Monthly Archive:: April 2011
Another way – by Imran Qadir Butt: Here is a thing for you; you heard spine chilling, devastatingly frank and shockingly straight forward admission of botched suicide bombing attempt by a teenage boy of impressionable mind, what would you make of it? To make your life
Why the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto must be re-opened? – by Urooj Hussain: Thirty two years ago on 4th April 1979, a great injustice was done to the majority people of Pakistan. The first popularly elected Prime Minister & Chairman of the Islamic Summit was judicially murdered at the gallows by an
Capacity Building in Pakistan’s Media: Monday’s presentation by Dawn reporter and Woodrow Wilson Institute Scholar Huma Yusuf examined the state of Pakistan’s media and offered excellent insights into the at-times-controversial institution and provided suggestions for addressing issues confronting Pakistani journalists and media consumers. Beginning
The outspoken Fauzia Wahab denounces religious extremism – by Alexandra Zavis, Los Angeles Times: Pakistani lawmaker briefly trades death threats at home for serenity in Southern California The outspoken Fauzia Wahab denounces religious extremism and reflects on her homeland’s future. It has been a harrowing few months for liberal Pakistani lawmaker Fauzia Wahab.
IJI for 2013: This post is in light of ‘news’ of meeting between Imran and Musharaff and the following piece by Dawn. Here is an extract: While the Musharraf League is not denying Musharraf-Imran contacts, it says efforts are under way to
The Bhutto charisma – By Dr Akmal Hussain: Charisma is the luminous synthesis of a range of images projected by an individual to a receptive audience. For example, it may be arms held high to capture the pitch of a crowd’s emotion as if at the far
LUBP, the hate blog! – by Chuqandar Khan: Related articles: Let Us Build Pakistan (LUBP) exposed – by Earthman, International Professor An open letter to LUBP – by Samad Khurram Critical article on ‘Let us build Pakistan’ – by Syed Adeeb LUBP agenda, visitor stats and the
Martyrs of MRD Movement 1983 – by Ishaque Soomro: Editor’s Note: The struggle for democracy in Pakistan continues today. Those who feel overwhelmed by the security establishment and its judiciary, media and civil society flunkies should take inspiration from the valiant villagers of Punhal Khan Chandio. Today, it
Murder of Bahraini blogger Zakria Rashid al-Asherri by the US-Saudi puppet Hamad Al Khalifa: Related articles: Pakistani bloggers demand release of Bahraini blogger Mahmood Al-Yousif Iranain blogger Omidreza Mirsayafi dies in prison. Time to support bloggers in Iran Bahrain buries dead blogger as government crackdown continues LUBP Archive on Bahrain Hundreds of mourners
The HEC hoopla – by Fawad Manzoor: New media hoopla over HEC and political parties is tantamount to taking the mileage out of nonsense issue. Same people who voted for 18th amendment cried foul when media and judges came crying over the appointment of new judges.
Benazir Bhutto, the other name of democracy – by Saria Benazir: “Jeevay, jeevay, Bhutto jeevay! Live, live, Bhutto live!” the crowds roared in Punjabi, a sentiment that just three months before would have cost them rigorous imprisonment and lashes. “Munjhe bhen, thunje bhen, Benazir—My sister, your sister, Benazir,” others called
Misogyny on television -by Meera Ghani: LAHORE: It was with immense disappointment that I viewed the March 20 episode of “Hasb-e-Haal”. The misogynistic views expressed by Mr Sohail Ahmed in his role as, Azizi, reinforce the stereotypical role of women and strengthen the legitimacy of
Has Ansar Abbasi committed blasphemy? – by Shiraz Paracha: Ansar Abbasi of daily Jang newspaper provided his readers incomplete and selective translation of verses from the Holy Qur’an. Just to prove his twisted logic this self-proclaimed soldier of Islam and a ‘good Muslim’, he used the Holy Qur’an to
A small press release is worth more than 10000 attacks by media, judiciary and Fake Civil Society: When I want to relax myself, I switch to Pakistan Television. There is calm there usually and the news / programs cover a wider spectrum of Pakistan. This morning while getting ready to work, I heard the announcement that
Pakistan export boom will not repair economy: With Thanks : Daily Times Experts say gain is fragile in face of uncertain security, unending power crisis, rising oil prices, high fiscal deficit KARACHI: After a year of unemployment and wondering if his family would be better off
Heck, No HEC ! – by Marvi Sirmed: Following the decision of the Parliamentary Commission on the Implementation of the Eighteenth Amendment (PCIEA), the federal cabinet approved the devolution of five ministries to the provinces, including the ministry of education. While news anchors started steaming on their
Devolution of HEC – forgetting the actual challenge – by Naveed Ali: Decision to devolve Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan to provinces has resulted in an outcry from many circles. This decision is outcome of eventual devolution of federal ministry of education as a result of elimination of concurrent list
In support of a secular state in Muslim majority countries – by Hasnain Khan: The following is a short clip of an interview of the Lebanese Shia Muslim scholar Muhammad Hassan Al-Amin. He discusses the need for a secular state, which is quite rare in the Muslim world, particularly within what one would
True Lies – by Sana Bucha: Editor’s Note: Sana Bucha has deconstructed the “lies” that we as Pakistanis have been made to believe over the course of many decades. Her article can be defined as a great effort in highlighting the ills that we face:
Exaggerated and misunderstood: Z.A. Bhutto’s role in military operation in Balochistan: While ZAB’s role in the military operation in Balochistan has been criticized by many amongst his friends and foes, the following extract from ZAB’s book (cited in Hamid Mir’s article in daily Jang) suggests that more than ZAB, it
The bleeding sufi – by Suleman Akhtar: With the every bleeding Sufi the dream of tolerant and democratic Pakistan is fading away and the culture that may prove to be the final antidote to the militant Islam is slipping away into the abyss.
Socialism, the voice of the oppressed – By H.A. Khan: Today is the era of awakening and being aware of your rights as a citizens of your country and to fight for the mandatory rights from yours State without any prejudice and discrimination. The new wave which had emerged
US report: ‘Culture of impunity’ in Pakistan: U.S. Reports Decry Curbs on NGOs, Internet, Minorities, and setbacks in one or more of these areas took place in many countries last year, including Venezuela, Russia, China, Pakistan, and a number of Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries,
Yemeni uprising and Saudi mediation – by D. Asghar: Is it me or has someone else read this thing with amazement, where GCC headed by Saudi Arabia, wants to broker a deal to get the Yemeni President Saleh ousted? Come to think of it, it looks quite hypocritical
Jihad against mushrik Muslims: from Maulana Mahmood to Omar Fidai: Related articles: Blackwater is the new name of Taliban Taliban/Sipah-e-Sahaba’s terrorists massacre 50 Barelvi and Shia Muslims at Sakhi Sarwar shrine The extremist Deobandi-Takfiri jihad against mushrik Barelvis and kafir Shias A blasphemy against Caliph Omar (RA)! پاکستان میں
Revolutionary Government Servants – by Sheikh Sarmad: During the historic and revolutionary lawyer’s movement, we were promised economic justice and 50 percent reduction of all our problems including terrorism, restoration of democracy, swift justice, reduction in price hike and recipes to get rid of piles and
Opportunism Jamaat-style – by Waseem Altaf: Home and madressah education, knowledge of Arabic, vast study of earlier texts on Islam and almost no exposure to modern education, yet ability to write colorful language, playing with high sounding words and experience in journalism was his qualification.
Civil Society supports “Devolution of HEC” : A joint resolution from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Academia, Civil Society Organizations and youth from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA passed a joined resolution on April 07 in favor of devolution of HEC under the 18th Constitutional Amendment and condemned all those anti-constitution and anti-democratic
Jang group’s lame campaign against PEMRA to avoid GST: A simmering difference between the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the the Jang Group has turned into a full-blown legal warfare, with acting Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Dr Abdul Jabbar accusing the Jang Group
Pakistan lacks plan to defeat Taliban: US: The Obama administration has criticized Pakistan’s efforts against al-Qaida and Taliban militants, saying years after the conflict began, there remains “no clear path” toward defeating the insurgency on their side of the border with Afghanistan. Pakistan’s efforts to launch
In support of devolving HEC – by Humza Ikram and M Usama Kabbir: The Federal Government has transferred five ministries, including the Ministry of Education, to the provinces under the devolution plan in the 18th Amendment. The ministries of Education, Social Welfare and Special Education, Tourism, Livestock and Dairy, Rural Development and
Fourth April Nineteen Hundred and Seventy Nine – By Shoaib Mir: Editor’s Note: The following note and the accompanying informative comment is a short and sharp reminder of the way in which the power elites of Pakistan, the Military-Bureaucracy Junta and their Judiciary, Media and Fake Civil Society proxies treated an
Emotionalism, extremism and Pakistani media – by Rameez Karamat Ali: “I am standing in a victim’s house where YOU CAN SEE an eight year old and the only son of a local teacher is killed in suicide attack, yesterday. Now you can see the situation here and we are
Punjabi Islamofascist judicial mafia strikes Z.A. Bhutto again!: Related article: Chief Justice Ijaz Chaudhry: The new monkey in Lahore Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry has been an active member of Jamaat-e-Islami By Omar Khattab in Lahore former CPO Saud Aziz and former SP Rawal Town Khurram Shahzad
Hassan Nisar’s article on ‘Izzat Ghairat Hamiyat’: The dilemma we are facing is that we are arrogantly ignoring present realities by assuming that our past was so beautiful, our nation is one the of the most special and unique in the world and the whole world
Fake criticism of military establishment: Related posts: Fake criticism of Pakistan army by a budding writer Fake critical letter to ISI chief by Ejaz Haider We have seen a new trend in the past few months that some people or forums known for supporting
After Salman Taseer now Jang Group is targeting Fauzia Wahab: Yeah, it’s a well known fact that the Spanish-American war in 1898 was a result of “yellow journalism”, and it is also established truth that ‘Jang Group’ played a leading role in Salman Taseer’s assassination. The Asia Bibi saga
“I did not kill that man” – By Furqan Riaz Ahmed: Editor’s Note: This initiative by President Zardari is a welcome one. If anything, the history of the current PPP government and those of the other two PPP governments headed by Benazir Bhutto highlight the stranglehold the security establishment has
Blood in the terrain – by Saria Benazir: Closing the observes to details is though, quite easier than moving forwards and accommodating the certainty and in actuality, most of the people are much used to fancy the first option over the other one. Opposed to it, when