Pak Tea House » Archive
Davis’s Foes Are Qadri’s Valentines
By D. Asghar There has been so much noise from all and sundry about Raymond Allen Davis, in Pakistan that it is beyond deafening. Almost every media, electronic, print or audio visual has weighed in on his fate. One wonders even though the matter is sub judicious, is it really by now? Life is strange in our Pakistan. The honour of the entire country is hanging on the shoulders of the US Embassy employee or consultant (There are conflicting reports about his status so one has to tread with caution). Here in the US, there are no marches, no protests, no howling, no chest thumping going on for his immediate release. No effigies of President Zardari being burnt, no Pakistani flag being desecrated and nor the Paksitani restaurants or stores paying the price … Read entire article »
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Valentine gifts for Mumtaz Qadri
RAWALPINDI: Students brought Valentine’s cards and flowers on Monday to the detained self-confessed killer of one of Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer. Supporters of Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri gathered outside the high-security prison in Rawalpindi, where he was to appear before an anti-terrorism court. Outside Adiyala prison, about 140 people rallied in support of Qadri, joined by 10 students from a government college who turned up with posters, Valentine’s cards and flowers. “Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Mumtaz Qadri,” read one placard. They handed over flowers and cards to jail officials who said they would give them to Qadri, as students from religious schools shouted “Free Qadri!”. “We admit it is not our tradition and it is wrong to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but it is now widely celebrated and the media is full with Valentine’s Day activities,” student … Read entire article »
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Herald exclusive: Law unto themselves
Police in Pakistan are known for being inefficient, corrupt and brutal. But when it comes to blasphemy cases they have behaved even more irresponsibly on a number of occasions, taking the law into their own hands and putting the accused to death without giving them the benefit of investigation or trial. This raises serious questions about the ability of the law and of law-enforcement mechanisms to take their course on an issue that inspires emotions as heated as blasphemy does. Or, to put it differently, there are two aspects to the debate on blasphemy laws: Are they effective as institutional tools to curb what is strictly a religious crime, and are they preventing people from dispensing mob and vigilante justice? The answer on both counts is no. … Read entire article »
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The question of immunity
By Asad Jamal In a rush to comment and pronounce judgment in the case of deaths of two Pakistani nationals at the hands of a US national, Raymond Allen Davis, commentators have ignored some important aspects of relevant international law and practice, and Pakistan’s obligations. To make Raymond Davis’ case appear weak regarding his entitlement to diplomatic immunity, questions have been raised, among others, as to his ‘true’ status and ‘real’ identity. The US State Department’s earlier refusal to identify the man soon after the incident has been cited in support of such questions. Further, issues have also been raised as to the ‘real’ reasons for Raymond Davis’ presence in a congested area of Mozang in Lahore with ‘sophisticated equipment’ and an ‘illegal’ high tech gun used in the incident from a … Read entire article »
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Are India and Pakistan ideological enemies?
By Dr. Niaz Murtaza (murtazaniaz@yahoo.com) This article is motivated by the recent TV discussion between Raza Rumi and others posted on PTH. Some of the people in the program essentially argued that India is our ideological enemy and therefore we should cut off cultural contacts with them, especially Indian films. The parameters laid down by the anchor were that the discussion is about secular issues and to keep religion out. Clearly, there is enmity between us, but is it ideological enmity? What is ideological enmity? For example, America and USSR were considered ideological enemies, while though Chad and Sudan are enemies, no one calls them ideological enemies. So what defines ideological enmity? An ideology is generally defined as a unique and fundamental set of ideas about doing or viewing things or a way … Read entire article »
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A brilliant book on Pakistan
(This is a cross-post from Shri L K Advani’s blog. PTH editors do not agree with all of the content but appreciate the concern and some of the insights contained in the excerpts of Mr. M J Akbar’s book. To the childish contention that Salmaan Taseer would be alive today had he been an Indian, we say yes provided that he was not in Gujurat and similarly that Indira and Rajiv Gandhi would be alive today if they were not Indian.) In the past three decades I have attended numerous book release functions. In my preamble to the comments I have been making on the book to be launched I have often remarked that during the nineteen months of the infamous Emergency (1975-77) which I spent mainly in the Bangalore Central Jail, and briefly in the … Read entire article »
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Revolution? No, silly
Yasser Latif Hamdani writing in Daily Times: What has happened to Hosni Mubarak’s regime in Egypt is not new in the Islamic world. Given the nature of the so-called ‘Egyptian revolution’, it can only be compared to the events that unfolded in Pakistan in 1977 or in Iran in 1979. … Read entire article »
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Remembering Ismat Chugtai with Padma Sachdev
Renowned Dogri poet Padma Sachdev shares a number of anecdotes about Ismat Chugtai. The anecdotes reveal a side of Chugtai that not many know of. Her memories of ‘Ismat aapa’ suggest that the witty irreverence and flair that characterized Ismat Chugtai’s writing was visible in the way she lead her life as well. … Read entire article »
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Raymond Davis-Further thoughts
By Dr. Niaz Murtaza This is a follow-up to my earlier article on this issue, based on some further research. However, before I share the results of my research, let me first deal with an argument that is floating around, i.e., that it is pointless to debate the merits of this case any further because it will be or has already been decided by the two govts based on real-politic. This argument is penny wise and pound foolish. Its penny’s worth of wisdom lies in the fact that it is most probably correct, i.e., that the case will most probably be decided based on real-politic rather than logic or law. However, its pound’s worth of ‘foolishness’ (I put quotes around foolishness as I mean it figuratively rather than literally, so pls … Read entire article »
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“Appeasement of extremism is a policy that will have its blow-back”
By Raza Habib Raja Recently the PPP government has decided to retract the Anti Blasphemy amendment bill thus signalling a retreat. The major reason for that is to appease the militants who after the assassination of Salman Taseer have become even more brazen in their behaviour. However even before this retraction, the federal government had completely mismanaged the aftermaths of the assassination and failed to use it to their advantage for cultivating some sort of collective opinion against Islamic radicals. Whenever a horrific act of terror, particularly an assassination takes place, in a strange way it also presents an opportunity to create awareness about the dangers of radical Islam. Compared to a suicide bombing targeting ordinary people, assassination of a liberal political figure is often easier to pin down on religious forces. Moreover, … Read entire article »
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Three liberal fascists
Yasser Yasser Latif Hamdani writing in the Daily Times on 13 February 2011: Today is the 100th anniversary of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Pakistan’s most famous poet laureate and secular humanist. It has come amidst unprecedented religious and social turmoil in Pakistan and the larger Muslim world which makes it all the more important for us to look back at the life and times of this great minstrel of and see if we can salvage something of … Read entire article »
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Saudi Islam
Panorama is on BBC One at 8.30pm on Monday night. Thursday 10 February 2011 Muslim pupils learn to cut off hands of thieves Muslim children are being taught how to chop off thieves’ hands and that Jews are plotting to take over the world at a network of Islamic schools, it has been disclosed. A diagram from one of the text books By Graham Paton 10:42PM GMT 21 Nov 2010 Up to 5,000 pupils attending weekend schools across Britain are being exposed to textbooks claiming that some Jews were transformed into pigs and apes, and that some offences could be punished with stoning. One book for six year-olds warns that those who do not believe in Islam will be condemned to “hellfire” in death. … Read entire article »
Raymond Davis Should Be Defended On Other Grounds Also
By Raza Habib Raja The recent episodes of Dr Afia and Raymond Davis though apparently different in context and nature have nevertheless highlighted some common traits of Pakistanis and without doubt the biggest one is irrational instinctive patriotism whereby seemingly insignificant events are tied with national honor and sovereignty. And in Pakistan unfortunately the national sovereignty is measured solely by the degree of rabid anti Americanism whereas honor is irrational patriotism supplemented by other “virtues” such as delusional self importance and deep suspicion of the outside world. … Read entire article »
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Diplomatic Immunity for Afghan Ambassador in Islamabad
By Dr. Irfan Zafar “When we arrived in Peshawar I was taken to a lavishly-fitted office. A Pakistani flag stood on the desk, and a picture of Mohammad Ali Jinnah hung at the back of the room, I was in the devil’s workshop, the regional head office of the ISI.It was eleven o’clock at night and I was getting ready to go to bed when the door to my cell suddenly opened. A man entered; he was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, Democracy
The Vagaries of Hinglish
By Usman Look up Urdish in the dictionary and you probably won’t find it. It is an allusive concept known only to those who, like me, are prone to muddling their English with their Urdu with such unfortunate flair that, all too often, our hotchpotch concoctions throw others into an abyss of lingual perplexity. I am the first to admit that it is an obtrusive habit which can be annoying even at the best of times. After all, what Urdu speaker wants be asked who wears the patloon in their household or hear the car diggy be described as a joota? I know of a cousin of mine from the States who once told his Pakistani friends to zara latko (hang out) whilst they waited for him. Probably the most common example … Read entire article »
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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