Sexual Harrassment of Women in the Workforce
Uzma Anwar The harassment of female students by a teacher in one of the premier teaching institutes in the country makes headlines, not only because this is one of the first examples of this being a punishable offence, but because females have dared to come out in public against the questionable behavior of a senior and a teacher at that. Anyone who is a part of the workforce or students in Pakistan is familiar with the treatment meated out to women, their tribulations and hardships a routine matter. In a country, where women traditionally, barring urban areas, are discouraged from any meaningful pursuit of livelihood despite having the education and skills except in extreme situations, it is no surprise that the few who do engage in it are still looked down upon by … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, violence, Women
PAKISTAN: Civil society groups disappointed at the verdict of Supreme Court in Mukhtaran Mai case
We are posting this statement from National Commission on the Status of Women. With all due respect to the Court, we differ and hold the police and prosecution responsible for damaging the case of Mukhtaran Mai. PTH The National Commission on the Status of Women, an official organisation, and members of Insani Huqooq Ittehad, including PODA, Mehergargh, Aurat Foundation, Rozan, Sungi, Bedari, Ethno Media, Pattan and SPO convened an emergency meeting to express deep shock and disappointment at the verdict given by the superior court in the Mukhtara Mai gang rape case today. Although the judgment did prove that Mukhtara was raped because one accused did get life imprisonment, while others were acquitted. We are surprised to see why only one accused … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, Pakistan
The Pro Rape Society
Raza Habib Raja Today the Supreme Court acquitted the rape suspects in the internationally famous case of Mukhtaran Bibi. For the last many years the case had captured the imagination of the country and had also propelled Pakistan in the international spotlight and as usual for all the wrong reasons. The brave stance by an illiterate woman highlighted several deeply controversial aspects of Pakistani patriarchal society and its disgusting treatment to women. The case highlighted the deeply flawed tribal “justice” system which in its essence is based on eye for an eye doctrine and is therefore completely divorced from modern day notions of human rights. The case also underlined the complete lack of understanding on the part of the society which women who are unfortunately raped in Pakistan face. Instead of … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, Judiciary, violence
Coloniality of Power and Human Rights: An unpublished paper by Zafaryab Ahmad
The concept of human rights is a construct based on a notion of relationship between an individual and society, but of a legally circumscribed individual: An individual whose action is limited to conform to the needs and practices of the bourgeois social order. These were defined in the eighteenth century Europe. The juridical ideology defined the domain of this juridically defined subject, the citizen, as of equality before the law and in the market, in an unequal structure of economic and power relations. This understanding of a legally defined subject is primarily abstracted from the act of exchange which takes place in the market. It was necessitated as relations between labor power and capital had to be contractual with the institutions of modern state as a sanction behind this contract. … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights
State of Human Rights in Pakistan
“The elected government’s authority remains notional in several areas – particularly those concerning the intelligence agencies –Ali Dayan Hasan, Pakistan Representative, Human Rights Watch Three years into its term of office, the government faces unprecedented criticism. Given complaints about the elected government’s performance, do you think Pakistan was more stable and better governed under Musharraf? ADH: The past three years have shown us that even a dysfunctional, transitional democracy is preferable to military rule and dictatorship. The government’s legitimacy stems from the constitution and hence it has been bound to uphold the rule of law – even in areas where it may not have suited the interests of the ruling party. Musharraf, in contrast, held power through the barrel of a gun and the difference is quite apparent. Of course, elected … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, Pakistan
INDONESIA/PAKISTAN: Pakistanization of Indonesia?
An article from Jakarta Post forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission By Moh Yasir Alimi, Canberra Jakarta Post, March 07, 2011-The anti-Ahmadiyah decrees in Pandeglang West Java and most recently in East Java have incited fears among many hearts that the country is heading towards “Pakistanization”. Pakistan is “a laboratory of abuse in the name of religion” and Pakistan’s path of intense religious violence began with an anti-Ahmadiyah ordinance. In 1984, president Zia ul Haq adopted Ordinance XX to criminalize the activities of Ahmadiyah followers. Pakistan used to argue that banning Ahmadiyah or declaring Ahmadiyah as non-Muslims would eliminate violence against Ahmadiyah and would stabilize the country. The argument, now commonly used by Islamic hardliners and certain state officials in Indonesia, is nonsense, however. The reality in Pakistan demonstrates this. A country built upon egalitarian … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, Pakistan
The way forward for the minorities
By Yasser Latif Hamdani (writing in Daily Times today) The tragic assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti, the federal minister for minorities, was the direct consequence of Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP’s) abandonment of Salmaan Taseer’s cause. After the cold-blooded murder of Salmaan Taseer, the … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights
Shahbaz Bhatti……. You are a martyr
By Muhammad Amjad Rashid When I was teaching in my school, I heard a loud voice of a dull student behind me in the usual noise of students in the class, “Sir, Another PPP minister killed today”. It is now a days very common for a supporter of PPP to receive humorous and funny comments from any one in the public about PPP (even the supporter is a teacher; he or she can evenly receive comments from his or her students). So I thought that it is just a joke sms statement of the student to disturb my attention from the Mathematics Test. … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, minorities
Murder of Shahbaz Bhatti: We have lost it………….
Raza Habib Raja The minister for minorities, Mr. Shahbaz Bhatti has been murdered in broad day light. With the latest brazen act, which took place in the broad day light and which by no way can be spun to be called a “political” murder, Pakistani society has completed its descent into insanity. This murder has perhaps given the loudest indication that you cannot negotiate or discuss issues with the militants. They will simply kill and their brazen acts will at most shock people but won’t lead them to feel strong revulsion. Will people protest? No because the Minister was not Raymond … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, Politics
Meltdown in Tunisia and Its Relevance to Pakistan
By Adnan Bashir A twenty six years old young computer science graduate roams about in hunt of employment. There are no job openings and the inflation is sky rocketing. The young man is forced to sell fruits and vegetables in the streets to make his both ends meet. He doesn’t have the licence and one fine day the police intervenes and confiscates his cart. The young man is incensed and sets himself on fire. Sounds familiar? This is not Pakistan. But this may well be Pakistan……! There are obvious parallels to be drawn from the circumstances leading to revolt in Tunisia. Corruption, nepotism and unemployment were rampant. The society was said to be virtually divided in two classes. First, the elites and a closely knitted network and clan of top brass comprising relatives of … Read entire article »
Filed under: Army, Citizens, Colonialism, Constitution, Democracy, dynasties, Economy, human rights, Law, Pak Tea House, Pakistan, Politics, poverty, Rights, Uncategorized
A Not So Festive Season in Pakistan
Ali Dayan Hasan, 30 December 2010 LAHORE— As the world celebrated Christmas, Pakistan’s beleaguered Christians cowered in fear. Baying for the blood of a Christian woman unjustly convicted under the country’s abusive and discriminatory blasphemy law, Islamist extremists held country-wide protests on Christmas Eve and have yet more planned for the New Year and beyond. On November 8, Aasia Bibi, a Christian farmhand from Pakistan’s Punjab province became the first woman in Pakistan to be sentenced to death for blasphemy. Denounced widely, the conviction also horrified key members of the government. President Asif Ali Zardari ordered a ministerial review which concluded that the verdict was legally unsound and sought a presidential pardon for her. The government expressed intention to amend the blasphemy … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights
Kashmir’s Troubles
While at PTH, we do not indulge in cliched fights over the Kashmir issue, the plight of Kashmiris needs to be mentioned. Below we are reproducing an article from The Economist that we believe does a decent job in highlighting the present state of affairs, as well as the emerging developments in the Indian Administered Kashmir (Admin, PTH). From The Economist Dec 29, 2010 A GROUP of special Indian police barged into a white-painted, single-storey house on the crisp morning of October 27th. They let their lathis do the talking. The wooden batons were first rammed through all the windows, furniture and a television. When the grey-haired owners protested, the rods were turned on them. The police broke the husband’s leg and beat his wife’s flesh a sickly purple. Before leaving, the officers … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, human rights, India, Islam, Islamabad, Kashmir, Uncategorized
Asiya Bibi- The Water Fetcher
Mother of five and farm worker To earn her bread and ale The old routines to fetch water As await her four angels The empty stomachs To fend off hunger and poverty And yet remains in view With disdain and hatred, The old refusal To the hands and its toil Cannot you serve us? You don’t belong to our clan Cannot you run away? We have our laws, We have our might Follow we will to your place, Burn we will you to death Cannot you escape? We will find you Through the laws, … Read entire article »
Filed under: human rights, minorities
What Constitutes a Stable Society?
By Adnan Syed Pakistan is passing through a vicious negative feedback loop that is beginning to gather momentum. The vicious circle is a result of country’s inability to provide for the basic individual rights of its citizens. Combine that with a burgeoning population, and the rampant nationalist tensions within the society that have been suppressed in the name of religious identity, Pakistan is staring at a nightmarish scenario in the coming decade. Pakistan needs to realize that the existential threat is coming from the failure of its society and not due to the external influences that consume majority of the resources of our nation. Unless we start spending on providing for the four basic rights to our citizens, the chaos will just feed on itself in the years to come. This is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, human rights, Identity, India, Islamabad, Islamism, musings, Pak Tea House, Pakistan, Religion, Rights, violence
A Vicious Circle
By Adnan Syed Pakistan is passing through a vicious negative feedback loop that is beginning to gather momentum. The vicious circle is a result of country’s inability to provide for the basic individual rights of its citizens. Combine that with a burgeoning population, and the rampant nationalist tensions within the society that have been suppressed in the name of religious identity, Pakistan is staring at a nightmarish scenario in the coming decade. Pakistan needs to realize that the existential threat is coming from the failure of its society and not due to the external influences that consume majority of the resources of our nation. Unless we start spending on providing for the four basic rights to our citizens, the chaos will just feed on itself in the years to come. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Citizens, Constitution, human rights, Identity, Islam, Islamabad, musings, Pak Tea House, Pakistan, Rights, state
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