Monthly Archive:: September 2010
The Wrong Bandwagon by Soufia A Siddiqi: Cross post : Institute of Democracy and Development by Soufia A Siddiqi Lately, Ufone’s been making all of us laugh really hard. That’s ended brutally with its latest advertisement in the Saaf Awaaz campaign. A lot of people I know are
India’s golden opportunity – By B. R. GOWANI: “A woman yells as her child is evacuated from the roof of a mosque where residents were taking refuge from flood waters in Sanawa, Pakistan on August 5, 2010.” Photo/Reuters/Stringer/Boston Globe Following the bloody partition of the Indian sub-continent
Rehman Malik, who do you represent? – by Imtiaz Baloch: While Rehman Malik statements regarding the peace process in Balochistan of threatening aggrieved Baloch elements of using more force was responded by the sensible Baloch political leadership as Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal and Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, Newspaper
Tale Of A Commission – by Ali Raja: Note:-Though the proposal of Nawaz Sharif Commsion has become an old story but the statement of Mr. Rana Sanaullah in “Point Blank” as reported in the Daily Express has left me shocked therefore with an apology, I am compelled
Wronged souls don’t vanish: an obituary of Zaman Khan Marri – By Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur: Zaman Khan Chalgari Marri, a practicing lawyer, was kidnapped on August 19, along with another lawyer Munir Ahmed Mirwani from Quetta. On September 6, his mutilated body was found in Mastung. He leaves behind an inconsolable wife, seven daughters,
Regional Scenario: Central Asian ‘Muslim’ states fear Pakistan – by Shiraz Paracha: Central Asia’s richest and largest state Kazakhstan is following a strict visa policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan at the same time offering further relaxations in visa regulations to nationals from Western and several non-Western countries. Pakistan has an image
For the flood Victims: A Punjabi poem by Faiz Ahmad Faiz: میری ڈولی شوہ دریا ( یہ نظم انیس سو چوہتر کے سیلاب زدوں کے امدادی فنڈ کیلئے لکھی گئی) میری ڈولی شوہ دریا کل تائیں سانوں بابلا تو رکھیا ہِک نال لا سَت خیراں ساڈیاں منگیاں جد جُھلی تتی
Why stop corruption when you have Allah? — by Dr Manzur Ejaz: As expected, the conspiracy theorists have alleged that Indian bookies cooked up the plan to malign Pakistani cricket players. Notorious Pakistan crook Mazhar Majeed and his sister are allegedly married to Indians. Actress Veena Malik, ex-girlfriend of one of
Army Party: To Coup Or Not To Coup – By Qais Anwar: سیلا ب کے بعد…………. کيا پاکستان آرمی پارٹی اقتدار پر مکمل قبضہ کرے گی؟ قدرتي آفات سڑکوں , مکانوں , کارخانوں , فصلوں او دوسری نظر آنے والی چیزوں کے ساتھ بہت سی نادیدہ چیزوں کو بھی تباہ کر
The Green Revolution? – By Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa: Source: Express Tribune Altaf Hussain has come out openly, with guns blazing, against feudalism. In his recent interview with journalist Sohail Warraich, he bemoaned the continuation in power of a class that can only offer authoritarian-feudal-dynastic politics. Is he
Dynamics of Aid and Militant Charities: Pakistan has seen its most deadly catastrophe in the shape of these recent floods. Being a country marred with all sorts of problems, the magnitude of the disaster left the government paralyzed. International community came forward and offered help
خدا کیلئے! ٹانگیں مت کھینچے- کاشف نصیر: ٹھیک ہے اگر مارشل لاء یا اس طرز کے کسی غیر معمولی اور غیر آئینی اقدامات ناگزیر ہیں تو کم از کم آپ منافقت اور دوعملی ختم کرکے جاگیرداروں، سرداروں اور زرداروں کے ساتھ اس طویل اور پرتعیش شراکت
Imran Khan, Urban Middleclass Morality and its Contradictions – by Raza Habib Raja: With thanks : Pak Tea House This article is critical of Imran Khan’s political orientation and tries to introspect middleclass liking for him. It admits Imran’s virtues as a cricketer and philanthropist but argues that his politics is the
Low-cost housing: a viable option? by Ali Wahab: Source: Express Tribune Shelters of millions were wiped out in the devastating floods of 2010. With the numbers still coming in, it has been estimated that more than 0.7 million homes have been destroyed across Pakistan till now. In
An act of barbarity: kidnapping and torture of Umar Cheema – by Aamir Mughal: This act of madness committed against Mr Umar Cheema [Senior Correspondent of The News International/Jang Group] should be condemned in the strongest possible words. Difference of Opinion doesn’t give permission to commit such acts of barbarity. In my humble
Roots of Western superiority complex – By Shiraz Paracha: Passengers of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to London from Islamabad were forced to stay inside the aircraft at London Heathrow Airport on 8 August 2010 as the British Police and officials of the UK Boarder Agency made
Pakistan not a safe heaven for Anti Taliban – by Farhat taj: The doctrine of strategic depth means Pakistan is not a safe haven for Pakhtuns opposing Taliban or Talibanization either with arms or musical instruments. The ordeal of the late Kamal Mahsud, a well-known singer from Waziristan, and his family is
Double Standard of Iftikhar Ch. et al – by Ali Asad: The Supreme Court has made public the verdict in petition filed by Kh. Haris against appointment of Mr. Irfan Qadir as Prosecutor General, NAB. The decision is in favour of the petitioner and Mr. Irfan Qadir has lost
Healing Pakistan – Solution presented in Newsweek – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: At a time when fingers are being pointed towards either the inefficiency of Pakistan government in responding to the devastating floods or the general apathy of the world community in being forthcoming to help Pakistan one thing is for
Explosion at Shiite Protest Kills at Least 40 in Pakistan: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A blast ripped through a Shiite protest, the second such attack in three days, in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Friday, killing at least 40 people and wounding 80, police and rescue officials said.
Viewpoint Interview with Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa: Military’s predation is an institutional feature’, Ayesha Siddiqa. A dissident’s job is always fraught with dangers. In case of Pakistan, the risks involved in criticizing all-powerful Khakis and their proxy Taliban hardly need an elucidation. Still, dissident voices keep
Flood Devastations: “No Federal Assistance for Balochistan”: QUETTA: Focal Person for Flood Relief Operation in Balochistan, Provincial Minister Prosecution Ms Rahila Durrani, has said Federal Government did not provide adequate assistance to flood affected people of Balochistan and all the relief and rescue efforts are being
Political Islam, Politics of Identity, Ethnic Nationalism and the Centralized State – By Raza Habib Raja: The selective way of presenting history in Pakistan conveniently ignores the fact that at its creation, there were two large sometimes contrasting and sometimes overlapping movements. The first was primarily centred around Muslim Identity and tried to actually bargain
The denial of the lambs – by Anas Abbas: Cross Post : Accounterterror blog By Anas Abbas This Essay is in response to an article “The liberal lynch mob” written by Mahreen Aziz Khan published recently in The Express Tribune. It will not only focus on this article itself
Lahore blasts deepen threat to foreign aid workers in Pakistan -by Issam Ahmed: The Lahore blasts – though sectarian in nature – may raise the level of threat felt by the hundreds of international aid workers who have come to help Pakistan after its worst flooding in 80 years. A series of
Cricket as a metaphor – by Irfan Husain: Another day, another scandal. Judging from the media coverage of the cricket betting sting first reported by the News of the World, it would appear that there are no floods devastating the country; that millions have not been displaced;
Trust the IMF — by Farrukh Khan Pitafi: Terrible times require extreme measures but somehow Islamabad manages not to appreciate this reality. There is no harm in keeping one’s chin high and marching on in the hour of trouble. However, the gruesome realities of an unfortunate series
Floods and humanitarian medicine — by Dr Mohammad Taqi: “Bani Adam aaza’ e yak o deegarand, Keh der aafreenesh ze yak gauharand. Choon uzvi ba dard aaward rozgar, Digar uzvha ra na manand qarar. Tu keh az mehnat-e-deegran beghami, Nashayad keh naamet nahad aadmi.” (Human beings are members
Judicial Spot Fixing?: This business of the Supreme Court taking it upon themselves to overrule the people’s elected representatives in parliament is really getting ridiculous. Now, having failed to fix the match, the Supreme Court appears to be trying a little spot-fixing
US designates Pakistani Taliban as Foreign terrorist group: The US designated Pakistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) as Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), paving the way for overseas travel ban on its leaders and financial restrictions on the dreaded group. US prosecutors have charged the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud,
Triple Blasts in Youm-e-Ali (a.s.) Procession: Karbala attacked in Lahore – by Ch. Ahmad Khan: As the death toll from today’s gruesome attacks on a Shiite procession commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali, probably the most venerated muslim saint after the Holy Prophet rises, few if any are addressing the core issues that have
EDITORIAL: Extension of judges’ tenure: The Supreme Court (SC) has extended the tenure of 32 additional judges working in the high courts of the four provinces till further orders. The eleventh hour decision has been taken to overcome the situation created by a legal
MQM’s strange recipe to end feudalism -by Riaz Missen: The MQM, which often complains of Taliban’s growing presence in Karachi and is unhappy for being unable to convince its coalition partners to retain the local government system of the Musharraf era at least in Sindh, has surprised everybody