Pak Tea House » Liberal Democratic Pakistan
Saleem Shahzad’s Passing: And The Score Is Despair 3, Hope 0
By D. Asghar Nothing can be more disheartening, than news of someone’s brutal murder. This year started out with a tragic and insane murder of Governor Salman Taseer in Islamabad. That killer who was supposed to be the “bodyguard”, Mumtaz Qadri surrendered on the spot. Or else we would still be looking for Taseer’s assassin. The indifferent attitude of many was appalling. Their callous and cruel display towards his point of view was to say the least, beyond shameful. It was followed by the equally gruesome murder of the Minorities Minister, Shahbaz Bhatti. He was gunned down and till date his killers are perhaps roaming. Of course his life was not such a precious thing to many, perhaps because of his belief. In both of these cases, the cold and crazy … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, journalism, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Pakistan, secular Pakistan, Terrorism
Liberals in Pakistan: Why Credibility and Consistency Are Important
Raza Habib Raja One of the best articles I have read about liberalism was written by Khaled Ahmed (http://tribune.com.pk/story/114581/desperately-seeking-liberal-fascist/). He has given a superb criterion of what actually constitutes a liberal. That article is a must read as it tries to clarify the misconceptions about liberalism and correctly describes it more of an approach rather than taking fixed positions. Liberals by temperament have skepticism as their guiding philosophy and understand that in social sciences no idea can be totally wrong or right and this fact is important while taking positions. It is actually the lack of certitude which separates liberals from the rest. Liberals nevertheless have some guiding principles which are equality, freedom and a commitment to procedure and rule of law. While taking positions on specific issues they will try to … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan
The day I met Abdul Sattar Edhi, a living saint
Sixty years ago, Abdul Sattar Edhi, 82, gave up everything to devote his life to helping Pakistan’s poorest. Here, Peter Oborne hails a truly selfless spiritual sage Abdul Sattar Edhi, who has established homes across Pakistan for the mentally ill Photo: GETTY 8:00AM GMT 10 Apr 0011 In the course of my duties as a reporter, I have met presidents, prime ministers and reigning monarchs. Until meeting the Pakistani social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi, I had never met a saint. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan
The Ghost of Bhutto
By Fay Willey with Loren Jenkins from the April 16, 1979, issue. Thirty-two years ago, Gen. Zia ul Haq hanged then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Here’s this week’s flashback: From the April 4‚ 2011‚ issue The hangman’s fee was Rs. 25, about $2.50. On the scaffold, a magistrate read out the black-bordered execution order while prison officials bound the condemned man’s feet, placed a black hood over his head and put a manila rope around his neck. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Politics
Tracing Bhutto’s impact on the Pakistani Political, Social and Economic Landscape
Raza Habib Raja This article does not try to tread the familiar theme of praising or lamenting Bhutto, but tries to evaluate his impact whether positive of negative( depending how positives or negatives are interpreted by the reader) on the course of history in Pakistan. Impact, can be intended or unintended and can be in line with the objective of a particular policy or can at times lead to completely different outcomes. Impact by no means is the sole contributor or the sole causal factor. Impact is the influence of a particular person, policy or action over subsequent events. So how do we evaluate his influence and impact? First, Bhutto can rightly be credited with actually creating a mass oriented populist politics in Pakistan. Most important contribution was arousing a collective feeling in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan
Z A Bhutto- A Rose was put to sleep.
By Riaz Ali Toori Grubby boots, imbecile minds, Broken promises, lidless eyes, Women beating their breasts, Chains have no ends. Death in the gallows, A Rose is put to sleep. Bhutto was a rose, crushed by a dictator, yet its fragrance has enraptured villages, cities, towns, streets and hearts of the people of Pakistan. Even death mourns the last of legends like Bhutto. As many as thirty one years have passed but the scent of that rose is still lingering in the air defying all attempts to suppress it. The charisma of Bhutto’s personality can still be felt throughout length and breadth of Pakistan. Time is meaningless, dust is helpless and opponents are powerless to erase Bhutto’s memories. His voice still echoes in the minds, his ideology still guides leaders and his philosophy still gives hope to live. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan
Long Live Bhutto, For Ever And Ever
By D. Asghar Even those who did hate him with a passion, cannot discard his genius. A man with remarkably unparalleled intelligence and unmatched spontaneity, the one and only Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. His passion in front of the crowd was one of a kind. Who ever met with him once, called him unforgettable. From the mystic land of Sindh, came this gem, who made his share of blunders, but gave Pakistan and Pakistanis a new vision. Who uplifted the souls of many, and left with a vacuum, which remains unfilled, even after 32 long years. The bold and often brash Bhutto, who was revered by many and envied by a whole lot for his guts. No matter where your political leaning may have been, you could just not ignore him. Undoubtedly, a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan
Witch hunt grips Pakistan as bloody political assassinations deplete liberal ranks
By Amanda Hodge IT says much about Pakistan’s McCarthyist atmosphere that the television presenter whom many accuse of inciting the political assassinations rocking the country is being promoted as “Pakistan’s most dangerous anchor”. Her now infamous interview was recorded weeks before the assassination, in January, of Punjab governor Salman Taseer. Meher Bokhari – one of Pakistan’s new breed of firebrand, ratings-driven anchors – accused the moderate politician of being anti-Islam for trying to reform the country’s blasphemy laws. She wasn’t alone, but in Pakistan one such accusation can be a death sentence and so it proved to be. On the day of Taseer’s funeral she once again made headlines by posing the question of whether Taseer’s killer was hero or villain. … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Politics
Yielding in Front of Extremism
By Adnan Syed I am attaching two links here that movingly touch upon the state of barbarity that is inflicted upon the nation of Pakistan. Please give thirteen minutes of your precious time to the moving words of Member National Aseembly Mrs. Asia Nasir. These words describe the anguish and pain of the very Pakistanis who are being discriminated by the society, as well as by the institutions of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Terror reigns supreme in Pakistan. The righteous ones are hunting and killing everyone who calls for absolute equality of every human inside the boundaries of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. And in this environment, this brave lady comes out and unequivocally condemns the barbarity that the religious minorities are facing. She has more guts than the spineless members of parliament … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, Egalitarian Pakistan, Islam, Islamabad, Islamism, Justice, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, minorities, Pak Tea House, Religion, Rights, state, Taliban
Godless Bullets
Salman Taseer’s killing reflects the fight over Pakistan’s soul (OUTLOOK INDIA) AMIR MIR When Punjab governor Salman Taseer stepped out of the Table Talk restaurant after having lunch with hotelier Sheikh Waqas and walked to his car parked in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market on January 4, he must have been aware of the possibility of religious fanatics lurking around. Where in Pakistan haven’t the sinister, dark forces of militant Islam penetrated? But what Taseer couldn’t have foreseen perhaps is the precise visage of religious fanaticism—that it could come dressed in the uniform of the Elite Force of the Punjab police, one of those very men who were to protect him from the implacable Islamists forever sniffing around for enemies who don’t subscribe to their worldview. As Taseer reached his car, a cry of Allah-o-Akbar … Read entire article »
Filed under: culture, Islamism, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, liberal Pakistan, Pakistan, public policy, Religion
Ghairat Brigade To The Rescue
By: Sana Saleem Let me (re)introduce you to a term called “slut shaming”, undoubtedly our most favorite pass time. This might not sound familiar to many but I promise after I get done with the definition most of us will be able to relate fully. Slut shaming is the deliberate act of calling a woman a slut, a whore or impugning her character in sexual terms in order to embarrass, humiliate, intimidate, degrade or shame her for … Read entire article »
Filed under: Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Media, Women
Benazir Bhutto and Her Politics: A Critical Evaluation
By Raza Habib Raja I remember that once Nadeem Farooq Paracha wrote that in Pakistan Bhuttos are hated in their lives by the affluent middle class and media (which is mostly the expressive medium of the same class) and then sanctified once they have met a tragic end. In lives they are branded as corrupt and only after death, and that too tragic death, has it been possible for the mainstream media to actually reflect back on them with some appreciation. Of course for the supporters any criticism on her personality, particularly after her death, is equivalent to blasphemy. Cult of personality which has become somewhat of a rarity in the West is an integral part of the political culture here. Such personality cults form around Political leaders, particularly famous ones, in … Read entire article »
Filed under: Anniversery, Benazir Bhutto, Left, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, Uncategorized
Who’s afraid of Sherry Rehman?
Raza Rumi Express Tribune: It has been rather disturbing to witness the way Sherry Rehman has been the latest target of the purists within the ruling PPP. For years, Sherry has represented the intellectual vigour within her party. From drafting of manifestoes to holding the important portfolios, she has been an articulate defender of the PPP and its government. Her decision to resign in the wake of the judges’ saga and media handling of the 2009 Lahore-Gujranwala Long March was a matter of democratic choice. After her resignation, she did not defame her party leadership and continued to demonstrate her loyalty. She is now a victim of an unwise ban on PPP leaders and legislators preventing them from appearing on a particular television … Read entire article »
Filed under: Justice, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, liberal Pakistan, Pakistan
Was Jinnah secular?
By Yasser Latif Hamdani (In wake of the national debate on ideology and textbooks, Mr. Raza Rumi, the founder and editor of Pakteahouse, recently asked me to revisit the issue of Jinnah’s secularism through a comprehensive blog-post. This blog post is written for PTH exclusively and may be reproduced by giving PTH credit.) Many people (though not all) on all sides of the ideology divide in Pakistan take umbrage with the description of Mahomed Ali Jinnah – … Read entire article »
Filed under: Jinnah, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, liberal Pakistan, Pakistan, secular Pakistan
Asma Jahangir's victory is a cause for celebration
Raza Rumi Asma Jahangir’s victory in the Supreme Court Bar Association elections is a major development in the legal and judicial history of Pakistan. She is the first woman to hold this office, and a progressive rights activist as well. Her struggles against injustice, discrimination and oppression have spanned over nearly forty years and are globally acclaimed. PTH wishes her all success and hopes that she is able to fulfil the mandate for which she has … Read entire article »
Filed under: Activism, Judiciary, Justice, Lahore, Law, lawyers movement, Liberal Democratic Pakistan, movements, Pakistan, Rights
PTH biweekly Cartoon
Picture of the Week
-
Sunrise at the Arabian Sea, Charna Island
24 Dec 2011
(4 Comments)
PTH on facebook
Recent Comments