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FICTION: The Solidity of Things
Posted by Raza Rumi At PTH, we have struggled to retain the balance between politics, history and arts and culture. However, given Pakistan’s turbulent politics and security, it has been an uphill task. We are now inviting new writers to come and express themselves at PTH. Especially since the explosion (pun intended) of Pakistani fiction at a global scale. We are printing a story by Hamza Rehman who is a an Esquire based in Islamabad. Hamza is a practising lawyer who moonlights as DJ for Pakistan Broadcasting Association’s Planet FM 94, where he hosts the Alternative Rock and 80’s shows. He freelances for The Friday Times and pens fiction as much as he can. He primarily writes about characters in Islamabad and experiments heavily with metaphor. The Solidity of Things is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Fiction, Literature, Writers
It is not perfect, but it is still a historic Constitutional Amendment
Daily Dawn Editorial, Published April 09, 2010 http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/historic-940 They’ve done it. Proving all the naysayers wrong, dismissing all the conspiracy theorists, rejecting all those who would be spoilers, the National Assembly of Pakistan has approved a constitution that for the first time in decades will have the broad support of the people’s elected representatives. Such was the bonhomie in the house yesterday that regular watchers of parliament may have rubbed their eyes in disbelief: was that really Chaudhry Nisar, leader of the opposition, the PML-N attacker-in-chief, a seemingly perennially angry man, praising the PPP co-chairman, President Asif Ali Zardari? Yes, it was. It was that kind of a day. A historic day in Pakistan’s parliamentary history, one that the MNAs deserve a heartfelt thanks for. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Islamabad, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gillani, Zardari
Food for future: Pakistan has moved from being an exporter to an importer of food
By Aadil Mansoor Fifty years down the road, the reign of the Green Revolution that began in the 1960s in India seems to be nearing its end. The Green Revolution pushed the production frontiers of the agriculture sector through farm mechanisation and introduction of high yielding varieties (HYVs), complemented by the construction of upstream water reservoirs. It helped farmers increase food grain and crop production at higher rates than the rates of population growth. In the following three decades (1960-80), the average yield per hectare rose at an impressive average rate of 4 percent per year. This growth was not only enough to feed a population of 85 million, growing at a fast rate of 4.12 percent per year during that period, but also generated surpluses that improved Pakistan’s export performance … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan, south asia
Room for optimism
['The audacity of hope'? 'Hope dies last'? Or, just the reality of Pakistan in its many aspects? Here's how Mohsin Hamid sees it. - PTH] Dawn, Friday, 09 Apr, 2010 EVER since returning to live in Pakistan a few months ago, I’ve been struck by the pervasive negativity of views here about our country. Whether in conversation, on television, or in the newspaper, what I hear and read often tends to boil down to the same message: our country is going down the drain. But I’m not convinced that it is. I don’t dispute for a second that these are hard times. Thousands of us died last year in terrorist attacks. Hundreds of thousands were displaced by military operations. Most of us don’t have access to decent schools. Inflation is squeezing our poor and middle class. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Economy, Education, Identity, Judiciary, Languages, Media, Pakistan, Religion, Society, state, Terrorism
Another "K" Word
By Wajid Ali Syed http://www.thepakistanupdate.com/2010/04/another-k-word/ In almost every briefing pertaining to South Asia, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke says that he won’t use the ‘K word,’ by which he means Kashmir. This is sensible of him, knowing that any statement could escalate into an exchange of hot words between India and Pakistan (and India has made it clear it has no intention of bowing down before an meddling intermediary). Hence Ambassador Holbrooke understands the seriousness of the situation and thus avoids the “K” issue. There is another increasingly controversial “K” that U.S. officials should refrain from using, especially in a derogatory manner. And that “K” stands for Karzai. Until recently the United States has treated the Afghan President as a puppet without realizing that his power base has … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Democracy, Kashmir, Taliban, USA
Teenage widow blamed for Moscow blast
April 3, 2010 from here Pistol pose … the 17-year-old widow with her husband. Photo: AFP MOSCOW: Russia has identified a 17-year-old widow of a Caucasus militant as one of the Moscow suicide bombers, reports said yesterday, as the country remained on high alert after the attacks. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
The Niqab Debate; Niqab is not a Religious Argument
By Adnan Syed It does not matter if niqab is indeed mandated by Islam or not. For those few hundred women out of 1 Million Muslims living in Canada, or for that matter in Europe or anywhere in the world, niqab is mandated by Islam. They prefer to move around behind this hideous and dehumanizing dress, happy with their chastity preserved, away from the prying eyes of lustful men, and feeling liberated while being covered from head to toe. They and I can go on quoting our versions of whether niqab is mandated by Islam, or it is a redundant cultural attic from tribal and patriarchal societies that we just do not want to part with. There are many pseudo religious practices that the modern societies have banished. From the extreme Hindu religious … Read entire article »
Filed under: culture, Democracy, human rights, Religion, Rights, violence, Women
The Niqab Debate, 2: Picking on Muslim Women Smacks of Hypocrisy
As part of the Niqab series, we reproduce here an article by Haroon Siddiqui, the Editor Emeritus at the Canadian newspaper, Toronto Star. Haroon is an Indo-Canadian journalist who has been associated with Toronto Star for almost three decades. Toronto Star is widely regarded as a left leaning Canadian newspaper. Haroon is a member of the Order of Canada for advocating “fairness and equality of opportunity” at home and “a broader role for Canada in the global village”. Haroon has also come under criticism for being “Toronto Star’s resident Islamist”, and justifying Islamic extremist atrocities as nothing but a payback for US foreign policies. Quebec, the French majority province in Canada, is the first North American battleground for the Niqab battle. After a woman refused to remove her Niqab in French … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Pakistan, Religion, Rights, secularism, Women
The Niqab Debate, 1: Beyond the Veil
Over the next few days, we will run various articles that debate the arguments for and against the niqab legislation that is underway in European countries. Niqab, or full face and body covering introduces a conundrum in Western societies, and we suspect this issue will not be limited to only the Western societies in the near future. While religious considerations must be respected in secular democracies, there come instances when the religious argument runs afoul of the society safety and welfare of its members. We must remember that the argument is between extreme interpretations of religion that runs against the law of the land. There have been reports of Jehovah’s Witness members refusing modern medical treatment. The Western Governments took clear stand against the fact that extremely sick people were not … Read entire article »
Filed under: culture, Democracy, human rights, Pakistan, Religion, Rights, secularism, violence, Women
Islamabad's Fatima Jinnah Park – Where Planners Failed.
Qazi Isa Daudpota Click on: [youtube http://youtube.com/w/?v=d46471g_xbY] In 2007 I wrote an op-ed piece titled "Fatima Jinnah Park Metaphor for Pakistan’s Problems and their Solution" – see http://www.chowk.com/articles/fatima-jinnah-park-metaphor-for-pakistans-problems-and-their-solution-Q-Daudpota.htm . Its focus was on the wasteful symbols of a macho state that surrounded the park: models of missiles, the massive Centaurus Hotel, and Apartments’ Complex, the Army Sector and other extravagances. There was also the issue of the a franchise of McDonald’s illegally set up by carving out a large corner of park. Here one sees what ails the interior of the park, which has been neglected for nearly two decade during which I have been a frequent visitor. With the Municipality flushed with money and an overly ambitious Chairman, an expensive, massive landscaping project has been in progress in the park for over two … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
Peshawar mayhem and Dir tragedy -
Raza Rumi Two tragedies are unfolding as we try and make sense of the mayhem. Peshawar, already under siege has been hit hard by terrorists. One target is the paramilitary installations and the other a rally brought out by a moderate political party that rules the province. The 25 or more killed in Dir area were civilians and workers of a political party that has suffered at the hands of Taliban. When will this end? What do ordinary people have to do with the geo-strategic interests and politics. This state of affairs is unacceptable. PESHAWAR: A series of powerful explosions and gunfire rocked Peshawar area of Saddar on Monday as heavy grey smoke spewed into the sky, witnesses and a security official said. The causes of the blasts were not immediately clear, said … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
Taliban sympathisers and the Swat flogging video
Posted by Raza Rumi Zubair Torwali has reported from the field and debunked the perverse myths on the flogging video. This is followed by the brave and daring Samar Minallah’s account of the flogging saga and what more proof do Taliban sympathisers want. PTH is carrying these two pieces in solidarity with these two individuals who believe in a progressive and peaceful Pakistan and condemn militancy at great personal risk. Swat has witnessed many harsh and cruel days. For about two years, it presented a view of Afghanistan during the heyday of the Afghan Taliban. The man who ignited the situation against the state of Pakistan — Sufi Mohammad — was spared (seemingly by design) for about three years. The MMA was then the ruling government in the province. In 2008, … Read entire article »
Filed under: North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Taliban, Terrorism, violence, Women
Highlights of the 18th Constitutional Amendment
Posted by Raza Rumi * Amendment to Article 6 seeks to pre-empt military coups in future * Article 58(2b) to be repealed, substituted with ‘Dissolution of National Assembly’ * President may dissolve NA in case no-confidence vote passed against PM * Total strength of cabinet should not exceed 11% of total membership of parliament * Governor should be a resident and registered voter of his/her province, he/she would be appointed by president on prime minister’s advice * Provinces required by law to establish local government systems, devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to elected representatives * PM to be chairperson of CCI, members to include CMs, 3 members from federal govt * Amendment to Article 157 says federal government must consult provincial government before installing hydroelectric power stations in any province * PM to forward three names … Read entire article »
Filed under: Pakistan
SHAME: "Progressive" 18th Amendment Ends Forever The Possibility Of A Non-Muslim Prime Minister!
By Yasser Latif Hamdani I know the self styled “progressives” hate it when I bring up Pakistan’s founding father but here I am forced to do so again: Even now there are some States in existence where there are discriminations made and bars imposed against a particular class. Thank God, we are not starting in those days. We are starting in the days where there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State. - Mahomed Ali Jinnah, The Founder of Pakistan Sadly - Modern Pakistan is one of those states Jinnah warned against! If we started with this fundamental principle, well we have been moving backwards for over … Read entire article »
Filed under: Constitution, Democracy, Pakistan, People's Pakistan, Religion, secular Pakistan, Yusuf Raza Gillani
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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