Military deal signed between China and Pakistan

Islamabad and Beijing signed a document on Tuesday for bilateral military cooperation after talks between senior Chinese and Pakistani officials.

A high-powered Chinese delegation, led by Deputy Chief of General Staff General Ma Xiaotian, held discussions at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi, to kickstart the 9th round of Pak-China Defence and Security talks, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Details of the document were not made public. One military official merely said that it reflected the increasing ongoing cooperation between the two countries.  This cooperation, the official added, included high level exchanges, training programmes and intelligence sharing.

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STRATEGIC PIVOT TO NOWHERE

 

When Britain and France launched pre-emptive military strikes last year that would eventually depose Libyan leader Muramar Qaddafi and his regime, one of President Barack Obama’s most senior advisors described U.S. involvement as “leading from behind,” a most unfortunate descriptor that haunted the administration much as George W. Bush’s “mission accomplished” label early in the 2003 Iraq war repeatedly hounded him.  Then, this January, in announcing a new defense strategy, the White House made another blunder.  This strategy was proclaimed as “a strategic pivot to Asia.”

Almost immediately, the administration reversed gears.  No one easily accepts responsibility for a major gaffe and “rebalancing” became the palliative excuse.  Yet, the damage was done.  And the real reason for the pivot, namely an “emerging” China—another offensive reference— was as unmentioned by the White House much as a bizarre relative is hidden in the attic so as not to frighten the kiddies.

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Sufism at Dharki

Dharki, a city located in the Ghotki District of upper Sindh is home to a sizable Muslim community, as well as a Hindu minority.

The Sant Satram Das Temple, with its sprawling grounds is overlooked by multiple statues of Hindu deities and is located close to the Bharchundi Sharif Shrine.

The shrine is a Sufi centre with a madrassah that has been mentioned in the media in connection with a high number of alleged forced conversions of members from the Hindu community in the area.

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COUNTERING BLASPHEMY

There is persistent outflow of anti-Islam literature in various forms: movies, caricatures, printed matter and word of mouth. Pattern is of a well orchestrated, multi-pronged campaign to keep the Muslims off balance. Reactions by the governments of the countries from where such materials are originating have generally been varying: refusing to take responsibility, indifference, complacency, denial and outright defence of these, presumably non-state, media actors.

This is the fourth major event over the last few years that has caught global attention. Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard’s caricatures and Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders’ documentary became public in a quick succession. Then it was Pastor Terry Jones with his disgraceful plan to burn the Quran. Now is the feature film: ‘The Innocence of Muslims’. And without caring for the on-going global protest, French satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’ has published sacrilegious cartoons of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). To rub salt to the injury, the French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has commented, “We are in a country where freedom of expression is guaranteed, including freedom to caricature.”

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The peaceful rallies media failed to cover

What the Media Did Not Tell You; Pakistan’s Protests Marred Against Blasphemy on Ishq-E-Rasool Day.

How the Miscreants Drowned Out the Sane Voices

In a disappointing turn of events, the small but vicious crowd of hooligans bent on destruction & vandalism was largely successful in damaging the efforts of hundreds and thousands of Pakistanis on Ishq-e-Rasool Day today. The hardwork that went behind the organization of hundreds of massive peaceful rallies went to waste as Pakistani media chose to selectively broadcast the violence through showing repeat telecasts of the few angry mobs, completely ignoring the larger protests taking place country-wide. As channel after channel showed clips of burning cinema houses, banks and police vehicles, it failed to show the crowds behind such disgusting and UnIslamic acts were small and in no way represented the 180 million Pakistanis. The few hundred people were nowhere near the half a million Pakistani Muslims who had taken to the streets today. All Ullama have unanimously condemned the vandalism and violence, which had nothing to do with Islam and Sunnah.

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Recipe for Disaster

“—When black people are attacked, they call it Racism. When Jewish people are attacked, they call it anti-Semitism. When  Women are attacked, they call it Gender Discrimination. When Homosexuals are attacked, they call it Intolerance. When they attack your Country, they call it Counter- Terrorism. When a Religious Sect is attacked, they call it Hate Speech. But when they attack the dignity of the Prophet of Islam, Prophet MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H), they call it “Freedom of Expression”—.

Samuel Huntington’s “The clash of Civilizations” planted the thought that Christianity and Islam may be headed for a clash. His idea probably was that thinking minds would work to avert such a catastrophic confrontation but unfortunately there were those who considered such a clash desirable and began work to bring it about. These were the Evangelicals who claimed divine guidance—remember former President Bush flabbergasting the French President by talking of ‘Gog and Magog’? Now with hindsight the progression of events that has brought us to the present day violence can be traced without going back into the ancient history of religious rivalries.

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Pakistan representations all over the world

Quaid-e-Azam’s Statue in York University, Toronto (Canada). It is a 1.5 metre high bronze statue.

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Untitled

More than a week has passed since the Sindh People Local Government Ordinance (SPLGO) was passed but there is still much confusion about it. Political parties are once again in the boxing ring hurling punches at each other on so many issues that the real issues have been left unaddressed. From its method of emergence, party alliances, down to the basic rights of the people of Sindh are being argued about. SPLGO has been rejected by all opposition parties. A three- day strike was called for by the Save Sindh Committee and endorsed by opposition parties. ANP’s minister in the Sindh cabinet even went to the length of resigning from the assembly.

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Three-day National Space Conference organized at COMSTECH

 

The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) is organizing a three-day National Space Conference from September 17 at COMSTECH Secretariat, Islamabad.

A statement here on Saturday said that the moot is aimed to create awareness amongst the decision-makers and the general public, about the importance and crucial role that space science and technology can play in contributing to the social and economic development of the country.

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Pakistanis protest against anti-Islam video

One person has died in the city of Hyderabad and at least eight people have been injured in protests across Pakistan against a controversial video mocking the Prophet Muhammad.

In the southern port city of Karachi,around 1,000 protesters began throwing stones and police responded with teargas and by firing into the air,Fayyaz Laghari,a senior policeman,said on Sunday.

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On blazes, mudslinging and resignations

Hell paid Karachi a haunting visit on September 11 and claimed approximately 258 factory workers for its own. Deadly industrial fires sparked almost simultaneously in twin incidents in Lahore and Karachi. At least 25 died as fire erupted in a shoe factory, killing the owner, his son and workers in the factory. The incident in Karachi was much more devastating in scale: up to 258 workers were suffocated or burnt alive at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi, which made ready-to-wear clothing for export to Western firms. These tragic events throw Pakistan’s shoddy business practices, rampant corruption and piddling law enforcement in a harsh spotlight that will hopefully linger for longer this time.

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Paintings of Pakistani culture and scenery showcased at Al-Hamra Art Centre

Highlighting culture, people and the landscape of Pakistan, two art exhibitions opened here on at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

Both art shows simultaneously opened in two separate galleries located at Alhamra. A number of art lovers, students from different art institutions, painters and other guests enjoyed the thriving art scene.

Razaq Vance, a National Geographic stock photographer, displayed photographs titled ‘The Living Land.’ By profession Razaq Vance is a zoologist and is working as an Assistant Professor at Samundri, Faisalabad. The colourful exhibition of photographs by the artist was his first solo; however, he has participated in a number of group shows in Pakistan and aboard.

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Afridi: whistleblower or traitor?

Shakil Afridi once again makes headlines with even more controversial statements. The doctor who headed a fake polio vaccination program was responsible for disclosing the hiding location of OBL to the US forces. The entire incident was a great source of embarrassment for the Pakistani government and especially the army. Rumors about  ISI’s involvement with militants grew a spine. 

Is Afridi a whistleblower or a traitor? Depends on which side of the fence we choose to stand on. For Pakistan Shakil Afridi is guilty of backstabbing his people. By working as a spy with the CIA, instead of helping Pakistan Army (equally involved, of not more, in the war on terror) Dr. Afridi has betrayed his people and nation on more than one level.

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The vicious cycle of artificially fed dictatorships

Last week Ban Ki-moon slammed the UN Security Council for inaction. 18 months of slaughter were silently witnessed as the East refused to meet the West. Today we have footages of weeping mothers holding their children’s dead bodies and aerial bombardment of innocent civilians struggling for a free, democratic and liberal Syria. The civilian death toll stands at a tall 20,000 according to the United Nations. Losing credibility, the United Nations Security Council needs to act up. And so, Ban Ki-moon is building a stronger case for intervention. And after 5 days of frustration the knights in shining armor shove aside all pretence of ‘cooperating’. Hilary Clinton stated yesterday that the US can act upon Syria unilaterally.

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Teetering on feeble roots

The age old rhetoric of our glorious past and abysmal present is taught in rote to everyone:from the child in grade five who learns that Muslims ruled over the ‘subcontinent’ for four hundred years,to a high school student who laments over how South Korea and Malaysia had adopted our five year economic plans and we couldn’t even successfully see one phase through.  Our glorious past consists of rarefied warriors,poets,philosophers,artists and statesmen who have collectively built our people a coffin of glass,where we lie on a bed of roses,in our pretty gown waiting for our Prince to come kiss us awake from our deep slumber.

Except it’s been sixty five years and the Prince is gallivanting elsewhere. Left to our own devices,lamenting and complaining isn’t helping anyone. It’s time to wake up from our slumber and instead of accepting the glass walls of our coffin as a beautiful memorial,we need to break free and critically evaluate our past,and take responsibility for our present.

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BALUCHISTAN: BACK FROM THE BRINK?

Recently launched report of the fact-finding mission to Baluchistan by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) stirs up as much anxiety as it radiates a ray of hope. It is too early to say that Baluchistanis on its way to recovery; however it will not be an overstatement if we say that it is back from the brink. This is not to undermine the seriousness of the heinous events which are frequently happening there. Most worrisome finding of the Commission is that the patterns and trends have not been reversed. Nevertheless, emergence of indigenous urge to recover out of the mess is something encouraging.  Special focus on Baluchistan by the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Government appointed commission on missing persons headed by Justice Javed Iqbal alongside HRCP provide us multiple windows on Baluchistan; these three entities have come out with similar observations about all major vows of Baluchistan.

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Pakistani born Kulsoom Abdullah, a star weight lifter

Sonya Rehman interviews Kulsoom Abdullah, a star weightlifter of Pakistani origin who broke new ground in American sports when she refused to take off her hijab.

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Pakistan in talks to hand port to China

Pakistan is planning to transfer operational control of its strategically important Gwadar deep water port from Singapore’s PSA International to a Chinese company, according to a Pakistani minister.

“We have reached an agreement with PSA where they have decided to leave the port at Gwadar. They are in discussions with a possible Chinese investor,” Babar Ghauri, Pakistan’s minister of ports and shipping, told the Financial Times in an interview.

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Why we must vote in elections

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Q&A with Imran Khan on Google Hangout on September 6

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) believes that to bring about genuine political change in Pakistan, Pakistanis must must better understand their leaders and their political postions.

With that, we bring to you an opportunity for anyone with an Internet connection to speak directly to Imran Khan using Google Hangouts On Air, this live session will be streamed to the world!

Do YOU have a Question that you would like to Ask Imran Khan?

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Blair and Bush termed war criminals by Tutu

LONDON: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu called Sunday for Tony Blair and George Bush to face prosecution at the International Criminal Court for their role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Tutu, the retired Anglican Church's archbishop of South Africa, wrote in an op-ed piece for The Observer newspaper that the ex-leaders of Britain and the United States should be made to "answer for their actions."

The Iraq war "has destabilized and polarized the world to a greater extent than any other conflict in history," wrote Tutu, who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1984.

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Pakistan need for change

Pakistan is a divided house. No matter how forcefully it is denied,the fact remains that Pakistan is now a deeply divided society with each side dug in deep. Reason and Logic are the first casualties of this divide in our society. No longer can one imagine having an honest discussion on any issue under the sun. No longer can you assume that the strength of your argument is how logical and rational it is. Instead we have lists. These lists are of things you can talk about and discuss while there are other lists of topics that you can no longer even mention as part of a discussion. It is as if all the key issues that matter are now off the table and any attempt at discussing them results in arguments that boil everything down to either the person being with the cause or against the cause. Essentially what has happened is that the middle path or rawadari,as it is called in Urdu,is now dead. Ours is a society that has killed Rawadari.

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NORTH WAZIRISTAN BLUES

North Waziristan is under international spotlight due to holing-up of a large number of hardened militants, combatants, criminals and terrorists. It also houses a portion of “Haqqani Net Work”. Haqqanis have never identified themselves as an autonomous entity; they present themselves as part of Afghan resistance under their ‘Ameer’: Mullah Omar.

Alongside usual brinkmanship, America has been making concerted effort for a face saving rapprochement with Haqqanis. The US is willing not only to engage the group in talks but is also ready to accommodate the group by giving it an important role in the future political set up of Afghanistan. United States is ready to hand over the control of three Afghan provinces to the Haqqanis if they agree to withdraw their support for the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan. “Neither the Americans nor Pakistanis can completely defeat the Haqqani network…We are ready for talks – but the problem is that the Haqqanis are really not forthcoming… Therefore, we have no option but to use force against them,” opined a senior American military official. This is not the first time that America wants to entice the Haqqanis. Following the ouster of the Taliban regime in 2001, Haqqani were offered the top positions, however they opted to go along with Mullah Omar. Haqqanis are considered crucial for the success of the Taliban insurgency.

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