Salmaan Taseer: The political context of a ‘religious’ assassination

My recent article for Viewpoint Online, published Jan 7, 2012: Salmaan Taseer: The political context of a ‘religious’ assassination Enforce rule of law, expose hypocrisy of the Taliban mentality Just over a year ago, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was assassinated in the most cowardly manner by a government-assigned security guard. Mumtaz Qadri, a member of [...]

Concern for Pakistan democratic process, safety of human rights defenders

Citizens’ statement of concern about the democratic process in Pakistan democratic and safety of human rights defenders, to be released to the media on Jan 5, 2012 (to endorse, please enter your information in the form at this link) We, the undersigned, express our grave concern that Pakistani human rights defenders are being threatened and [...]

Pakistani journalists: standing tall – my article in EPW

Pakistani journalists: standing tall Journalists in Pakistan walk a tightrope between the military and the militants, risking their lives as never before to get the truth into the public domain. They have always had to tiptoe around directly challenging the concepts upheld by the security establishment. But as a Pakistani writer and filmmaker writes, the [...]

Ilyas Kashmiri, Saleem Shehzad and the media in Pakistan

“It’s amazing how things change here. The moment it was reported that Ilyas Kashmiri was killed the entire media began explaining that he was a mastermind of the Mehran attack. The only person who had reported this at the time of the attach was Saleem Shehzad, and look what they did to him. “Up to [...]

‘Learn your lesson, identify the safe areas and play there…’

Just posted to my beena-issues yahoogroup: Uploaded to my blog: HRCP URGENT APPEAL for Muzaffar Bhutto, Gen. Secy Jeay Sindh Muttaheda Mahaz. Another disappearance on Sunday didn’t end well. I felt sick hearing the news that Saleem Shehzad, the Asia Times correspondent who had gone ‘missing’ from Islamabad, was found dead, with torture marks on [...]

HRCP *URGENT APPEAL*: Abduction of Mr. Muzaffar Bhutto, General Secretary of Jeay Sindh Muttaheda Mahaz (JSMM)

Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 Subject: URGENT APPEAL HRCP: Abduction of Mr. Muzaffar Bhutto, General Secretary of Jeay Sindh Muttaheda Mahaz (JSMM) Human Rights Commission of Pakistan requests your urgent intervention in the following situation Description of the situation: Mr. Muzaffar Bhutto, General Secretary of Jeay Sindh Muttaheda Mahaz (JSMM) has been abducted for the [...]

PERSONAL POLITICAL: Manufacturing a ‘hero’

How was the opportunity created to transform Qadri into a celebrity? Who informed people about his court appearances, resulting in crowds gathering, chanting slogans and showering him with rose petals? Television cameras broadcast all this, further glorifying the murderer. These slogans, and the banners and posters supporting Qadri that have cropped up around the country, have not only turned this man’s cowardice — in shooting at an unarmed victim — into some kind of heroism, it has resulted in further intimidation of anyone who supports amendments to the controversial, man-made ‘blasphemy laws’.

Conversations 8: Clap with both hands

Dilip: “We are both large and powerful enough that we can dispatch each other into a nuclear lala-land — such is the power of the weapons we possess. I think the more productive way to consider each other is as equals: no arrogance, no condescension, no grovelling, but just mutual respect and willingness to live and let live.”