Talking about change By Cyril Almeida ‘So, much of the talk about a change in Islamabad wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the genuine grassroots unhappiness with the government’s style and substance.’ – Photo by APP Hold on to your hats, everybody, change is a coming. It’s the consensus in Islamabad: change is in the air and it will be very bad for Zardari & co and marginally good for the rest of us. But Islamabad is a funny old town. The more convinced everyone is something is about to happen, the less likely something will in fact happen. … Continue reading Talking about change in Pakistan

A landmark verdict By Kuldip Nayar Jaswant Singh, the BJP leader who has refurbished his liberal instincts, has rightly appealed to the BJP to move on and not remain stuck in the Middle Ages. But his plea has not evoked any attention. The RSS militant wing, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, has collected sadhus at Ayodhya, where the demolished Babri Masjid stood. All these things tell upon India’s pluralism which is becoming more and more elusive. – Photo by Reuters. It was a laudable judgment of the Supreme Court which upheld the right of Indian Muslims to inherit the property that … Continue reading RSS and BJP needs to move forward

Brilliant Aisam set to inspire Pakistan athletes By Anwar Zuberi Pakistan will participate in boxing, squash, tennis, wrestling, hockey, shooting, and weightlifting. -File Photo KARACHI: Tennis celebrity Aisam-ul-Haq who reached the pinnacle of his career in the US Open will be a source of inspiration for the 75-member Pakistan contingent in the Commonwealth Games which runs in the Indian capital New Delhi from October 3 to 14. He (Aisam) is in high spirits after scaling new heights and his presence in the Games village with compatriots will boost their morale in bringing laurels to the nation. Pakistan will make its … Continue reading Pakistan to play full part in Delhi Commonwealth games

Dawn Editorial Pakistani activists of the hard-line party Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) carry photographs of Pakistani scientist Aafia Siddiqui as they shout slogans while they march toward the US embassy during an anti-US protest in Islamabad. – AFP Photo Pakistan Pakistan wants Dr. Aafia Siddiqui repatriated FOR the most part, rational debate about the case of Aafia Siddiqui has not been possible. In part, it must be acknowledged, this is because an air of mystery still endures over where Dr Siddiqui and her children were for five long years between 2003 and 2008 and how she came to be ‘found’ in Afghanistan. … Continue reading Aafia Siddiqui

By Jonaid Iqbal A man explains Chinese script writing to a woman at his stall during Chinese Cultural Week at the Pakistan National Council of Arts. Culture Killer sketches stir row in Brazil LIVE BLOGGING Reclaiming our pride ISLAMABAD: The China Cultural Week started at the National Arts Gallery on Friday with exhibitions of Shanghai Expo 2010 photographs and books on Chinese language. Minister for Culture Pir Aftab Shah Jilani and Chinese envoy Liu Jian jointly inaugurated the week to commemorate the 61st anniversary of founding of the Chinese republic. In their speeches the minister and the ambassador termed the … Continue reading Chinese cultural week opens in Pakistan

FILE – In this Sept. 15, 2010 file photo, US special envoy to Pakistan Richard Holbrooke visits Pakistani children who survived floods and live in a camp set up for displaced people in the Makli area of Sindh province, Pakistan. – AP Pakistan Pakistan floods hit more than 10,000 schools: UN CASH, NOT FOOD Aid for sale in Pakistan as refugees want cash ISLAMABAD: Concerned that US help to Pakistan is not getting enough recognition, Washington is making a new push to get international aid groups it funds to advertise the fact. But it is meeting resistance from partners worried … Continue reading US wants more aid recognition in Pakistan

Allah ki marzi amina.jilani@tribune.com.pk Amongst the incredible amount of topics that need to be written upon in these days of non-stop news on the smutty doings of our politicos and the establishment in general is one of the many ignored matters which is steadily dragging Pakistan backwards. In an account of visits to the many relief camps set up for the flood affectees was this alarming sentence: “Almost all women around 30 years of age are either pregnant or carrying an infant and have a minimum [yes, a minimum] of three offspring in tow.” But it is not so with … Continue reading

Revealed in every tiny detail: The secret life of harvest mice as never seen before By DAILY MAIL REPORTER A stunning and rare insight into the secret tiny lives of adorable harvest mice is revealed in incredible pictures captured painstakingly over 12 months. Photographers Jean-Louis Klein and Marie-Luce Hubert, both from the Alsace, France, spent the year snapping the furry subjects in a project that ended with their release into the wild. Laying patiently in meadows and reed beds, the pair were able to capture the fascinating images. One shows a mouse being suspended in the air on the tails of … Continue reading Harvest Mice

The Arrivals: The sooner they depart the better The Arrivals: The sooner they depart the better 15 August, 2010 – 17:39 — Beast By: Irfan Jalil We love a good argument. We can debate the correct length of a beard with the best of them. We can rip into each other over whether Muslims are allowed to vote. We will accuse fellow Muslims of committing shirk and bid’ah and being kafir. We can tear ourselves apart over whether it’s OK to celebrate Milad. Argument is keeping us in a perpetual fight with each other. But nothing unites Muslims like a … Continue reading The Arrivals ! – Have You Seen It?