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Posts published in “Pak Media comment”

Second turns: edit in Dawn, November 4th, 2020

THE feeling elsewhere in the government may not yet be one of rapid transformation but change is constant in the information ministry of Punjab. Four turns have already been played, and now we have Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan taking things into her able hands from Fayyazul Hasan Chohan. The outgoing minister was generous with directing his most piercing lines — many of them in the form of crude one-liners — against the PTI government’s opponents.…

Is Pakistan safe for women?: op-ed by Saman Masud Khan in The News, Nov 4, 2020

The writer is a lawyer and activist.A common feature of coercion is the abuse of power to subjugate the rape victim, especially in situations where deprivation or dire consequences are threatened. Categories of rape can include marital rape, stranger rape, gang rape and systematic rape during war. Pakistan’s laws previously included rape in the Offence of Zina Ordinance 1979, which made the crime a religious offence, subject to different standards of evidence and punishment, and…

Forced conversion: edit in Dawn, November 4th, 2020

AN important case is being heard at the Sindh High Court, one that has a critical bearing on the rights of minorities, particularly the thorny question of religious conversion when it goes hand in hand with underage marriage. A Christian girl named Arzoo recently sought a court injunction to prevent the registration of a kidnapping case against a man with whom she had undergone a nikah ceremony, and his family. She had claimed in an…

Protecting the minority: edit in The News, Nov 4, 2020

The sudden case of Arzoo Masih, known better as Arzoo Raja, has brought some much-needed attention to the problem of forced conversions and our general treatment of religious minorities. The case began when she was abducted from inside her home while playing with her brother and sister by a neighbour said to be 44 years old. The neighbour has claimed he chose to marry her since she was 18 years old, although her documents, including…

Afghan peace—the final countdown: op-ed

by Raashid Wali Janjua in The Nation, November 02, 2020The writer is a security and defence analyst and a PhD scholar.The world awaits with baited breath for the outcome of the Intra-Afghan talks. They are a part of an important deal between the United States and the Taliban, signed in February 2020. The win-win peace formulation that promises to usher us into a new era of peace, security and development remains a pipe dream when…

The political chessboard :op-ed by Hasaan Khawar in The Express Tribune, Nov 3rd, 2020.

The writer is an international development professional, based in IslamabadPolitical temperature is high, and uncertainty abounds. The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is on a roll with the next rallies planned for Peshawar, Multan and Lahore and an ensuing war of words touching some sensitive nerve points. Interestingly, the 11-party united opposition front means different things to different quarters. The government portrays it as an alliance of the corrupt, to evade accountability and malign state institutions.…

Moves to divide PDM will fail, says PML-N leader

report in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020QUETTA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Senator Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar said on Monday that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government’s moves to divide the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would fail. He said the PDM leadership was united and it was fighting for the restoration of democracy and upholding of Constitution in the country. Talking to reporters in Loralai, the PML-N leader said that all conspiracies against the…

Kabul University Attack: edit in The Nation, Nov 3, 2020

Every day, we see crimes against the civilian population in Afghanistan continue, without any sign of the stakeholders to the peace process intervene in any helpful way. On Monday, the devastating attack on Kabul University, which had led to at least twenty-five deaths and 15 injured at the time of writing this, was yet another horrific tragedy that the victims and their families will not forget anytime soon. So far, no group has taken responsibility…

Pak Afghan Relations: Keep Business & Politics separate

by Imtiaz Gul in daily Times, Nov 3, 2020The writer is Editor, Strategic Affairs, and also heads the independent Centre for Research and Security Studies, IslamabadAfter a long time, the vibes accompanying bilateral relations are encouraging. The heavily-attended two-day Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment conference at Islamabad left positive impressions, and resulted in a number of recommendations for improving bilateral political and trade relations. The conference also highlighted the centrality of the parliament in pushing political…

Escalating tension: Editorial in Dawn, November 3rd, 2020

THE political situation in the country is getting tenser by the day. The anti-government campaign by the opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement, has raised the temperature and triggered a fierce reaction from the government. The war of words is escalating dangerously and the nature of mutual accusations is getting inflammatory. On Sunday, while addressing a gathering in GB, Prime Minister Imran Khan used harsh language against the opposition and once again accused them of…

Futility of treason charges: Editorial in Pakistan Today, November 3rd, 2020

Pakistan has an unfortunate history of calling political opponents traitors and charging them of sedition. Over the decades some of the most patriotic people had to face the charge. Captain (later Colonel) Hasan Khan who arrested Dogra Brig Ghansara Singh and declared Gilgit a part of Pakistan in 1947 was in later years arrested and sentenced in Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case along with Maj Gen Akbar Khan who had led a tribal lashkar, patriotic volunteers and…