Monthly Archive:: July 2011
Instead of blindly following Saudi Arabia, use scientific method for moon-sighting: Can we put a stop to the self-created Deobandi-Barelvi, Shia-Sunni, Pashtun-Punjabi conflict in the name of moon-sighting in Pakistan, UK, USA and other countries? Can we put a stop to the Saudi-ization of Eid and Ramazan in Pakistan and
Hizb al-Tahrir: A New Threat to the Pakistan Army? – By Arif Jamal: First published at CTC On May 6, 2011, Pakistani authorities arrested Brigadier Ali Khan on charges of ties to Hizb al-Tahrir (HT), an Islamist group that is banned in Pakistan. Shortly after, authorities revealed that four majors in the
On US Embassy and Pakistani Homosexuals – By Nuwas Manto: Now that its been sometime since the US embassy Pride event took place I believe it is time to shout back at the ensuing homophobia resulting out of it. The resultant fear of many queers that a public anti-homophobia
How long will we stay in denial? By Ahmed Iqbalabadi: I met a family friend over the weekend who recently visited Abbottabad for a wedding. She thoroughly enjoyed the visit because of cooler climate there. She had to because she was coming from Lahore. Imagine Lahore to Abbottabad
زندگی، فرد اور معاشرہ: لڑکپن میں سعدی کی حکایات پڑھیں تھیں، فارسی تو آتی نہیں تھی لہٰذا ترجمہ پڑھا، ہر حکایت کے اختتام پر ایک پیرا گراف ہوتا جو اس حکایت سے ملنے والی ہدایت پر روشنی ڈالتا کہ ‘اس قصّے سے ہمیں
Protests after killings in Quetta: کوئٹہ میں ہلاکتوں کے خلاف ہڑتال پاکستان کے صوبۂ بلوچستان کے دارالحکومت کوئٹہ میں گیارہ افراد کی ہلاکت کے خلاف اتوار کو ہڑتال کی جا رہی ہے۔ شیعہ مسلک سے تعلق رکھنے والے ان افراد کو سنیچر کو نامعلوم
Pakistani troops aid Bahrain’s crackdown: Foundation linked to the Pakistani army has been providing Bahrain thousands of soldiers for its crackdown on protests. In March, as a government crackdown on pro-democracy protestors intensified in Bahrain, curious advertisements started appearing in Pakistani media. “Urgent requirement
Accountability Court quashes 13 year old SGS case. Acquits all.: Pronouncing verdict in the 13-year old reference, first filed in 1998 popularly known as the SGS case, the Accountability Court Rawalpindi Judge Mian Altaf Hussain Mahar on Saturday acquitted the accused under trial declaring also that there was no
Dastan-e-Ameer Hamza Marwat ba zuban Saleem Safi: داستان امیر حمزہ بزبان سلیم صافی میر شکیل نے اپنی ترکش میں کئی طرح کے تیر یا یوں کہیں کہ اپنی اصطبل میں طرح طرح کے سدھائےہوئے گھوڑے جمع کر رکھے ہیں، جو ہر ریس میں قسمت آزمائی کو
Overpopulation or Overconcentration? – By Niaz Murtaza: Is overpopulation the root cause of all ills in Pakistan, such as poor governance, terrorism and shortages? So argue Mr. Cowasjee and Mr. Irfan Hussain in recent articles in Dawn. Both have been towering intellectual figures on the Pakistani
A young activist beaten by militants in the streets of Multan: Dear All, A young human rights activist and the founder member of Progressive Youth Forum, and worker of Awami Party Pakistan Mr. Falak Ali who has been a prominent social and religious critic since the religious extremism has grown
Questions for pro-Jihadi judiciary and its apologists: Senator from Pakistan Peoples Party Faisal Raza Abidi has raised some pertinent questions in the wake of highly politicized and pro-terrorists judiciary that are still to be answered by the apologists and champions of independent Judiciary and media.
Pakistan: Security forces ‘Disappear’ opponents in Balochistan: Government Fails to Confront Military, Intelligence Agencies on Abuses (New York) – Pakistan’s government should immediately end widespread disappearances of suspected militants and activists by the military, intelligence agencies, and the paramilitary Frontier Corps in the southwestern province of
Censoring Dawn TV -by A. H. Nayyar: A very interesting thing happened this evening (28th July). DawnTV was airing Arshad Sharif’s talk show Reporter. The topic today was growth of Islamic militancy, especially Jundullah within Pakistan’s military and its connection with Jaish-e-Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba. He started
Pakistani Hindus’ ashes brought to India to be scattered in Ganges: By Mark Magnier They sat in the dark for decades, waiting on the shelves of an abandoned library, the laughter and tears that once defined their lives all but forgotten. Dictatorships rose and fell. India and Pakistan detonated atomic
Allama of the 21st Century – Ibtisam Ilahi Zaheer – by Usmann Rana: Capitalizing on the US embassy holding pride event and the ensuing fiasco, Aaj television tabled a debate on LGBT people with a panel consisting of Islamabad based journalist Marvi Sirmed and fashion journalist Mohsin Sayeed along with the
Was Khar impressive in India? – Muhammad Saeed Akhter: Ms Khar’s elevation to the stature of the Foreign Minister of Pakistan has had a mixed response from the media. The far right found the decision ridiculous, the majority showing indifference taking it as another foolish decision of the
Islamism & the Far-Right: The Twin Faces of Terror – by Rab Nawaz: Those groups who adopt violence and abandon democracy and dialogue as a means of presenting their demands prove bankrupt on the question of legitimacy of their methods. It is thus exposed that their arguments and reasoning are nothing but
If your website’s full of anonymity, that might be okay: Hmm, lots of interesting responses to If your website’s full of assholes, it’s your fault, and even more interesting conversation about the topic of commenting culture in general. A few highlights from the last few days: My wonderful friend
Joint Statement by S.M. Krishna and Hina Rabbani Khar: Joint Statement following meeting between the Minister of External Affairs of India and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan July 27, 2011 The Minister of External Affairs of India, H.E. S.M. Krishna and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Ghulam Nabi Fai admits to receiving money from ISI -by Huma Imtiaz: ALEXANDRIA: In a federal courthouse, nearly two and a half hours after his case was scheduled to begin, Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai was brought into Courtroom number 501, filled primarily with his supporters and journalists from the subcontinent. As
U.S. officials believe al-Qaeda on brink of collapse: By Greg Miller U.S. counterterrorism officials are increasingly convinced that the killing of Osama bin Laden and the toll of seven years of CIA drone strikes have pushed al-Qaeda to the brink of collapse. The assessment reflects a widespread
Mullah Omar is part of the problem, not the solution: The following worrisome development reflects the mindset and MCA (minimum common agenda) of imperialism in Pakistani establishment. Mullah Omar we know has blood of so many ethnic and religious groups (Tajiks, Hazaras, Shias) as well as other oppressed groups
The Lone Murderer in Oslo Represents No Emerging Christian Extremist Group – by Rusty Walker: About the author: Rusty Walker is an Independent Political Analyst, educator, author, Vietnam veteran-era U.S. Air Force, from a military family, retired college professor, former Provost (Collins College, U.S.A.), artist, musician and family man. Rusty Walker is an ardent
CBS Tribute to Pioneering gay Pakistani-American Muslim poet Ifti Nasim: Editor’s Note: We are reproducing the glowing tribute by CBS for Ifti Nasim. His death reminds us of the intolerant society we have become. Our LGBT friends and supportors have informed us that there are different interpretations of the religious
Questioning the credibility of PTV awards: A letter by Farheen Chaudhry: Farheen Chaudhry, a poetess, short stories writer and Ex, General Secretary Hlaqa Arbar-e-Zuaq, has sent us this letter about the favoritism and unfair attitude towards her in Pakistan Television, Our LUBP contributor, journalist and progressive writer Aamir Hussaini has
Playing the bogus card of ‘sovereignty’ —by M Husain Sadar: The Saudis as well as their Gulf Arab cousins are arming the Taliban. This influx of foreign money and religious ideology is causing irreparable damage to the national identity and integrity as well as the centuries old cultural heritage
PML-N promises senatorship to Maulana Ludhianvi: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz government in Punjab is not only protecting banned terrorist organization, but also gearing up for electoral alliances with Sipah-e-Sahaba(a Deobandi terrorist organization), which was officially banned in 2001, though still active’ energetic and spreading terror
Let’s mourn five Saraiki labourers killed by Baloch militants: Related posts: In defence of Punjabis: Stop target killing of Punjabi settlers in Balochistan LUBP archive on Punjabi settlers in Balochistan I was motivated to write this post after reading the following tweet by a fellow Tweeple, a
Shia students beheaded by Taliban-SSP in Kurram agency: …… چارخیل لوئر کرم سے اغوا سید اجلال حسین اور ذاکر حسین آف پاراچنار کو طالبان نے بے دردی سے ذبح کرکے قتل کردیا ،جبکہ باقی آٹھ مغوی ٹرک ڈرائیوروں کو رہا کردیا۔ اتوار کے دن پاراچنار سے پشاور
Pakistan spies on its diaspora, spreading fear: By MARK MAZZETTI, ERIC SCHMITT and CHARLIE SAVAGE WASHINGTON — F.B.I. agents hunting for Pakistani spies in the United States last year began tracking Mohammed Tasleem, an attaché in the Pakistani Consulate in New York and a clandestine operative
Malik Ishaq of LeJ-ASWJ: a most dangerous man – by Khaled Ahmed: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on July 15 released on bail Malik Ishaq, leader and founder of Al Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, on grounds of “lack of evidence.” The man had been facing a number of cases at the antiterrorism court
In Memory of Iftekhar Naseem: ہمیں افتخار نسیم ہمیشہ یاد رہیں گے اس لئے کہ ہماری جان پہچان نہ ہونے کے برابر تھی، صرف ایک قاری اور مصّنف کا رشتہ تھا، پھر بھی وہ چند مکالمے جو ہم میں ہوئے
Resistance and Law: Land Mark Decision by Indian Supreme Court – by Shaheryar Ali: “…people do not take arms, in an organized fashion, against the might of the state, or against fellow human beings without rhyme or reason. Guided by an instinct for survival, and according to Thomas Hobbes, a fear of lawlessness
Deconstructing Pakistani liberals: A response to Shashi Tharoor and Raza Rumi: Related posts: Recommending Aatish Taseer How to identify liberal proxies of GHQ in Pakistani media and blogs Taseer’s murder and the call for a ‘broad-based alliance’ between PPP and the ‘civil society’ – by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla Recently I
Indians and Israelis helping them (Baloch) to fight against Allah and our beloved prophet’: Killing these Baloch is a serving Islam’ said one of them. They chanted “Allahu Akbar” and one moved forward opening fire at me’, said Nasir Dagarzai Baloch who miraculously escaped death the first time after being shot and dumped
Self-reliance or smart engagement? – By Dr. Niaz Murtaza: Having failed to ignite a revolution with their fiery speeches, the fierce, self-appointed defenders of Pakistan’s interests are now focusing their energies on preaching the virtues of national self-reliance. Their definition of self-reliance remains vague. However, their ire has focused
Sayana Kawwa …. Khaye?: Ghulam Nabi Fai has been arrested in Washington for collaborating with the Pakistan’s once invincible Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for funneling money of around US$ 4 million to influence United States policy on Kashmir. The reasons for his arrest