Barbarism in the name of tradition

Not a week goes by without news of another young girl being married off to an older man as compensation for a family feud. Most recently, according to press reports, a panchayat in Vehari, Punjab, decided to give a five-year-old girl to a 40-year-old man as punishment for her father eloping with the man's sister. Ironically, the father had already left with the woman, and the girl and her mother, who was grieving her husband's infidelity, were left behind to bear the consequences.

Punjab government’s populist vision

Multiple stories, published in various newspapers, about Punjab government’s much-touted yellow cab scheme cast dark shadows on its success. According to latest reports, the provincial government has once again lowered the criteria for eligibility of applicants for the scheme. The decision was reportedly made after it was discovered that most of the applicants did not meet the current criteria. The government has now waived the requirement of having a valid driving license for one year prior to applying for a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) license.

More provinces: tread this path carefully

Former Federal Minister Senator Raza Rabbani has urged Pakistan People's Party Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari to be more cautious in his decision to pursue a demand for another province carved out of Punjab. At a time when the debate for new provinces has gained momentum, Rabbani's advice to President Zardari is sound and reflects the senator's decades of political experience.

Vigilante (in)justice?

In a country where governance is at its lowest ebb and justice nowhere in sight, rising cases of citizens taking law into their own hands show the intensity of pent up aggression within the people. Recent reports from Faisalabad reveal the registering of an FIR by Sargodha Road Police against 100 people for attacking police officials who tried to rescue two robbery suspects that a mob was beating on Sunday.

Freedom for all religions

In a country founded on the idea of providing religious freedoms against oppression faced in pre-partition India, it is tragic to note the cruel twist of fate where a minority community is prohibited to perform their religious rituals. Unfortunately, however, this is exactly what happened with the Sikh community in Lahore last week, citing a most insensitive excuse.

The day I became an “Ahmadi”

28 May 2010.

I was about to eat lunch in my office’s conference room with two friends. A colleague walked in asking if I knew there had been an attack on the Ahmadi mosque in Garhi Shahu. I checked my phone but there was no sms or missed call. I told him he must be mistaken but got up anyway to turn on the television; as I was walking out of the room, he mentioned that the Model Town mosque had been attacked too. 

The news hit me with a sheer, naked wave of panic. My brother goes there for prayers. Half of my family goes there on Friday.

Refusing American Aid

At face value, the idea of relying on one's own resources and renouncing foreign aid rings a patriotic bell. However this move must be looked at within the framework of practical implication and political mileage.