Monthly Archive:: April 2010
Strengths and pitfalls of the 18th Amendment – By Asma Jahangir: Our political leadership must make up its mind: either it commits itself to non-discriminatory policies on minorities or confesses to bigotry., writes Asma Jahangir. The much-awaited constitutional reforms may have sailed through the National Assembly and Senate but there
Report of the UN commission on Benazir Bhutto’s assassination: General Musharraf and the ISI indicted: Commentary/summary by Abdul Nishapuri The UN Commission’s report clearly identifies General Pervez Musharraf, the ISI and the Punjab Police (collectively the powerful security establishment of Pakistan) as responsible for the tragic murder of Benazir Bhutto and also for impeding
Convince people of absurdities and get them acquiescing to atrocities: The enduring power of Machiavellian political science – by Zahir Ebrahim: Source: Project Humanbeingsfirst.org Another case study of the brilliance of Machiavellian Political Science Once the hectoring hegemons have created a core-lie and got people to believe or accept it, namely, that ‘war on terror’ is real and “our war”, then many
Why the Supreme Court has not taken any interest in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination investigation? – By Yousuf Nazar: Source It will be late night or early morning in Pakistan when the much awaited United Nations report on Benazir Bhutto’s assassination is released by the UN. There is a litmus test that will determine, for me at least,
What the provinces gain – by IA Rehman: Source Dawn: The biggest beneficiaries of the 18th Amendment would be the federating units and this should be made known to the people of these units, otherwise the reform measures will not receive the kind of public support that
Evolving campus politics – By Nadeem Paracha: In 1947 the only established student organisation in the newly created country of Pakistan was the Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student-wing of the Muslim League. The Muslim League began to disintegrate as Pakistan’s first ruling party. Consequently, the
The Pakistani woman’s crusade against the system: By Sadef A. Kully Thursday, 15 Apr, 2010 KARACHI: Although, it has been twenty something odd years since Dr. Kauser Saeed Khan has been participating in and witnessing women protest for equal rights, there still seems to be some
At The Helm: President Asif Ali Zardari – By Usama Bhutto: President Asif Ali Zardari’s third address to the Parliament marked the threshold of a new era in the Parliamentary democracy of Pakistan. Repeal of the 17th amendment with thorough consensus over acute constitutional and volatile political issues can rightly
In defence of the ANP and Kyber Pakhtunkhwa – by Hamid Mir: آئیے ذرا آج اپنے گریبان میں جھانکتے ہیں۔ کیا یہ درست نہیں کہ ہم میں سے اکثر لوگوں نے خود کو مفتیان کرام اور سپریم کورٹ کے ججوں کی جگہ پر فائز کر رکھا ہے؟ جی ہاں مفتیاں کرام
Mullahs vs Zaid Hamid: The hypocrisy of juggernaut vs juggernaut – by Fasi Zaka: Zaid Hamid once looked like an unstoppable juggernaut. It didn’t matter that much of what he said was inaccurate, or that he posed every problem in the context of himself being the only saviour. Self-serving arguments were lapped up
Religious minorities in Pakistan and a door slammed shut – Kamila Hayat: All of us who have attended school in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan were taught at one point or the other that the white strip that runs down the flag stood for non-Muslims who make up an estimated three
Shaukat Tarin talking about Mashal LNG Project: Another informative article on the issue by Munawar B. Ahmad: The Supreme Court’s suo moto hearing of the much sensationalised $1 billion scam alleged in the award of the LNG contract to GDF-Suez, may or may not determine if
Arrival of the Hazarawals – Syed Talat Hussain: Source Daily Times The ANP wants to champion the cause of the length and breadth of the NWFP, but does not want to set foot in the Hazara Division. Even after days of mayhem and police-driven murders, the party
سندھی زبان لازمی کیوں نہیں؟ ریاض سہیل: Source BBC Urdu سندھ ہائی کورٹ نے صوبائی حکومت سے معلوم کیا ہے کہ اڑتیس سال گذرنے کے باوجود سرکاری اور نجی تعلیمی اداروں میں سندھی زبان لازمی قرار دینے کے قانون پر عمل کیوں نہیں ہوسکا ہے۔ عدالت
Parliamentary Theocracy – By Yasser Latif Hamdani: Source Daily Times The 18th Amendment reintroduces the requirement for the prime minister of the country to be a Muslim. Pakistan’s slide down the slippery pole of religiosity is quite clear Frederick Douglass — the great 18th century American
Transparency International for check on Army procurements: By Usman Manzoor ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) has written a daring letter to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani asking him to direct the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to implement the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority
Pakistan’s first ‘tarana’ by Jagan Nath Azad: Related post: Jagan Nath Azad did not write Pakistan’s first national anthem – by Dr Safdar Mehmood Cross Posted from Beena Sarwar’s Blog Complete version of the tarana by the Lahore-based poet Jagan Nath Azad, who was asked by
Whither civilian governance?: By Raza Rumi Cross Posted from Pakteahouse While the gurus of security and international affairs continue to unpack and make sense of the high-profile and much-hyped Pak-US ’strategic dialogue’, the people of Pakistan continue to ask questions about its
General Ziauddin Butt: Nawaz Sharif’s “Chief of Army Staff” becomes Shahbaz Sharif’s “Chief Inspector”: This is common knowledge that Sharifs cannot live without Generals. Right from their birth into Pakistani politics (courtesy Geneal Jilani), their ascendance to the Lahore throne (courtesy General Zia) and their premiership of the land of the pure (courtesy
ADB’s Asian Development Outlook 2010- By Haris Zamir: ‘Pakistan economy seen performing modestly better in FY10’ ( SOURCE ) ADB sees poor security conditions and electricity crisis hampering growth; urges faster economic changes KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy is likely to perform modestly better in fiscal 2009/10 (July-June), as
Aafia Siddiqui’s daughter’s reappearance: The CIA and ISI should come clean – by Kamran Shafi: Maryam Saddiqui, the missing daughter of Aafia Siddiqui, has been identified after mysteriously reappearing on her family’s doorstep, a top Pakistani official said. The 12-year-old is one of three children of Aafia Siddiqui. Come clean, there is still time
Diversity and tolerance in Pakistani society: Room for optimism – by Mohsin Hamid and Munno Bhai: Room for optimism By Mohsin Hamid EVER since returning to live in Pakistan a few months ago, I’ve been struck by the pervasive negativity of views here about our country. Whether in conversation, on television, or in the newspaper,
Bad old ways of Pakistan People’s Party: The PPP Parliamentary Board (under the chair of President Asif Zardari) has decided to award election tickets to the following politicians who recently resigned after their academic degree was proven fake in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Jamshed Dasti, NA-178,
Forecast of an imminent unrest – by Nadeem Khan: There is a real civil unrest on the horizon. We can verify the timings, immediately after the passing of 18th amendment. When the celebrations were about to take the second turn, instead we saw rallies and protests on power
Political expediency, quest for short-term gains – by Ismail Khan: Source: Dawn WHEN politics comes into play, everything else becomes secondary. Two tragic incidents, both avoidable, took a terrible toll of human life. To the northwest, jets pounded suspected militant positions and in the process, by the authorities’ own
Pakistan’s South Punjab: Politics of marginalization – Raza Rumi: Source Pak Tea House The discourse on South Punjab conceals the grassroots social movements and the clamouring for a linguistic identity in the region The conundrum of South Punjab remains a major challenge for analysts, policy makers and above
Anti-Pakhtunkhwa protest claims seven lives in Abbottabad: Source The News ABBOTTABAD: Seven people were killed and over 100 sustained injuries on Monday when police used force to break up a protest here against the renaming of NWFP as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. The peaceful headquarters of Hazara division turned
The brick-bat over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Hazara – by Ismail Khan: Source Dawn: DOES this demonstrate a genuine, legitimate concern of a people who fear their status and interests as equal citizens being seriously undermined in a newly-named province? What is this kerfuffle all about? Is there politics behind it?
The Jang Group and Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman – how low the standards would fall? – By Yousuf Nazar: Source I am getting quite fed up with the planted, biased, illiterate, and highly unprofessional so-called reporting by the The News International. Its current owner Mir Shakil ur Rehman was not above cheating in the exams. More about this
Interview with Sherry Rehman: (photo source, Jang) Source Newsline Magazine “It is actually possible to find cross-party support for women’s issues now” – Sherry Rehman Q: Which government, in your view, has been the most woman-friendly in terms of gender-sensitive policies? State the
Plight of Balochistan’s coal mine workers: Source Express News: Related article from Newsline, April 2006: Death In The Mines
5 killed in Abbottabad over Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa renaming issue: PML-Q leaders have been agitating day and night for the last one week over the issue of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa renaming. On 6 April 2010 Umar Ayub Khan, son of Gohar Ayub Khan and former MNA and formerly State Minister of
Seeing is ‘not’ believing – by Nadeem Khan: I remember, long time ago when it was the realm of black and white TV set, we watched a movie, made in early 70s titled “The War of the Worlds” (based on a classic science fiction novel by H.G.
Fatima Bhutto: Dad who would be king – by Nadeem Paracha: “Fatima’s attempt at setting the record straight regarding her father is understandable, but her deriding the woman who led her party into power not through the bullet but by the ballot is not.” The much-awaited book by Murtaza Bhutto’s
Sick and Tired! – by Agha Haider Raza: Over the past week Pakistan has read many different news items. From the passing of the 18th amendment to the bomb blast at the US Consulate, much is happening. Some may say the stories are for the betterment of
Ansar Abbasi Out LBW (Learn Before Writing!): Thanks: Pakistan Media Watch Poor Mr. Ansar Abbasi – he does not know how to quit while he is ahead. After his very poor showing on Friday, Mr. Abbasi has decided to have another go at writing his “news analysis”
Psuedo Pakistaniat: Dancing to the tunes of Coke in the streets of Pakistan – by Aneel Salman: Dancing to the (capitalist / non-indigenous) tunes of Coca Cola in Lahore’s Liberty Market Source: All Voices Huntington wrote that: “the fundamental source of conflict in this new world will not be primarily ideological or primarily economic. The great
“Real workers of PPP can never support Zardari.” Really? – by Khalid Wasti: نیا جال ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ پرانے شکاری ======================== پیپلز پارٹی کو ختم کرنے کی کوششیں اس کے قیام کے ساتھ ہی شروع ہوگئی تھیں – قیام پاکستان سے لیکر پیپلز پارٹی کے معرض وجود میں آنے تک جو طاقتیں مسلسل اقتدار
Special Report on PPP – by Amir Mateen: Special Report: PPP Part-1 The cruel joke is on Benazir April 11, 2010 ISLAMABAD: Benazir Bhutto would not recognise her party if she were to see it today. It is no longer the Pakistan People’s Party that she inherited
Aik Zardari, Sab Per Bhari – by Abdul Qadir Hassan: Here is is a very interesting article by veteran right wing journalist Abdul Qadir Hassan (who is indeed not a proponent of the PPP or Zardari) in appreciation of President Asif Ali Zardari. AQ Hassan acknowledges that Zardari is