Democracy Archive
Where is my military coup? – by S Gulbadan: I wrote this for the Express Tribune’s sunday magazine and they published a much shorter (“mutilated”, according to the editor dude) version. General sahab, I have been a silent admirer of you and your methods for a long time
Is the Koran a constitution? – by Dr. Abbas Zaidi: One of our dearest friends, writer and intellectual Dr. Abbas Zaidi has on the LUBP team’s request, exclusively written this well argued piece for our readers. I on behalf of LUBP am grateful to him for sharing his efforts with us, and
Of blasphemy, Facebook and terrorism —Imtiaz Alam: Times are horrifying in this land of the pure and a chaotic world around. A “satire” protesting censoring of an episode of ‘South Park’ by Comedy Central turned viral, forcing the irreverent cartoonist to take refuge behind opposing censorship
The challenge of an uncertain future —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi: The most certain feature of Pakistan’s democracy is an uncertainty of its future. The optimistic view describes the current difficulties as the issues of transition from a military-dominated political order to a participatory civilian political system, which will take
Understanding the PPP – by Dr Khawaja Muhammad Awais Khalil: پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی آخر کیا ہے کافی عرصے سے میں سوچ رہا تھا کے پیپلز پارٹی پاکستان آخر کیا ہے کیوں لوگ اس کے اس قدر اسکے حامی ہیں یا مخالف. آخر اس پارٹی کے لئے درمیان کی جگہ
Parliament is supreme – by Khalid Wasti: پارلیمینٹ بالا دست ہے ============== زمانوں سے عدلیہ کی آزادی اور پارلیمینٹ کی بالا دستی کے مقولے زبان زد عام چلے آرہے تھے – کسی شخص نے پارلیمینٹ کی آزادی اور عدلیہ کی بالا دستی کی بات نہ کی
Benazir-Musharraf’s negotiations and Rehman Malik’s conviction – by Khalid Wasti: بے نظیر ، مشرف مذاکرات اور رحمان ملک کی معافی معذرت خواہانہ رویہ کیوں ؟ =============== پرویز مشرف کے اقتدار پر قابض ہوجانے کے بعد ملک کے نوے فیصد عوام کی حمایت یافتہ سیاسی قوت کی علامت پیلز پارٹی
At last, insaf for Rehman Malik – by Khalid Wasti: انصاف ہوتا نظر آگیا ہے کسے وکیل کریں کس سے منصفی چاہیں ============================= رحمان ملک کو ہتھکڑی لگوانی تھی – رحمان ملک پر پانچ تولے سونا چرانے اور ایک کار رشوت میں لینے کا الزام لگایا گیا – اعلی
Parliament must intervene – by Khalid Wasti: ================================= وقت گزرنے سے پہلے پالیمینٹ مداخلت کرے ================================= پارلیمینٹ ، انتظامیہ اور عدلیہ کے مابین دو اہم ایشوز پر اختلاف رائے پایا جاتا ہے – بظاہر پارلیمینٹ کے ساتھ عدلیہ کا اختلاف اٹھارویں ترمیم پر ہے – عدلیہ
Sacred cow – by Khalid Wasti: ================== مقدس گائے ================== ہر مسلمان کا ایمان ہے کہ ہمارا دین مکمل ہو چکا ہے – کوئی نیا پیغام ، کوئی صحیفہ کوئی مقدس گائے آسمان سے نہیں اترے گی – اب اس زمین پر ہر شخص مقدس
True democracy in Pakistan can prevent extremism – by Dr Majjida Ahmed: Mr Seth Oldmixon has brought to our attention a new column by Dr. Majjida Ahmed, a founding member of Americans for Democracy & Justice in Pakistan published today in Daily Caller. The column, ‘True democracy in Pakistan can prevent
Irrational patriotism, liberalism and nuclear arsenal – by Raza Habib Raja: My article “Traitors and Reactionaries” which was just a satire has created this impression that I am some kind of a Taliban supporter or a media Taliban. A long emotional article of Chaudhary Ahmed Khan alleged that I am
Not the voice of the creator – By Ardeshir Cowasjee: Day after dreary day it goes on — a professor, a woman, shot and killed in a rickshaw in Quetta, four policemen blown up in Peshawar, five ‘activists’ shot dead in Karachi, and more, much more. This land has
Bhuttoism ought to be a part of school syllabus – by Ahsan Abbas Shah: A thought provoking article on inculcating the principles of Bhuttoism in Pakistan as a part of school syllabus.
Asif Ezdi: Establishment’s latest weapon against politicians and democracy: Asif Ezdi (whose columns appear in notorious Jang Group / The News indeed) has surfaced as the establishment’s latest tool in its war against politicians and democracy in Pakistan. Pakistan Media Watch has written an article on Mr Ezdi,
The PPP government’s new labour policy 2010 – by Abdul Nishapuri: Consistent with its election manifesto, the PPP government has finally taken a step in the right direction by announcing a new labour policy (effective 1 June 2010). The policy comprises a number of appreciable elements in order to protect
From Presidential Dictatorship of Army Generals to Judicial Dictatorship of Bureaucrats – by Junaid Qaiser: Pakistan was conceived by its founder as a parliamentary democratic country. Political forces in Pakistan have a consensus on the parliamentary form of democracy, which the two constitutions of the country, 1956 and 1973 drafted by the two respective
Achievements of the democratic government: A moment for optimism — by Farahnaz Ispahani: The strategy evolved by the government, in consultation with the army and other stakeholders, and the determination shown by it in the face of heavy odds led to a complete ouster of the extremists from Swat The passage of
Who if not Baitullah? By Amir Mir: The United Nations Inquiry Commission report into Bhutto’s murder has put Musharraf regime in the dock The three-member United Nations Inquiry Commission has almost absolved the slain Ameer of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Commander Baitullah Mehsud of the Bhutto murder
Short March to Despotism – by Asad Sayeed: Asad Sayeed’s timely article highlights the dangerous path being currently coursed by the country’s Judiciary where the mandate of 170 million people is not considered more important than the political vendetta of the establishment. Short March to Despotism For
Ansar Abbasi’s investigative journalism and the convicted local spies of the RAW, CIA, FBI and Mossad – by Ahmed Iqbalabadi: It pains me to read yet another piece of sensational investigative journalism by Ansar Abbasi that appeared on back page of Daily Jang (25 April 2010) and The News (24th April, 2010). The sub heading in Jang is mindboggling
Independence of judiciary and supremacy of parliament – by Khalid Wasti: تابوت میں آخری کیل ============ عدلیہ کی آزادی —- پارلیمینٹ کی بالا دستی ========================== کیا آپ کسی معقول انسان کا حوالہ دے سکتے ہیں کہ اس نے پارلیمینٹ کی آزادی اور عدلیہ کی بالا دستی کی بات کی ہو؟
Moving beyond a clientelism model of democracy – by Luv Puri: The cross-party consensus on Pakistan’s constitutional reforms is a shot in the arm of the parliament and strengthens the process of democratisation in the country. Democratisation is an answer to the country’s many contemporary challenges, including the fight against
Pakistani democracy delivers — by Wajid Shamsul Hasan: Why Pakistan needs strong institutions is amply demonstrated in recent events of monumental importance. However, these events did not get enough attention either because of indifference from analysts or their lack of comprehension about these issues. It is a
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
Pakistan: from martial law to judicial law – by Khalid Wasti: عوام کا حق حکمرانی نا منظور ================== کون نہیں جانتا کہ پچھلے ساٹھ سال سے پاکستان کا اقتدار اور اس پر حکمرانی کا حق چند مخصوص ہاتھوں تک محدود ہے – جب بھی ان آہنی ہاتھوں کی ہتھکڑی کو
Giving credit to PPP government, being critical — by Munir Attaullah: The brutal fact, conveniently ignored by many, is that the price of the blowback from jihad and the search for glory — directly, as in the cost of current military operations, and indirectly as in an unfavourable investment climate
Save the parliament to save the country – by Khalid Wasti: پارلیمینٹ کو بچاؤ ۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ !! ملک کو بچاؤ قائد اعظم کے پاکستان کو ایک ملاں (ملا) کا پاکستان بنانے میں جن غلیظ ذہنوں نے اپنا کردار ادا کیا اور قرارداد مقاصد کی منظوری سے لیکر اسلامی جمہوریہ بنانے تک
Punjabi judges must stop the witch hunt in the name of justice or risk backlash from other provinces – by Farrukh Siddiqui: Source: State of Pakistan blog The News reports the following on March 29, 2010 ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) warned the Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that he may be put behind bars if the judicial ordersdelivered on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), were
Remembering Z.A. Bhutto – by Nafees Siddiqi: Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was among those leaders of the world who shape the destinies of their peoples. Bhutto asserted Pakistan’s national independence when the country was a member of Western military pacts. It is his initiative in the
Aftermath of the PPP-Judiciary confrontation: It’s not hard to imagine – by Nadeem Khan: Current judicial crisis is and will remain as an impasse and the outcome will be unpleasant for the Pakistan People’s Party as well as for the whole country. What options PPP have in the current situation, and what could
A tribute to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto – by Ali Nawaz Chowhan: Former premier Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. — Photo by White Star Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto entered public life at the early age of 30, in 1958. In his book The Myth of Independence he writes about his views on foreign policy
A parochial stance – by Murtaza Razvi: Originally Published at DAWN MIAN Nawaz Sharif’s abrupt about-turn on the constitutional amendments that MNAs of his own party hammered out after intense negotiations with their counterparts from other major political parties will be seen as doing little service
An analysis of price hike in Pakistan – by Dr Farrukh Saleem: Capital suggestion: Price hike Just before Election 2008, the average retail price of Dal Masoor (pulse) was Rs64 per kilogram. Dal Masoor now sells for Rs129 per kilogram; that’s up a whopping 101 per cent. In 2007-2008, the average
Americans for Democracy and Justice in Pakistan: Hello, As a supporter of democracy in Pakistan, I’m writing to let you know about a new organization that has formed in the United States, Americans for Democracy and Justice in Pakistan. Our goal is simple: Support the Pakistani people’s
Mian Nawaz Sharif and Chanakya politics – by Faizi Mughal: It is a natural rule that facts can never be concealed. At one stage or the other, truth is unveiled how deep you bury that. The same rule is working for PML-N also and despite several masks of piety
Some reflections on the by-polls: By Ali Arqam Durrani The recent by-election in Punjab and Pakhtoonkha are showing people’s moods, tendencies and their precedence. Elections were conducted on the same day in both the places D I Khan (PF-65) and Gujarat (PP-111). Here we
Descent into anarchy – or love for dictatorship? – by Ahmad Nadeem Gehla: A group of ’self-proclaimed’ intellectuals has waged a crusade against present government sine it took power in Islamabad after showing an exit to dictator. The group has announced several dates in past when government was supposed to be overthrown