Saving Pakistan’s progeny

Children are the biggest victims of war and conflict in terms of the lost opportunity they represent for the future. This was proven again when the news surfaced of a nine-year-old girl, Sohana Javed, who was abducted from Peshawar and forced into becoming a possible suicide bomber in Lower Dir. Initial reports reveal remarkable presence of mind on Sohana’s part when, seeing an opportunity, she ran away from her captors and sought help from the Frontier Corps personnel at a nearby check-post—the alleged target of her attack. This incident has revealed a possible shift in the strategy of the terrorist groups who, till now, had relied primarily on men and teenage boys to carry out their attacks. It has also highlighted the lengths to which the militants will resort in carrying out their agenda with no regard of the universal and Islamic principle of safeguarding children from acts of war.

No country for women

Numbers have an innate ability to enhance the significance of facts and perceptions and highlight the gravity of matter. In a recent survey conducted by the Thomson Reuters to investigate the plight of women across the world, the results were staggering. Contrarily to common assumption, South Asia had to bear the ignominy of being home to three of the top five countries which are most dangerous for women.

Changing narratives of animated films

A couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me the most awesome trailers of an animated movie I have seen to date. Kung Fu Panda 2 was set to release in a few days. After watching the trailers over and over again, I wistfully remarked, “don’t you wish Po was real?” The reply was a swift, matter-of-fact, “Yes. I believe that’s because there is a bit of Po in all of us.”

The Kharotabad Debacle

The Kharotabad incident, which resulted in the killing of five Chechens by the security forces, has become a case-study of paramilitary brutality, intimidation and cover-ups. Numerous reports over the past month have revealed the extent to which the security forces go to cover up their illegal actions and ineptness.

Prevention is better than cure

With the release of the Flood Inquiry Commission's detailed report, submitted to the Supreme Court, it has become evident the malaise of corruption, negligence and failure to perform tasks responsibly led to the breach of the Tori Dyke during the last year's devastating floods. Though the report states that the breach was not intentional, but it cost the loss of more than 850 billion rupees, besides a loss of one additional Rabi crop in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan.

Battle of the airwaves

It seems that not an entire month can pass by without Pemra coming in news for issuing notices. This time, on Friday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) issued notices to four private television channels alleging that they were "being irresponsible and provoking anti-national sentiments" with their coverage following the attacks on PNS Mehran air base.

Saleem Shahzad—another voice silenced

Tuesday, May 31^st, 2011, was yet another black day for journalism and free speech in Pakistan. Syed Saleem Shahzad, bureau chief of Asia Times online and a fine investigative reporter, paid the highest cost for his unwavering commitment to his profession—his life. Two days after he had been abducted from Islamabad, Saleem Shahzad was found dead near Mandi Bahauddin.

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.

Time to clean our house

In the aftermath of the attack on PNS Mehran Naval Base in Karachi, there are conflicting reports emerging about the attack itself and the operation. Initially the media reported that up to 15 terrorists attacked the naval base simultaneously from three different sides. However, after the operation ended, Interior Minister Rehman Malik declared that the base was attacked from one vulnerable area; in a surreal scenario, four to six militants apparently used a ladder and cut barbed wires to climb over the wall near Malir tributary. The next day, police officials, citing the initial case report, said there were up to 12 militants involved in the attacks. It will take a few days to establish what exactly happened at the naval base for those 17 hours. But the implications of this attack are already clear and, unfortunately, staggering.

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.