Plight of the falcon By Bhagwandas dawn.com Residents of Central Asian region, the rare and endangered Saker and Peregriene Falcons are trapped in large numbers in NWFP, Sindh and Balochistan to cater to the rich Arab hunters who arrive every year to hunt the internationally protected houbara bustard. Rs300mn project launched for Kirthar wildlife Millions of migratory birds of hundreds of species visit our land to spend winter here and their colourful presence enhances the natural beauty of our country. But due to the policies of our avaricious decision makers, the Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) and Peregriene Falcon (Falco peregrinus) … Continue reading Pakistani falcons and the Arab guest

dawn.com Eiffel tower submerging into darkness at 8:30 pm (local time) on March 27, 2010, in Paris as part of the Earth Hour switch-off. – AFP Landmarks go dark, millions unplug for Earth Hour LONDON: Europe’s best known landmarks – including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and Rome’s Colosseum – fell dark Saturday, following Sydney’s Opera House and Beijing’s Forbidden City in joining a global climate change protest, as lights were switched off across the world to mark the Earth Hour event. In the United States, the lights went out at the Empire State Building in New York, the National … Continue reading Landmarks, cities worldwide unplug for Earth Hour

No pre-emptive action By Huma Yusuf dawn.com The role played — or not played — by police in fuelling religiously motivated violence needs urgent scrutiny, and should be one of the main drivers of institutional reform. – (File Photo) THANKS to media coverage, there has in the last few weeks been a renewed interest in police brutality and, by extension, police reform. But another aspect of police negligence has not graced our headlines and on-screen tickers. The role played — or not played — by police in fuelling religiously motivated violence needs urgent scrutiny, and should be one of the … Continue reading Mullahs and Pakistani Police – rats in the bed together?

De facto versus de jure – 2 By Ardeshir Cowasjee dawn.com “Since the advent of this democratic government, the world has been at a loss to know who to talk to in Pakistan — a great stumbling block, and it is only the US and to a certain extent the UK who have sorted themselves out and decided that the chief of army staff is the man.” – APP (File Photo) A UNIVERSALLY accepted truth is that the government we have is powerless, that the state is non-functional, and that law and order has fled (if it ever has been … Continue reading Who does one talk to in Pakistan?

Pakistan’s other fault lines —Sanaullah Baloch Islamabad’s unkind approach and over-centralised political and discriminatory policies have resulted in massive despair among the Baloch masses. Conflict in the region has resulted in killings, displacement and human rights crises well documented by reputable organisations Predominantly, the fear of the Taliban and al Qaeda, and the rise of religious militancy has become Pakistan’s hallmark. In fact, there are numerous other fault lines and factors behind Pakistan’s gradual fall into fundamentalism, sectarianism, rise of ethnic conflicts and mounting political instability. Pakistan’s colonial rule and policies, ethnically structured institutions, over-centralisation, inflexible constitutional arrangements and lack … Continue reading Pakistan’s other fault lines – how Baluchistan is suffering the mullahs

Terrorism and the denial problem —Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi The most serious threat to Pakistan’s political stability and economic development is the growing terrorist attacks by the various Taliban groups and other militant Islamic groups that use violence to pursue their narrow-based religious and political agendas Pakistan’s societal harmony and political stability is threatened by the complex challenges of religious intolerance, Islamic-sectarian violence, militancy and jihadi culture against the backdrop of the regional and global environment that is not always helpful. These domestic ailments have compromised Pakistan’s capacity to cope with global pressures and improve its bargaining position in international diplomacy. … Continue reading Terrorism in Pakistan and the denial problem

Gay Muslim scholar shunned by own community By Elise Stolte , Canwest News Service Muslim Junaid Bin Jahangir realized he was gay while a student at the University of Alberta. He decided to throw his energies into educating the Islamic community about the topic. Photograph by: Greg Southam/Canwest News Service, EDMONTON — Junaid Bin Jahangir was such a devout Muslim that when he arrived in Canada he ate only yogurt for two days until he was sure which food followed halal dietary rules. The university student prayed five times a day, and joined a local mosque. Then one day, at … Continue reading Muslim Scholar and Gay? – Junaid Bin Jahangir

ABOUT EARTH HOUR Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour. In March 2009, hundreds of … Continue reading Earth Hour – an awakening begins?

FIA post-race press conference – Australia 1st Jenson Button (McLaren), 1h33m36.531s; 2nd Robert Kubica (Renault), 1h33m48.565s; 3rd Felipe Massa (Ferrari), 1h33m51.019s. Q: Jenson, an incredible race. 50 laps plus on a set of soft tyres. You made the early gamble for the slick tyres and that was the game changer. Was that your call? Jenson Button: It was. I think it is a lot easier for the drivers… 28 Mar 2010 Button wins Melbourne thriller for McLaren Defending world champion Jenson Button clinched his first victory of 2010 – and his first for McLaren – in Australia on Sunday. An … Continue reading Formula One / 1 update site