Syed Talat Hussain In the last 62 years, except for the brief spurt of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s public diplomacy, much of the country’s relations with the US have remained a complex network of deals and personal understandings the rulers of the day give to the American negotiators dangling short carrots on long knives Transparency has become the first victim of Pakistan’s deepening cooperation with the US. The country is choking with visitors from Washington who rain on Islamabad incessantly, the latest being General David Petraeus, the US Central Command chief. (The list of others who have come, gone, come back … Continue reading Governing the governors of Pakistan

—Miranda Husain It is a sad truth that even those industries that look in the mirror and declare themselves the most liberally progressive of all, have proved themselves to be the least bovvered when it comes to tackling harassment We certainly have come a long way, baby. Here at the dawn of the first decade of the 21st century, a mere 30 years since man first set foot on the moon, and Pakistan’s National Assembly has passed the country’s first-ever anti-sexual harassment bill. For many, this represents an unexpectedly wonderful departure from yesteryear’s era of enlightened moderation. A period that … Continue reading Sexual harassment’s fourth pillar

Detainee dilemma —Mahvish Khan The prisoner was standing at the far end of the room behind a long table. His leg was chained to the floor beside a seven-by-eight-foot cage. He looked wary as the door opened, but as our eyes met and he saw me in my traditional embroidered shawl, a smile broke across his weathered features. I smiled back and gave him the universal Islamic greeting: “As-salaam alaikum — May peace be upon you.” “Walaikum as-salaam — May peace also be upon you,” he responded. With that, I shook hands with my first ‘terrorist’. He was a handsome, … Continue reading His name was Ali Shah Mousovi

By I.A. Rehman Whatever the causes of deviation from the tradition of tolerance, the process needs to be reversed: I.A. Rehman.—Photo by Reuters Public complaints received by the judiciary, government functionaries and human rights organisations reveal an alarming decline in the moral values observed by our society. In particular we are witnessing new forms of intolerance and there is little evidence of any effort to deal with this deadly social disease. The other day an organisation calling itself the Baloch Students Action Committee (BSAC), Punjab, set up by Baloch students studying at different institutions in the province, held a press … Continue reading Shades of Intolerance

Posted by Hafsa Dawn When Charles Coventry was hovering in the 180s against Bangladesh, I voiced my fear that Saeed Anwar’s record seemed in danger of being broken. In response, a friend said, “Bah! Don’t get too attached to records, it’s a sign of mediocrity.” While it was some consolation that Coventry didn’t actually break the record – he equalled it – the gloss was still removed from that proud feeling that my countryman held the world record for the highest individual ODI score. That too, one of the finest left-handed batsmen of his time, and there’s no hiding the … Continue reading No Pakistani or Indian just – Congrats, Sachin!

Hizb-i-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG) Overview Hizb-i-Islami Gulbuddin (HIG), led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, is an insurgent group active in Afghanistan. It is a splinter group of one of the prominent , and the most radical of the seven mujahedeen factions fighting the Soviets in the 1980s. Hekmatyar , a favorite of the CIA and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate, received the greatest portion of foreign assistance to the mujahedeen.1 Hekmatyar trained Afghan and foreign guerilla fighters in the refugee camps of Shamshatoo and Jalozai in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and also ran numerous schools and hospitals in NWFP.2 His organization  also … Continue reading HIZB-I-ISLAMI GULBUDDIN (HIG)

Allah says: “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the beasts that He has scattered throughout them both: and He has power to gather them together when He wills.” [Sûrah al-Shûrâ: 29] Human beings have long wondered: Are we alone in this vast universe? Do any other thinking beings exist on other worlds? We have reason to wonder. Is our planet the only one to bear the fruit of life from among the countless planets of the universe? Is such an eventuality likely? In Allah’s creation, does a tree with many branches bear … Continue reading Muslims and Extra-Terrestrial Life… How would you greet Allahs Creatures?

TEHRAN: Pakistan played a role in helping Iran arrest its most wanted Jundallah chief Abdolmalek Rigi who was seized onboard a flight from Dubai, Islamabad’s ambassador to Tehran Mohammad Abbasi said on Wednesday. “I must tell you that such action cannot be carried out without the cooperation of Pakistan. I am happy that he has been arrested,” Abbasi told a media conference at Islamabad’s mission in Tehran. Without elaborating, Abbasi said details of Pakistan’s help to Iran in arresting Rigi would be revealed in “two or three days time.” Rigi, the head of shadowy rebel group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), … Continue reading Pakistan helped Iran nab Jundallah Mullah!

A Polish farmer could be facing jail after he caused a road accident by being drunk in charge of a horse and a lorry at the same time. metro.co.uk Continue reading Man charged with drunk driving horse and lorry simultaneously