Dear PEMRA, what is indecent, anti-state, anti-national?
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is really stepping up its efforts to, at least superficially, hold the media accountable. First they made their public complaints archive publicly accessible online – good job, although a glance at the complaints does highlight the issue of their complaint centre being hijacked by propaganda-laden trolling. Secondly, and more critically, they have uploaded a draft of the upcoming PEMRA Content Regulations 2012 – the code of conduct that local broadcasters will be bound to. The regulatory body has also called on the public to email their feedback before May 07, 2012, after which ...
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Do we need new provinces?
The idea of creating new provinces is an old one. For years different ethnic groups have been seeking the creation of their own provinces and for years these voices were ignored. But recently this issue has popped up again – this time it feels like something might actually happen. This is because political parties now want to publicly discuss this issue and take a stand. For years the issue has been raised in drawing rooms but never on a public platform. So, do we even need new provinces? All the cool kids are doing it Contrary to popular belief provinces are created ...
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Waiting for the moon to shine
Last year, sometime after Ramazan, I was at the Jinnah International Airport, on my way to Lahore. In the boarding lounge, I saw a bearded gentleman with a soft stance, waiting to board his flight too. He looked familiar and he also looked apologetic. I suddenly realized that this was the most popular face of Pakistan’s Ruet-e-Hilal (Moon sighting) Committee. People sitting and standing around me also recognized this religio-celeb, and nudged each other, commenting on him. “Yahee to hai jis kee wajha se Eid ka chaand raat ke gyara bej nazar aate ha.” (He is the one because of whom ...
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I read so you don’t have to: Outrageous!
This week offered proof, once again, that our politicians wouldn’t be quite so problematic if they just never spoke. We already knew that the outrageousness of Rehman Malik’s words is matched only by the outrageousness of his ties; that Zulfiqar Mirza vomits out inflammatory speeches as if it’s a medical condition for which there’s no cure; and, that the world would be a happier place if Pervez Musharraf never spoke again. Still, you’re most likely sitting at home and refusing to go out because of the heat, so you might as well relive their cringe-worthy comments of the last week. That ...
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Dialogue with Pakistan: Am I next?
I was at Khadda Market in Karachi yesterday where I saw a little boy, selling flowers, wearing in a loose fitted black t-shirt. The shirt he wore had inscribed on it: Agli bari meri? (Am I next?) On the back of his t-shirt were numerical figures indicating the number of people affected by violence since 2002: 276 bomb blasts 4420 dead 9557 injured Later, when I went home, I decided to log on to the website printed on the boy’s t-shirt, www.citizensarchive.org/dialoguewithpakistan, and signed up to join the ongoing dialogue. Some key questions that were being discussed (and are still being discussed) included: • Do you think education can ...
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Transgender: Of sense and sexuality
I talk about AIDS, sex and sexuality. Don’t look at me that way. I, too, belong to a religious conservative family. No, I am not a non-believer. No, I do not have AIDS. Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I have morals. This issue has been taboo, cursed and frowned upon. It has been buried so deep, that it is almost impossible to even think about talking of. But I do. I conduct and facilitate workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness. ————— This is the story of two people I met a couple of weeks ago. They both liked boys. They were both shy, and could not speak at ...
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Muslim immigrants: A cold shoulder for a bad reputation
After the great Messina, another tsunami has embarked on the shores of Italy. But this time, it is not water that is causing problems. 26,000 immigrants belonging mainly to Tunisia and Libya have arrived on the island of Lampedusa – a number larger than the total population of the island. Earlier, Italy had taken responsibility for 20,000 immigrants. As the immigrants keep pouring onto the shores of Italy, it is looking towards neighbouring Schengen countries to lend a helping hand. The Italian government has decided to issue a six month Schengen visa to these immigrants, a move that has given jitters to the ...
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Are doctors there for patients, or money?
The recent uproar regarding the issue of increasing doctor’s salaries saw the Young Doctor’s Association (YDA) take to the streets and boycott hospital wards. The strike lasted over two weeks and finally came to an end on Monday, when YDA officers were called in for a meeting with Health Secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad and accepted the latter’s ‘word’ to speak to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on their behalf and raise salaries by July this year. It is no secret that doctors in Pakistan are woefully underpaid at every level. Many would grant the YDA’s appeal for an increase in salary as ...
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Qasmi’s columns: Surprise, surprise
One can never really be sure about two things: death and Ataul Haq Qasmi’s M’aasir. M’aasir makes an appearance every once in a while and you are surprised that it has been published again. Gradually, the surprise gives way to a feeling that it is going to be a periodical publication. But the hope is dashed and you quite forget after a while about M’aasir, the journal that used to appear out of nowhere one fine morning and make your day. Now this special issue – every M’aasir issue is special – deserves applause for the great writers and the wonderful ...
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PCB haunted by the ghost of captaincy past
Once again, the Pakistan Cricket Board faces an issue that has haunted it for years – captaincy. Since the 2007 World Cup, the team has changed six captains for all formats of the game and now, at such a crucial time, with the World Cup just 40 days away, the PCB management is stuck once more. After four years of preparation teams across the world are ready to perform – but the question of who will be captain remains the bane of our team’s existence. The PCB has not announced the captain for the current One Day Internationals series against New ...
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