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
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
Let's refocus: Kashmir, not Kabul
We are publishing a Canadian view here at PTH. This op-ed was published today in the well respected Canadian Newspaper The Globe and Mail. It is written by Doug Sanders, Globe’s respected Pulitzer Prize winning Chief of European Bureau. Mr. Sanders urges the West to help resolving the Kashmir Issue. This issue has been used by Pakistani Army and the Establishment to keep the impoverished nation of ours mainly as an India competing nation. The issue has contributed towards our inability to focus on developing our society as a modern, progressive entity; a society that focuses primarily on protection, health and education of all of its members (PTH) By Doug Sanders, cross post from The Globe and Mail, Published February 20, 2010 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/lets-refocus-kashmir-not-kabul/article1475138/ Acting like an especially convivial nightclub manager, Pervez Musharraf storms the room and opens with a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Afghanistan, Army, Democracy, Economy, Education, Identity, India, Islamabad, Kashmir, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Terrorism, USA
One and a half billion people just want peace
The News, January 01, 2010 The two nations have repeatedly gone to war in the past. Their governments continue sabre rattling and spewing bellicose rhetoric. But identical nationwide opinion surveys conducted by the Jang Group and the Times of India Group in India and Pakistan show that a majority of the billion and a half people of the sub-continent want to live as peaceful and friendly neighbours and share the same humane goals like any other civilised polity; economic prosperity for all, education for the youth, health for the needy, absence of violence and elimination of existential threats. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Citizens, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, poverty, south asia, Terrorism
What We Have Done to Democracy
Arundhati Roy’s New Book Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers Looks at What We Have Done to Democracy Written by Al Huebner Cross-Post from Toward Freedom The essays in this new book by the brilliant Indian writer Arundhati Roy cover topics that range from the attack on the Indian Parliament to the Armenian genocide, and the terrorist attack on Mumbai to George Bush’s “triumphant” visit to India and Pakistan. But what runs through all of these essays is a critical look at democracy, as practiced in those countries that claim to be democracies. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Books, Democracy, Environment, human rights, India, Kashmir, Pakistan
Congratulations US President Obama
By Yasser Latif Hamdani on behalf of the PTH Team Congratulations are in order for the US president Barack Hussain Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. We hope that he will now work towards bringing peace to Pakistan and resolving the Kashmir Dispute once and for all. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Kashmir, Pakistan, Palestine-israel, USA
Pakistaniat : The Crisis of Identity
Bradistan Calling What can I give to Pakistan as a present on its 62nd Birthday, What else than an article on its chequered history and identity. Bertrand Russell famously said,” There are three great civilisations in East i.e. India, China and Islam”. Pakistan is blessed to be located at the crossroads of all these great civilisations. In my humble opinion this is the biggest strength of Pakistani identity. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, ancient civilisations, Architecture, baluchistan, Citizens, Cricket, culture, dynasties, Environment, Europe, FATA, Heritage, History, human rights, Identity, India, Iran, Islam, Jinnah, Karachi, Kashmir, Languages, Left, Literature, Media, minorities, Music, North-West Frontier Province, Northern Areas, Pakistan, Partition, Peshawar, Politics, Punjabi, quetta, Religion, Rights, Sindh, south asia, Sufism, Taliban, Terrorism, Travel, Urdu, USA, youth
Neo 'Iron curtain' and the loud marching steps.
The Neo ‘Iron Curtain’ and the loud marching steps of televangelistas. Bradistan Calling The latest cultural trend is the sensational rise of televangelist channels in U.K, using tactics which can only be described as ‘emotional and religious blackmail’ and premium rate phone charges to raise funds from devotees, most of these are Nigerian Pentecostal ‘Witchdoctor’ (faith healer potions and exorcisms) TV channels operating from London. Generally the term ‘televangelist’ refers to American evangelical splinter churches propagating to solicit donations for converting poor Africans. This concoction of ideologies is being beamed back to Africa and Asia through satellite. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, Benazir Bhutto, Citizens, culture, Democracy, dynasties, Elections, Europe, FATA, Heritage, History, human rights, Identity, Images, India, Islam, Islamabad, Islamism, journalism, Kashmir, Labour, Languages, Media, men, minorities, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Palestine-israel, Partition, Politics, poverty, Religion, Rights, Society, south asia, Sufism, Taliban, Terrorism, Travel, Urdu, USA, violence, war, Women, youth
Bollywood,Reality TV and Indian secularism
Bradistan Calling Indian TV has seen numerous Bollywood reality shows, competition where common boys (and occasionally girls) have won places on movies by top directors. The Show that I want to talk about is Bollywood, blind-date and arranged (and staged) marriage all rolled into one big media circus. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Arts and Crafts, Cinema, Citizens, culture, Dance, drama, Heritage, History, human rights, Humor, Identity, Images, India, Islamism, Kashmir, magazines, Media, men, minorities, Music, Pakistan, Partition, Politics, poverty, Punjabi, Religion, Rights, Rural, sex, south asia, Terrorism, Theatre, Women, youth
Dawn News:global Pakistani channel?
Viva Hameed Haroon; Yes We Can! Bradistan Calling What have a Euro-Zone bureaucracy and the countries as diverse as Japan, India, UK, Russia, Iran, Germany, France, USA, Qatar and China, got in common? Are they part of an energy cartel or a group of twenty biggest economies? Highly unlikely: given the diversity of the list. The question becomes more perplexing given the title of this article, who is this gentleman Mr. Haroon? Well Hameed Haroon is the son of a famous Muslim politician of British India Sir. Abdullah Haroon. Hameed Haroon is not running for any political office as the title may mistakenly be interpreted. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Citizens, culture, Democracy, Economy, Education, Europe, human rights, Identity, Images, India, Iran, Islam, Jinnah, journalism, Karachi, Kashmir, magazines, Media, minorities, Pakistan, Politics, Society, south asia, USA
Will we need to close the door to Pakistan's dispossessed?
Our leaders are losing sleep over the Taliban’s advance and what that could spell for Britain Nick Cohen The Observer I would like to welcome Zahid Abdullah to Britain. He is a Pakistani student of English literature, rather than the snarling prose of the theocrats who threaten his country, and suffered the keenest blow a lover of books can take when he lost his sight. Undeterred, Abdullah divided his spare time between producing talking books for the blind and supporting the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, a pressure group that campaigns for the classic liberal causes of human rights, freedom of information and freedom from “barbaric acts of terrorism”. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, ancient civilisations, Army, Benazir Bhutto, Citizens, Colonialism, culture, Democracy, Economy, Education, Europe, History, human rights, Identity, India, Islam, Islamabad, Islamism, journalism, Kashmir, Labour, Media, minorities, movements, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, Politics, poverty, Religion, Rights, Society, south asia, Sufism, Taliban, Terrorism, Travel, violence, war, Women, youth
ICH BIN EIN TAMIL AND PASHTUN
We are all Tamil and Pashtun today: BRADISTAN CALLING Ich bin ein Tamil and Pustun. We are all Tamil and Pashtun today, back in 1960s American President J.F Kennedy chanted for the freedom of Berliners. We should show our humanitarian solidarity with the civilian victims of terrorism in Tamil and Pashtun areas. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, Army, Benazir Bhutto, Citizens, Colonialism, culture, Democracy, dynasties, Economy, Europe, FATA, History, human rights, Identity, Imperialism, India, Islam, Islamabad, Jinnah, journalism, Kashmir, land, Languages, Left, minorities, movements, North-West Frontier Province, Northern Areas, Pakistan, Parliament, Partition, Peshawar, Politics, poverty, Punjabi, quetta, Religion, Rights, south asia, Sufism, Taliban, Terrorism, USA, violence, war, Women, youth
Obituary:Kashmir Broadcasting Corporation
Stop Press: Kashmir Broadcasting Corporation suddenly suspended its satellite transmissions globally after one year of success broadcasting.This incident is most unfortunate and shows a lack of financial backing for independent TV in a climate of global recession.There was no official confirmation of this interruption. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, culture, Democracy, drama, Education, Elections, Europe, History, human rights, Identity, Images, Imperialism, India, Islam, journalism, Justice, Kashmir, land, Languages, Left, Media, minorities, movements, Multinational Corporations, Music, Northern Areas, Pakistan, Partition, Philosophy, Politics, poverty, Punjabi, Religion, Reviews, Rights, Rural, Society, south asia, Taliban, Terrorism, Theatre, Travel, Urdu, video, violence, war, Women, Writers, youth
Miri or Piri.Reclaiming Punjabi Identity
The Miri(Warrior) or the Piri(Saint), Reclaiming the Punjabi Identity: Bradistan Calling The Sikh religion is based on three important pillar The Guru (Teacher), The Garanth(Holy Book) and the Khalsa (Brotherhood of the Pure).It all seems so familiar because of similarity with the religion of Islam. Nowadays one cannot objectively analyse Islam, without provoking Fatwa of One kind or the other. The debate, discussion and Ijtehad (innovation and development) have effectively been killed in the Muslim world. If you make Peaceful Reformation Impossible, you make Bloody Revolution Inevitable. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Citizens, Colonialism, culture, Democracy, Economy, Education, Elections, Europe, Heritage, History, human rights, Identity, Imperialism, India, Islam, Islamism, Jinnah, Justice, Kashmir, Languages, Left, Media, minorities, movements, Pakistan, Politics, poverty, Punjabi, Religion, Rights, Rural, Society, south asia, Sufism, Taliban, Terrorism, Urdu, USA, violence, Women, youth
Recent Comments