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My Mission Statement
by Imaduddin Ahmed I always wanted to help Pakistan develop. … Read entire article »
PAF in Kargil : A PAF warrior speaks out
Unlike the 1965 war and 1971 war, where impartial observers like John Fricker and Chuck Yeager lauded the role played by PAF, PAF’s role in the Kargil war is denigrated, especially by the Pro-Army sections of the military, for being “non-cooperative”. Here an Airman speaks out about PAF’s role in the Kargil affair. It is telling not just for failure of Pakistan’s war planners but also the precarious relationship between democratic institutions and military ones. War, as Clausevitz said, is diplomacy by another means. There is definitely a need for an Kargil Commission in Pakistan to sort out those responsible for what turned out to be a travesty for all concerned especially as to how Pakistani military runs its affair and where the war policy is made. We welcome comment by all concerned but … Read entire article »
Happy 200th Mr. Darwin: Darwin's World
Charles Robert Darwin turns 200 today. He stands as one of those pivotal figures in the course of human consciousness who changed the course of the world. This article, first published in Dawn, is an overview of the life and times of one of the greatest scientific observers in history. We at PakTeaHouse celebrate all human endeavor especially that which seeks to propel humanity forward and for me personally evolution means enlightenment and liberation from dogma, orthodoxy and witchdoctorism that often masquerades as something holy in the good name of faith. I, for one, concur with the more rational and reasonable of the believers who maintain that religion – especially Islam- is completely at peace with the idea of evolution. – Yasser Latif Hamdani … Read entire article »
Filed under: Science
FATA Governance in Pakistan
Ziad Haider, who is undertaking research in the US states this in his report. We are reproducing the summary here – the report can be accessed here.fata-report Pakistan’s regressive and receding tribal governance system has failed to secure the tribal peoples’ constitutional rights and the tribal belt at great domestic and international cost. As extremist elements, including the Taliban and Al Qaeda, gain strength and launch attacks in and beyond South Asia from the increasingly lawless and radicalized tribal areas, the following governance reforms must be introduced to avert a swelling of jihadiranks, extend the state’s writ, and secure and mainstream these badlands: … Read entire article »
Filed under: FATA, North-West Frontier Province
Last Man Standing in Swat
In midst of violence in Swat, the ANP Leader Afzal Khan Lala, a true patriot of Pakistan and Pakhtoonkhwa, has stood his ground. Here is a translation of a letter in Pushtu that was forwarded to me by Ali Rukh who blogs at : http://ismailkhel.blogspot.com . The letter makes some very important points about the region, Pakistan, its history and our common future. Today truly regardless of politics of the past, the battle in Swat is battle for Pakistan and its people. It doesn’t matter if you are PPP, PML, ANP, liberal, conservative, Pushtun, Punjabi- we have a common enemy and that enemy is out to gobble our common homeland. - Yasser Latif Hamdani At the advent of 21st century intellectuals the world over predicted that the new millennium will usher in peace, human rights and dignity of man. … Read entire article »
Tactical Use of the Little Blue Pill: Viagra in Afghanistan
This beats CIA’s plans to force Fidel Castro to shave off his beard hands down. Hope you will enjoy CIA’s plans to win hearts, minds and hard ons in Afghanistan. The following story is from the Washington Post. – Admin … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan
Remembering Zafrullah Khan
By Yasser Latif Hamdani Last week (February 6) marked the 116th Birthday of one of Pakistan’s greatest unsung heroes. Once again, there was no mention of commemoration of his remarkable like. No sense of gratitude from a nation for which he did so much. He has been wiped out of our memory because he was an Ahmadi, despite his glorious contributions to Pakistan and its cause. … Read entire article »
Taxation and Rising Poverty*
By Huzaima Bukhari and Dr. Ikramul Haq The shrinking share of direct taxes in the overall collection of taxes at the federal level should be immediate cause of concern for the government, parliamentarians as well as policymakers sitting in the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). It is now well-established that there is a direct link between growing poverty in Pakistan and distortion in tax base since 1991, when a major shift was made by introducing presumptive taxes (indirect taxes in the garb of income tax). The lack of judicious balance between direct and indirect taxes has pushed an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis towards the poverty line. A report recently submitted to the Economic Coordination Committee admits that owing to heavy taxation of consumer items, the share … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
Learning from Harvey Milk: A Pakistani view
By Aisha Fayyazi Sarwari Many great men who face persecution as a minority or as a misfit in society turn the humiliation faced from constant and deliberate marginalization into strength. They draw power from the loss of status, to demand rights for others like them to exist and to have equal laws, perhaps even protective laws against age old discrimination. Harvey Milk was a man who was openly gay and that was the only ticket … Read entire article »
Filed under: USA
Tributes to Khalid Hasan
We are bringing for our readers a selection from the various tributes to late Khalid Hasan that we’ve received over the past two days. We were lucky to have been alive in the era of Khalid Hasan’s pen. May the torch pass on to the worthy. PakTeaHouse … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
Lost Imaginations*
By Raza Rumi Sixty one years have gone by but the creation of Pakistan is still a heated debate: contested, fractured and bitter. That history has been the preserve of the victors and the powerful is well known. But to spin and whirl the truth to the extent that it becomes empty and farcical is an art form practiced by the Pakistani state and its mock-historians. In early January of this new year, a heated controversy entered … Read entire article »
World Social Forum
Every year around the same time that world’s economic leaders meet for World Economic Forum, a counter-forum of sorts is organized called the World Social Forum. The World Social Forum is on a more basic level than the World Economic Forum and is, therefore, more colorful, cultural and people-friendly. Unlike WEF, the WSF happens in a new location every year and in the past came to Karachi as well. This year it was Belem. We at PakTeaHouse seek to include all opinions, even if we don’t agree with them. This is the essence of the democracy that we hold so dear and which is the only editorial policy PakTeaHouse follows. -PakTeaHouse Admin … Read entire article »
Filed under: World
Death of A Chronicler: Khalid Hasan (1934-2009)
By Yasser Latif Hamdani Pakistan has lost one of its finest journalists, writers, translators, political commentators and whistleblowers. Khalid Hasan is no more. He died of prostate cancer earlier today. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
News Media Vs Angry Young Londonistanis
By Bradistan Sometimes truth and compromise cannot be accommodated within a single sentence no matter how hard one tries. In US there is a syndrome known as celebrity journalism (courtesy Ann coulter and Thomas L friedman ), Journalistic showbiz personalities always looking for media spot for right or wrong reasons, this problem is slowly but surely creeping into UK. In celebrity journalist clan top priority is the pay cheques and bank balances, but this makes the truth and the professional integrity a lesser priority. People like “world is flat” (china India slave sweat shop theory) bandwagon, knowledge gurus (Mr. Copra selling spirituality in a disposable bottle), champions of selling successful business model of WTO free market neo liberalism to people of Africa and India. This model of free market capitalism led to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Books, Colonialism, culture, Democracy, Europe, Imperialism, India, Islam, Islamism, journalism, Religion
Looking for an Islamic Reformation II: Change Management
By Yasser Latif Hamdani While the Muslim World remains mired in debates about whether it is okay to eat a crow or not or whether namaz should be prayed with shalwars pulled up or not, the world has left us far behind in the race for science, technology and commerce. This has been the case for many centuries now, but it is only recently that the last boat set out and we missed it yet again. The question that remains is that do we have the ingenuity to fashion for ourselves a new boat? This article seeks not to design a new boat but to give an account of the climactic conditions we would come across, if we were to venture into the unknown of which we have been so mortally … Read entire article »
Filed under: Islam
PTH biweekly Cartoon
Picture of the Week
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Sunrise at the Arabian Sea, Charna Island
24 Dec 2011
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