Pak Tea House » Archive
Blood Flows Freely in Pakistan
By Amir Mir ISLAMABAD – The Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ – Army of Jhangvi), a Pakistan-based, al-Qaeda-linked, anti-United States, Sunni Deobandi sectarian-turned-jihadi group, has let loose a reign of terror against the Shi’ite minority. In its latest attack, the LeJ on Tuesday killed 13 Shi’ites traveling on a bus to work in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan province. The attackers forced the Shi’ites off the bus, made them stand in a line and then opened fire. This followed the July 14 release of Malik Mohammad Ishaq, one of the founding members of the LeJ, which has already claimed responsibility for the September 20 cold-blooded execution-style killing of 29 Shi’ite pilgrims of the Hazara community in the Mastung area of Balochistan. All those killed were on their way to Iran from Quetta. Armed with Kalashnikovs and … Read entire article »
The Noble ‘Servant’ of Peshawar
By Shaheen Buneri: Khurshid Khan, an eminent 60-year-old lawyer and deputy attorney general of Pakistan, wants to “heal the wounds” of the terror-stricken minority Sikh community in that country. So he does an extraordinary thing at a gurdwara in the northwestern city of Peshawar. Every day when he completes his work as a legal expert, Khan visits a Sikh gurdwara in the center of the city, wraps a piece of cloth around his head to cover it and thus show his respect, and sits in the doorway to shine the shoes of Sikhs, whose community has come under frequent attack by Taliban militants over the last few years.Click here to read full article. … Read entire article »
Life in a Failing State
By Hazel Kahan: I recently returned from Pakistan, a sentimental journey to Lahore, the place I was born and which I hadn’t seen for 40 years. Providentially timed, it coincided with the brief lull after the assassinations of the politicians Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti and the furor over Raymond Davis’s espionage activities but before last month’s killing of Osama bin Laden. I’ve come home to hear Pakistan castigated as an untrustworthy and ambivalent partner undeserving of the billions of dollars of American aid it has received since 2002. “What do you think about Lahore? Can you believe how much it’s changed?” I was asked over and over again there, as my friends listed the traffic, the crowds, the new subdivisions, the restaurants, the box stores. Yes, of course (I’ve changed too … Read entire article »
Filed under: Opinion
Allama Tahir Ul Qadri denounces Mumtaz Qadri and his actions!
We at PTH appreciate this statement from the leading Sunni Alim of Pakistan. watch?v=zxmwpR-3ncE He has made this statement with great responsibility and taken great personal risk in doing so. Well done Allama sb. May your tribe increase. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
An Unbreakable Friendship? Where Next for Britain and Pakistan?
Baroness Warsi is to kick off a series of four events with a speech exploring the complex and intimate relationships between Pakistan, Britain and the Pakistani diaspora in the UK. To attend this event email lectures@rsa.org.uk or follow the necessary links for online booking. The four debates will discuss: Given the historic ties between Britain and Pakistan (with 1.2 Million British citizens having Pakistani heritage and over 10,000 people flying from Manchester Airport to Pakistan every week) – what does the future relationship Britain and Pakistan look like? Do Westminster’s political and media networks engage sufficiently with the national British Pakistani community? Has the Prevent strategy resulted in the alienation of British Pakistani young people, and if so, how can more positive opportunities be created? Have the negative news reports and media narratives … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Karachi Theosophical Society
By Karachi Walla Visiting Karachi Theosophical Society inspires and entrenches deep sense of loss at the same time. The beacon of religious tolerance and pluralism which provided asylum to citizens of Karachi for more than hundred years is withering away. Someone once mentioned that Karachi is ageing like wine. A friend disagreed and said that its ageing like milk. Blunt but true! Until something is done to revive the spirit of the city. Unless the diversity of the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts and Crafts
Facebook litigation
Our very own YLH, who is an advocate of High Courts of Pakistan, has filed an application to become a respondent in the Facebook Petition filed Muhammad Azhar Siddique Advocate. We at PTH believe in a reasonable exercise of freedom of speech and expression and consider the attempts by certain quarters to cut Pakistan off from the rest of the world to be misconceived and dangerous. Hereinbelow are excerpts from YLH’s application in the aforesaid petition. Earlier today was the first hearing in which in principle the Petitioner agreed to allow YLH’s application to be entertained subject to the Federation of Pakistan’s reply. -admin … Read entire article »
Filed under: Arts and Crafts
The Return of Jinnah – 1934
By Amaar Ahmad: The history behind Jinnah’s return to Indian politics in 1934 makes for an inconvenient truth. The man whose eloquent persuasion left Jinnah no escape in returning to politics, has been forgotten in the annals of official Pakistani history. That man was not Liaqat Ali Khan and certainly not Dr. Muhammad Iqbal but Abdur Rahim Dard – an Ahmadi missionary in London. After the Round Table Conference of 1932, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had been disillusioned about Indian politics. The major reasons for this were both the hardline Hindu “attitude” and Muslims who were either “flunkeys” of the British or “campfollowers” of the Congress who impeded national unity [1, pg. 94]. After feeling “utterly helpless” he decided to quit Indian politics for good. Taking up residence at Hampstead, he began the practice … Read entire article »
Imran Khan’s Pakistan
By Yasser Latif Hamdani (writing in Daily Times) Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has written a fascinating book on Pakistan and his own journey along with it. Let me make it clear at the outset that this is not a book review though the book, Pakistan: A Personal History, itself is worth reading and should be reviewed. My attempt here is to see Imran Khan’s views on certain key issues that have … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
An Ahmadi’s Plea to Pakistan: Be my voice
By Kashif Chaudhry: Religious freedom (or the lack thereof) in Pakistan cannot be emphasized enough. Due to the preposterous demeanor of Pakistan’s self-righteous right-wing, many in the world today are aware of Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy problem. Much frustration has been expressed on liberal Pakistani blogs — especially after the heartless murders of Governor Salmaan Taseer and Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti — on the abuse of these laws. Even though nothing is expected to change anytime soon, at least the first vital step towards that goal has been taken – raising awareness. Unlike the general blasphemy laws, however, the specific anti-Ahmadi laws of Pakistan have not found even this much of luck. They have been conveniently forced out of the visual field and few are aware of the existence and continuous abuse of these draconian laws. … Read entire article »
Greater role for women in decision-making
By Raza Rumi: Last week, I was invited to speak at a seminar on ‘Exploring the Gender Friendliness in Democratic Institutions’ orgnaised by The South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK). Met some interesting people and here is a quote from a national newspaper: Raza Rumi said that women’s representation was still low in parliament and that the women’s quota should be implemented. He said that with the exception of the Balochistan High Court, no woman had been made a judge in the superior judiciary. He said that the male-dominated culture of political systems in Pakistan should be discouraged in order to firmly establish women politicians in decision-making positions. He said that almost every political party of Pakistan lacked democracy within the party. He said that the LG system used to facilitate women at a … Read entire article »
Ahmedis and their votes
As if widespread kidnappings and deteriorating law, order and sanitation were not enough, the Khadim-e-Aala-led Punjab government, on September 7, allowed yet again a large mass of ulema to gather in and terrorise the Ahmedi community in Rabwah — officially known as Chenab Nagar lest we recognise that those forced non-Muslims may also worship the same god. Surprisingly, and mercifully, the Punjab police managed to maintain law and order despite a rather unflattering reputation. Consider that, if you Google the terms ‘police’ and ‘clueless’ worldwide, the first 10 or so links are related to the Punjab police and its bloopers. Amazingly, the Ahmedis are not allowed to organise their own ijtimaas (gatherings) at any time during the year. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
Lucman’s Latest Obsession
By Zia Ahmad Late night current affair talk shows on some TV channels have successfully taken up the task of providing entertainment to the masses. Where some rely on shameless displays of sensationalism, ranging from all out cat fights to pandering to gutter sensibilities, others have taken the high road to indulge and inform its share of viewers on the not so fine nuances of our political, strategic and policy making endeavors. Worse still is when a talkshow host with an inflated ego uses his TV show and his public persona to grind any sort of personal axe against whatsoever and whosoever that offends his limited sensibilities. Mubashir Lucman of late has been busy trying to fit the above mentioned bill. Lucman takes a wrongfully placed sense of pride in being … Read entire article »
Filed under: journalism, Media
Israel-Palestine Unity
By Yasser Latif Hamdani How does the world solve an intractable problem such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Sixty-three years later the world is still where Harry S Truman left it. President Obama, who showed so much potential in the beginning, now cuts a pathetic figure — helpless and overcome by events. Too much history and emphasis on competing national narratives have ensured that the solution as envisaged now remains elusive for some time to come. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Uncategorized
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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