on Geo TV. They were seen beating naked men on their butts, with Leather Lashes which is given names as Mola Jut and Sher-e-Punjab etc in different Thanas of
150 Workers Occupy Karachi PC Hotel: The following first appeared as on Riaz Ahmed‘s Facebook. Strike: 150 Workers Occupy Karachi PC Hotel Over 150 workers of -star Karachi hotel Pearl Continental have occupied the basement for the last 8 days. About 50 workers have set up
Taliban’s attack on Baloch cultural concert in Khuzdar blacked out by Pakistani media: An injured student is treated at a hospital after a blast in Khuzdar, southwestern Pakistan, on March 2, 2010. Source: Xinhua Once again, Pakistani media has almost blacked out an act of violence by Taliban extremists. This time the
Claims to uphold democracy and constitution – by Abdulkhaliq Azaad: In the name of justice, a few institutions and political factions are proclaiming themselves to be the upholders of constitutional continuity and democracy for some years now. Apparently, they are blowing trumpets against dictatorships, army’s political interference and are
A poem on Asif Ali Zardari – by Zufli: Poem Contributed by Ahsan Abbas Shah
Workers Party Pakistan: Pakistan’s New Left – by Muhammad Ali Siddiqi: The Workers Party Pakistan should refrain from playing the role of a traditional opposition party which considers it obligatory on its part to oppose every government move. Pakistan’s New Left By Muhammad Ali Siddiqi The formation last week of
PML-N: a procession of forty thieves: Double standards of the Sharifs By Shafiq Awan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is considered “Mr Neat and Clean” and wants the same kind of people around him, especially in the cabinet. That is why he has chosen his
Towers of enlightenment…with stolen electricity – by Nadeem Khan: TOWERS OF ENLIGHTENMENT ……‘with stolen electricity’, I better say. Electricity stealing is a norm and as stated earlier our mullah community is far ahead of these political hoodlums in matters related to stealing. They use stolen electricity in their
In order to save Cheif Justice Iftikhar, Nawaz League forces PPP to abandon the Charter of Democracy: As per the Charter, all PCO judges should be kicked out including the Islamofascist Chaudhry Iftikhar Appointment of judges: PPP, PML-N say goodbye to CoD By Amir Wasim and Ahmad Hassan Wednesday, 03 Mar, 2010 ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s
Mian, the Bijli Chor: Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif: the Muhammad Shah Rangeela of  corruption in Pakistan Squeaky clean? Editorial PML-N president Nawaz Sharif made his usual high-flown remarks at a public rally for NA-123, an electoral hotbed for the impending by-election on March 10.
Zaid Hamid admits links to Yousef Ali: The following is cross-posted from Khawer Khan’s blog. These videos have recently come to light. In them Zaid Hamid admits his links to Yousef Ali (disparagingly called Yousef Kazzab by opponents). Zaid Hamid had always denied any links to
Mian sahib’s political voyage Part1- by Aliarqam Durrani: میاں صاحب کا سیاسی سفر۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔علی ارقم درانی پچھلی رات  میاں صاحب کے لاہور میں ایک انخابی جلسے میں تقریر کے بعد جب ان کی تقریر کے مندرجات ٹی وی چینلز کی اسکرین پر پٹیوں کی صورت چل رہے تھے۔اسی
Nawaz Sharif steals electricity but vows to fight corruption: PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif addressing a public gathering during by-elections campaign in constituency NA-123. -APP According to the sources, Nawaz Sharif addressed party workers on Grand Trunk Road near University of Engineering and Technology. While Nawaz made a case
A ‘friendly’ Afghanistan? — by Shahid Ilyas: The risk of failure and backfiring are much higher in trying to install a friendly government in a foreign country than in attempts to develop friendly relations with an incumbent government. The failure of Pakistan’s Afghan policy is a
Taliban kill Jaspal Singh and the mullahs keep mum — by Ishtiaq Ahmed: Photo Source: BBC Urdu A time to humanise Islam There is a screaming silence from the custodians of Islam — the ulema — on the execution of Jaspal Singh, probably because he was not a Muslim. The Muslim masses
Pakistani generals’ oath at the Kakul Academy and the bloody civilians – by Kamran Shafi: The ‘happening place’ “PAKISTAN is the most happening place in the world where there is never a dull moment.” So pronounced the Commando to a “packed audience” at Chatham House in London, to much laughter and mirth. ‘Happening place’
In Pakistan we are fighting for our lives – by Asif Ali Zardari: In Pakistan we are fighting for our lives We will defeat the terrorists. Our security is backed up by democracy and a strong economy By Asif Ali Zardari Thanks: The Guardian 1 March 2010 When I was elected president
Holi festival and Pakistani Hindus: Picture Source: BBC Urdu Pakistani Hindus to miss Holi celebrations February 23, 2010, Islamabad: The few Pakistani Hindus, who have made the federal capital their home, will miss splashing colours at each other as they brace up for a
Secularism triumphs? Bangladesh Supreme Court sets an example – by Farooq Sulehria: Secularism triumphs? The Supreme Court of Bangladesh, on January 3, not only bucked an apparently prevalent trend in the Muslim world, but also dismissed a stereotype: Islam’s incompatibility with secular democracy. By ordering a ban on the abuse of
Evaluating democracy – by Ghazia Aslam and Wasim Q. Malik: Thanks: Dawn.com, Monday, 01 Mar, 2010 Advocates of democracy claim that it protects property rights, promoting an environment of collective growth. – File photo A passionate debate comparing and contrasting the performance of Pakistan’s democratic and dictatorial regimes has