Entries from August 2009

August 28, 2009

CIA’s Interrogation Probe: What it means for Pakistan?

“I was held at Bagram until February 2003. I saw two people killed there. I was stripped naked, kicked, beaten, and threatened with dogs. Interrogators would hold pictures of my wife and children, and ask me what I thought had happened to them, while a woman screamed near by. By the time I, left I [...]

August 25, 2009

Pakistan Sugar Crisis: A Farce?

Photo Courtesy- Chowrangi.com- Original Photo By Jang Cartoonist The ritual price hike before Ramadan starts, is quite normal and expected. Every year a massive price hike is seen in food items and various goods just before the start of Ramadan. Quite interestingly, this is justified as a ‘business tactic’ to get maximum profit at the [...]

August 24, 2009

Musharraf’s Trial -Mind Boggling Politics

On the 18th of August’2008,  A beleaguered Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation as the President of Pakistan. Now after a year the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) wants to try him for treason. The embattled leader continues to deny all charges pressed against him, putting up a staunch defence of his eight-and-a-half years in office, a [...]

August 18, 2009

Holbrooke’s Visit: Hopes And Expectations

I cannot tell whether the Taliban have been destroyed or dispersed as a result of this operation until I go myself, But one thing that is quite obvious is that security forces regained Swat and Buner from the Taliban, which itself is very significant.” – AP, said Holbrooke, US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. [...]

August 16, 2009

Breakfast At Dawn-My Experience

Even though am terribly lazy these days,I must not delay the write up about Breakfast at Dawn (BAD). I have already mentioned earlier about Naveen Naqvi (popularly known as the rock-star of twitter) and her brilliance which has brought Breakfast at dawn into the twitter-sphere and into our lives. It has been a very exciting [...]

August 15, 2009

Independence Day: Unfulfilled Promises And Hope

Patriotism is a splendid thing, but it is preposterous if it makes one blind to reality. It then becomes a rather pernicious form of idiocy, which would give individuals a refuge to ignore atrocities. Pretty much of what happens in my part of the world. Unfortunately, most of us are too hell-bent on preventing our [...]

August 8, 2009

Baitullah Mehsud No More!

“Only jihad can bring peace to the world” said Baitullah Mehsud, Pakistan’s enemy number one, while talking to the BBC in 2007.Mehsud earned the ire of the Pakistani military, people and Western world alike by his version of Jihad. His force structure is known to be very diverse: Including around 12,000 local fighters, many  of [...]

August 6, 2009

Kolachi Tweet Up’09 -Tweet Tweet !

Now that Blaggers have invaded twitteristan a tweet up seemed absolutely necessary. Like all the other meet ups this too was a last minute announcement. I would really like to appreciate Badar Khushnood,Rabia Ghraib and Salaina Haroon (also the entire team of CIO) for the amazing arrangements. Apart from the usual blaggers we also had [...]

August 6, 2009

Domestic Violence Bill- Where It Stands

The most indispensable tool for development of a society is prevailing humanitarian rights with a vital assurance that rights are maintained without gender bias and discrimination. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) Between 70 percent and 90 percent of the 83 million women in Pakistan have been attacked or suffered other forms of domestic abuse [...]

August 4, 2009

The Hunt For Baitullah Mehsud

Source: My write up for the Global Voices Baitullah Mehsud (born ca. 1974) is a leading military leader in Waziristan, Pakistan and the leader of the Taliban umbrella group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which was officially formed in December 2007. He belongs to the Mehsud tribe in Pakistan’s troubled South Waziristan region and is commanding about [...]