Nadia sways in front of a begging box outside the Dola Shah shrine in Gujrat. Arriving daily at the shrine at the crack of dawn, Nadia, who is mentally disturbed, doesn’t speak to anyone. She wails and has occasional fits of laughter. She is just one of thousands of mentally handicapped children in the country … Continue reading »
Posted in April 2010 …
Swat: Flogging The Truth
As appeared on the Dawn Blog Much has been said about the report claiming that the infamous video showing a girl being flogged by the Taliban in Swat is fake. I remember being outraged by the incident and the claims of Taliban spokespersons who betrayed their indifference to the outrageous act. Now, however, “a five-member team … Continue reading »
Pakistan: A Call For Prison Reforms
First appeared on DAWN blog They kept us for one month in the police station. There were about 25 to 30 people in the lockup. When there were more, we couldn’t lie down. Whenever it rained, water use to seep in from the roof. There were no windows. I was beaten all over my body, … Continue reading »
Child Abuse in Pakistan: For The Sake Of The Children
First appeared on Dawn’s Blog Nearly two months after the death of Shazia Masih, the government is yet to take substantial steps towards protection of children’s rights in Pakistan. Shazia’s case first appeared after she was declared dead at Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital, suspected to have succumbed to torture by her employers. According to reports, she had … Continue reading »
