Why announce a bounty on Hafiz Saeed?
Why now? At a critical moment in the US-Pakistan relationship, with parliamentary debate raging in Pakistan about how to realign relations with Washington, and with the United States desperate to forge some level of cooperation with Islamabad to help move toward the elusive endgame in Afghanistan, why announce a bounty for “information leading to the arrest or conviction” of living-openly-in-Lahore Hafiz Saeed? This is, after all, a man Washington and New Delhi regard as a terrorist, yet whom many in Pakistan regard as a heroic symbol of defiance toward the United States, an essential strategic asset, or both. In short, Washington’s ...
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My dream for Pakistan
A couple of months ago I witnessed an elderly man, approximately 70 years old, being violently shoved off the side of the road by a policeman who was clearing the way for a 10-car protocol of a federal minister. Incidents like these are not rare and it seems as though we have grown accustomed to them. But that doesn’t mean we don’t think they are wrong. You often hear people arguing about ‘which hidden arm’ is behind specific problems in our country; whether it’s the politicians, RAW, or the army - it’s an endless debate. But in truth, the average Pakistani just wants to ...
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Sovereignty is just an illusion
On May 2 this year US special forces entered deep inside Pakistan’s territory and effectively killed the world’s most wanted terrorist, leaving undetected. This raid, by some, was considered a breach of Pakistan’s national sovereignty. Here’s a question: hasn’t Pakistan’s sovereignty already been compromised by the very presence of Osama bin Laden, banned organisations, and wanted terrorists in the country? Isn’t it, thus, fair game for international forces to chase them inside Pakistan? It is only considered a breach of sovereignty when there is “use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” according to the United Nations ...
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No, it is not time for gay rights in Pakistan
In the wake of the same-sex marriage bill passed by the New York Senate, a few people are supporting similar kind of rights for the (still closeted) gay community in Pakistan. In my view, it is disastrous to even think of it at this moment, for the following reasons: The gay community in the United States (US) achieved their current rights after decades of continuous social, political and legal struggle. Yet even today, several states including the US federal government do not recognise civil union/partnership. Some states permit civil unions but they don’t equalise those to marriage. According to public wishes, ...
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Is it time for gay rights in Pakistan?
Earlier this month, for the first time in its history, the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution to protect and uphold gay rights universally. The US Department of State successfully lobbied to bring under the banner of universal declaration of human rights, equal rights for lesbians, gays, and transgender people. The resolution was passed with 23 affirmations against 19 disavowals. While some of us celebrate this momentous turn in attitudes, it is sobering to note that it took the UN this long to recognise the oppressive violence faced by homosexuals everybody and to finally declare that yes, gays are human ...
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Model UN: Breeding awareness, leadership
This is in response to the blog titled ‘Model UN: Breeding pointless Leadership’. The writer has made many generalisations in this article and I’ll try to use my limited knowledge to counter the opinions expressed by the author. Firstly, as the scope of Model United Nations (MUN) is global and not national, issues like Kashmir and Palestine are not the sole issues being discussed, rather they form a small segment of the 10-15 topics being discussed in different committees. As far as the practicality of the concept is concerned, delegates at such MUN conferences engage in extensive research on the ...
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Model UN: Breeding pointless leadership
The plague of Model United Nations (or MUN, an abbreviation that makes the idea sound slightly more worthwhile) has gripped most institutions in the country. For those few of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, MUN is an event where students represent different countries and stage a United Nations meeting. They supposedly ‘discuss’ world issues, propose solutions and argue with each other over the share of resources – little else is achieved in this process. Some of its supporters may argue that this platform is an excellent way of making the younger generation take an interest in current affairs. But ...
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The conditional humanity of Taliban
The Taliban have a humane side. No, I’m not kidding. It must be humanity that prompted the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to offer $20 million for the aid of flood victims and distribute relief goods. The scenario baffles the mind. Imagine the TTP in Swat, one of the worst hit areas. I assume victims would be directed to line up at Khooni Chowk in Mingora. I can imagine TTP workers shouting “All those who adhere to our brand of Islam, line up for aid. Anyone who dares to defy us, can go drown in the raging waters.” Obviously, this generous $20 million offer comes with a catch. The aid is available ...
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Goodwill, beyond boundaries
It is indeed heart warming to hear positive statements that the real face of Pakistan ‘are its hardworking, generous and beautiful people’ in an era when the world is awash with war-raged news. Sitting across the room, as I saw the longest serving goodwill ambassador of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) since 1998, I could not help but marvel at her humble attitude. “I am keen to use this opportunity to visit not just UNDP’s projects on the ground, but also to interact with a common Pakistani and to learn their culture, values and opinions,” she said with a ...
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Hypocrisy galore
The hypocrisy of this world can really mess with your head sometimes. So, by now you must have heard of the fresh wave of sanctions that have been imposed on Iran by the United Nations, and that too with a 12-2 vote count in favour. I am no proponent of Ahmadinejad’s politics, and certainly not of his provocative stances. What ticks me off, however, is how Israel manages to break every other international law or UN resolution in the book, and still walks away scot free! They pull off acts that nobody else in the world can ever think of ...
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