Phony pilots —Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur Nationalities are denied rights in the name of religion and state ideology, people go missing on flimsy grounds, minorities live under threat and police brutality continues unabated Eventually the Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 phony pilot’s luck ran out. He had fooled the Turkish airline with fake credentials, like our rulers I would say, for two years before being arrested in Amsterdam moments prior to taking off with 101 passengers. He said he had been flying for 13 years on a false licence and had spent at least 10,000 flying hours in the cockpit. He served … Continue reading Phony pilots!

‘Avatar’ and the racism of virtue —Hagai van der Horst The Na’vi are a dream realised only to its dreamer, a metaphor whose goal is its own source. Put plainly, the Na’vi are Americans, only in a reverse mirror image James Cameron’s film, ‘Avatar’, offers its viewers one of the most morally fulfilling journeys, an empathy of seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, or indeed, everybody. However, Avatar’s ideology can be at times puzzling and unsettling. Put simply, the film invokes colonial and imperial tropes under a cloak of ambiguity, with the wrongdoers appearing overtly virtuous and those wronged seeming … Continue reading The Na’vi are a dream realised only to its dreamer

Perceptions of long-term security —Dr Mubashir Hasan The ruling elites of Pakistan and India, busy as they are in acquiring the capabilities of high-tech warfare techniques of future wars and armed as they are with nuclear weapons, stand on the brink of courting disaster after disaster through pursuing their present policies Increasing Chinese economic power and its growing influence in the Third World countries; simultaneously, the decreasing clout of the US in South and Southwest Asia shall pose serious challenges for peace, security and freedom for the nations of the subcontinent in times to come. Over the long term, China’s huge … Continue reading The ruling elites of Pakistan and India are busy playing games

Societal perspectives on terrorism —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi At least one generation has been socialised into a favourable disposition towards Islamic conservatism and militancy. They have a natural sympathy towards the political discourse of the militants even if they do not support their violent methods The terrorist attacks in Lahore on March 8 and 12 are a reminder of how terrorism continues to threaten internal order and stability in Pakistan. These attacks also show that the terrorists are not only present in the cities but they have also developed strong networking with each other to the detriment of the Pakistani government and … Continue reading Should Mullahs who do not condemn terrorism be declared as terrorists?

Taliban Increasingly Unpopular in Pakistan Four percent say Taliban’s presence is positive influence by Julie Ray and Rajesh Srinivasan This article is the first of a two-part series that looks at Pakistanis’ and Afghans’ views of the Taliban’s influence and their respective countries’ efforts to combat terrorism. WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Taliban’s presence on either side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border is largely unwelcome, but increasingly so in Pakistan, where Gallup surveys show they have lost much of the little appeal they had. Four percent of Pakistanis in a November-December 2009 poll, conducted prior to Pakistan’s current push to rout the … Continue reading Four percent say Taliban’s presence is positive influence

Thenews.com.pk Yousaf Ali PESHAWAR: Chances of revival of the conglomerate of religious parties are still bright as leaders of the two major religio-political parties — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Jamaat-e-Islami — are quite optimistic of the restoration of the alliance. “I think it has become the need of the hour that the religious forces should unite once again on a platform,” said Sirajul Haq, former NWFP senior minister and central deputy chief of the Jamaat, while talking to The News. The leadership of the Fazl faction of JUI is rather more enthusiastic about the revival of the alliance of religious forces … Continue reading Pakistani Talibans political wings TO UNITE?

Jamiat Ulema pakistan F Leaders conducted a press conference after Burial of Maulana Saeed Ahmed Jalalpori . And Accused Zaid Zamaan Hamid for the killing of Maulana Saeed Ahmed Jalalpori. This Press Conference was Covered by All Media Channels but not a single media channel has highlighted this issue. here is the full press conference. http://paksiasat.com/2010/03/12/zaid-hamid-behind-maulana-saeed-ahmd-jalalpori-assassination/ Continue reading Mullah Fazlur Rehmans thugs pick on Takmeel e Pakistan – is this not proof enough we all need to unite against these mullahs?

Zhu Shanzhong Meets with Pakistan Minister for Tourism Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman On June 19, Zhu Shanzhong, Vice Chairman of China National Tourism Administration met with Pakistan Minister for Tourism Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman and his party. The two sides exchanged their opinions on strengthening tourism cooperation between China and Pakistan. First of all, Mr. Zhu, on behalf of China National Tourism Administration, expressed his warm welcome to the visit of Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman and his party. He remarked that China and Pakistan have a long history of friendly communication, and they are not only amiable neighbors, but also good brothers. The two countries have … Continue reading Pakistan Government should NOT send mullahs anywhere to engage with anyone on its behalf