Archive for April, 2008
Walk in Karachi for Judiciary - 30th April
Peoples Resistance shall hold a demonstration for restoration of judiciary on Wednesday April 30, 2008, at 6 pm at Dalton Market DHA, (in front of Rahat milk shop). Participants will walk down to the Legal Chief Justice of SHC, Mr. Sabihuddin Ahmed’s house for a 30 minute protest.
PR expresses its disappointment that [...]
Mainay Uss Say Yeh Kaha - Habib Jalib
A poem by Habib Jalib called “Musheer” (advisor) [lyrics]. Jalib wrote it as a satirical piece against Hafiz Jalandari in the period of Ayub Khan. It is equally valid today.
Credits:
Shahram Azhar - Vocals
Taimur Rahman - Music
Mahvash Waqar - Backing Vocals
Taimur Khan - Director Producer
Dita Peskova - Assistant Director
Jamie Mill - Recording Director
Laal & Taimur Khan [...]
Benazir’s cursed Apartment in Manhattan
Benazirs Cursed Apartment in Manhattan NY
The tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto has quite a number of conspiracy theorists lining up to offer their analysis, was it fate or destiny we may never know but some have gone to speculate it may have been the Bhutto curse where all members of the Bhutto dynasty are slowly [...]
Musharraf vs Restoration of Judges: Showdown
An article written by Abbas Kassar in The Pakistan Weekly caught my eye which was titled Musharraf Threatens To Dissolve Assemblies If Judges Restored, it raises some serious concerns about the looming threat wielded by Musharraf and his right to exercise article 58-2(B) of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. Quite simply utilizing this [...]
Husain Haqqani: A Tumultous Career
Guest Post by Masoor Hallaj
As per the news of The News International dated [December 17, 2007] Nahid Khan, the political secretary to Benazir Bhutto, has withdrawn her nomination papers in protest over the awarding of a PPP ticket to Farahnaz Ispahani. According to party sources, Nahid Khan was not happy with the award of the [...]
Indian Railway Minister Lalu Prasad enjoys a joke
The lighter side of Parliamentary politics in India
Husain Haqqani: A Follow up Post
Guest Blog post by Phil
A recent post run by Teeth Maestro on his blog that features another renowned web-activist that goes by the pseudonym of Temporal and writes at Baithak and discusses how a few old faces are reappearing and how they are making sure that their government service’s maligned past is buried and [...]
Peoples Resistance meets CM Sindh for Dr. Riaz
Today afternoon a delegation of the Peoples Resistance visited the Chief Minister house and met the CM Mr. Qaim Ali Shah in a one-on-one meeting to discuss at length the issue of Dr. Riaz Ahmed and his maltreatment at the hand of Rangers on March 31st. This meeting was hurriedly arranged by the members [...]
Zardarigate: Who’s Afraid of Judiciary?
Guest Post by Temporal at Baithak
I read this passage in a column by Anjum Niaz in the Daily Dawn of April 13, 2007. Interestingly, the link I had saved for her column in Dawn does not work. I googled and again I got the same link to her column -
ISLAMABAD DATELINE: Amar Prem -DAWN Magazine; [...]
Dr. Riaz Update: Judgement reserved till Monday
Posted on the People’s Resistance network
There was a hearing of Riaz’s bail application in High Court on Friday. Typically, such hearings can take upto several months to complete. However, on Friday, the judge (current CJ SHC, Soomro) said he had to “issue an order today”.
The lawyer for rangers too insisted that the case be decided [...]
Treason
Guest Post by Amer Nazir
Living in exile, in my loneliness, I often wonder. I wonder about my homeland. I wonder about patriotism. What exactly is my country, to whom shall I give my loyalty – the land, the people or the regime? It is difficult to decide when all three are in conflict with each [...]
Muneer Malik awarded the 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
muneermalik
The May 18 Memorial Foundation in Gwangju, Korea proclaimed Mr. Muneer A. Malik as the winner for the 2008 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights.
Mr. Muneer A. Malik was the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association who has played an enormous role in the struggle of the lawyers, judges and the rest of the [...]
RSF: Open letter to Prime Minister Gillani urging 10 steps for Press Freedom
Reporters Without Borders sent an open letter yesterday to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani hailing a bill introduced by his government in the national assembly to repeal repressive amendments to a 2002 broadcast media law that were decreed by President Pervez Musharraf on 3 November 2007.
“This is a victory for the editorial freedom of the [...]
Exporting Rights Violations
Exporting Rights Violations
America should be cautious lest it reaps what it sows
By SAMAD KHURRAM
The Bill of Rights—the essence of American civil liberties—contains crucial provisions for protecting free speech, due process, and a fair and speedy trial among other things. The U.S. Constitution, in turn, was arguably a precedent for Universal Declaration of [...]
Sher Afgan’s counsel denies FIR against lawyers
It seems a very deliberate plan is under way to implicate lawyers and tarnish their image in the eyes of the public. The embarrassing way Sher Afghan was thrashed in Lahore a few days back could not only be the mastermind of a conspirator trying to make use of the strategic location. Just [...]
Protest Against Altaf Hussain and MQM in London
Protest in London
A number of human rights activists gathered outside the MQM offices in London UK (Elizabeth House, Edgware, Middlesex) to protest against the atrocities committed in Karachi on April 9th 2008, in which a number of lawyers & innocent citizens were burnt alive and transport drivers were killed by bullet injury. [...]
Pakistani Finalists on the Time 100 Most Inflential
TIME 100
TIME magazine has published a list of 200 people who it thinks are the most influential people in the world today, this list will soon be narrowed down in half and we all get a chance to share our rankings. There are four Pakistanis on the list Musharraf, Kiyani, Prime Minister Gilani [...]
Protest outside MQM’s International Secretariat on April 13th
Dear all,
Join us for a protest outside MQM’s International Secretariat - Altaf Hussain’s office - to condemn the attrocities committed in Karachi against civil society and lawyers.
Location: MQM OFFICES IN LONDON AT 1PM AT ELIZABETH HOUSE, 54-58 HIGH STREET, EDGWARE, MIDDLESEX, HA8 7EJ.
Time: ON APRIL 13TH. 1 pm
PLEASE DO MAKE THE EFFORT - EVERY SINGLE [...]
MQM drama ends in a few hours
Just heard that the MQM chief’s resignation drama has ended after a few hours when multiple officials including the Town Nazim and Senators resigned after him!
Yet again we make a fool of ourselves in front of the entire world.but more importantly this was simply a way to show politicans in Pakistan the control Altaf Hussain [...]
PEMRA Ord. has expired, no need for repeal Bill in Parliament
The Minister of Information just recently made an announcement that the PEMRA Ordinance of 2002 which was extensively amended on Nov 3rd is being repealed by floating a Bill in the Parliament.
According to a very respected legal council the 10 Amendments made to the PEMRA ordinance on Nov 3rd have duly expired after [...]
Altaf Hussain Steps Down as MQM Chief
Don’t know if its good news or bad news but Altaf Hussain Steps Down as MQM Chief
He is at the moment addeasing a jalsa on TV right now and is blaming yesterdays riots and the killing of 5 lawyers who were either workers or sympathizers of the party for his resignation
Its more then a simple [...]
Karachi Riots: MQM & The Establishment - To Blame
I would like to share with you an analysis shared by a lawyer who claims that MQM deliberately started the fight and then took the battle onto the streets if Karachi
So far as I have been able to ascertain, the turmoil started around 12.00 in the Karachi Bar Association when a group of lawyers belonging [...]
Karachi Riots: Call for Pictures, Videos and Personal Experiences
Yesterday Karachi faced yet another gloomy day, last count was that around eight people have been killed in the riots that broke off starting from the City Courts and then engulfed the rest of the city. A few dozen cars were torched and hundreds of vehicles damaged. Whosoever is to blame to yesterdays carnage [...]
Bear Witness With Me Dear Motherland
Watan Ki Miti Gawah Rehna
I share with you a very heart touching article written by Anwar Mansuri and Munawer Azeem for DAWN’s Crime Diary. I suggest everyone to take the time to read this summarized reproduction of Umar Deen’s suicide note. I fear this is just the tip of the ice-berg unless immediate [...]
Sher Afghan thrashed - MQM & PPP spinmasters deflecting the blame
This evening in yet another embarrassing move, a rowdy crowd physically assaulted Ex-Minister Sher afghan in Lahore. Though the blame is being placed on the Lawyers (MQM desperately wants to pin the blame on Lawyers and Civil Society) but it is apparent that the rowdy crowd dressed in plains clothes (not lawyers) thrashed Sher [...]
Dharna at Karachi University
6035|300px
The report from the Karachi University Dharna was great, despite a total University holiday we were able to get a large group of supporters for Dr Riaz.
The protest started at 12:30pm sharp at the Silver Jubilee gate and by around 1:00pm we were able to stage a 15 minute Dharna blocking the main university [...]
Karachi University Professor granted ‘Bail before Arrest’
Dr. Riaz Ahmed, the Karachi University professor who was brutally manhandled by the Rangers and then accused of assaulting the armed personnel has just been given Bail before arrest.
The issue will now come to a showdown as it is expected that he will formally submit his application for registering an FIR at the Mubina [...]
Geo News blocked in Karachi - MQM election rigging allegations
It is being reported throughout the city of Karachi that Geo News was suddenly taken off-air during the Capital Talk show where Ansar Abbasi stated that MQM won the election due to massive rigging. This statement apparently aggravated the leadership in Karachi forcing the channel off-air in Karachi. More updates to follow
First updated [...]
Arbab Ghulam Rahim gets Slapped with a Shoe
Today at the Sindh Assembly Arbab Ghulam Rahim gets a royal treatment with a shoe slapped across his forehead. It may seem funny for many, sweet revenge for others but all said as members of a democratic and sane society we must condemn this act as this is no way to treat an elected [...]
Ansar Burney (Singh): The Human Rights Minister for Indians
Ansar Burney completed his tenure as the first ever caretaker minister of human rights. During his four months stint in the Ministry of Law, Burney worked hard tirelessly for providing a safe passage for suspected and convicted enemies of Pakistan while completely disregarding Pakistanis. He even went a step further by actively trying to dissuade [...]
Court orders Police to Register FIR & Two Rangers posted out
Riaz Sessions Court Order for FIR
In an order issued by the Sessions Court the Honorable Judge Abdul Rehman Bhatti has order the Mubina Police Station SHO to register an FIR as furnished by Dr. Riaz Ahmed. It is anticipated that Dr. Riaz will seek bail before arrest tomorrow on the false FIR lodged by [...]
