Islamabad had recently seen a bloodbath of sorts. But with the rather unfortunate end to the Lal Masjid crisis, it seemed that things would slowly proceed back to normal in the normally tranquil and almost deathly silent capital.
However, all such notions were rudely repulsed by the horrific bomb blast at the reception set for the Chief Justice. The stage and the surrounding area were completely destroyed by this explosion. Aitzaz Ahsan claimed it to be a time-bomb; but he was rudely snubbed on live tv as eye witness reports came in of yet another suicide attack.
Continue reading ‘Bomb-Blast at CJ Reception in Islamabad’
As the sun sets on yet another unneeded crisis in the country, the Army decides to rename their endeavour as Operation Sunrise. They can call it whatever they want, but that cannot change the darkness that we are experiencing at the moment. The minute by minute coverage of Pakistanis fighting their own and the Army killing civilians has left the nation sad and shocked. We are now forced to face certain realities that we cannot ignore.
The image and reputation that we had been able to somewhat salvage has now once again been horribly tarnished, innocent commandos and bystanders have lost their lives for an unknown cause, the sanctity of a mosque has been destroyed, and Musharraf has once again proved to the USA that he needs to be in charge.
Continue reading ‘‘Silence’ Prevails…’
The startling event of the past week have left many Pakistanis wondering as to the future of our country and how to percieve this latest happening.
I have been reading the comments posted by our readers and they highlight the sharp contrast that exists in our society today.
Whereas some suggest that the best solution is to slaughter all the maulvis (a rather irrational one in my opinion), others feel that this is just another in a series of Government propoganda, and those are just a few.
Continue reading ‘A Time for Understanding & Tolerance’
There have been a number of developments in the Lal Masjid episode since the crisis finally boiled over. After the series of events I feel saddened at even referring to the institution as a masjid.
Continue reading ‘Rapid Developments and a Burqa Escape!’
Yesterday’s events highlighted many aspects concerning the current situation in Pakistan and of course without the national media coverage none of the aspects would have been so clear.
Too close for comfort
Continue reading ‘Lal Masjid: the media’s coverage’
The Lal Masjid crisis, which has proven to be quite a thorn in Musharraf’s side for the past six months, finally took an ugly turn today morning.
Even though the media channels are having yet another field day and declaring this a blot on Pakistan’s reputation (frankly I think its just another one in a whole patch of blots), the real story is still a bit hazy.
However, what has been confirmed is that students at the Lal Masjid opened fire on the Ranger’s posts set up near the mosque, primarily due to the fear of a Government operation. This resulted in retaliation from the Rangers and local Police in the form of tear-gas and firing as well.
Continue reading ‘Lal Masjid Crisis Boils Over’
Ok so here is an update on my previous post. This is a long one, but I’ve tried to summarise several news reports at the beginning before pasting them in full. Read the next couple of paragraphs if you would like a summary of what’s been happening.
1. Summary
My source, who has contacted Dr Sultana and others at QAU, states:
- The assailant has been transferred to Adiala jail i.e. he did NOT get bail.
- Dr Sultana filed the FIR as an individual, not the QAU as an institution. This means that Dr Sultana is now even more vulnerable with regards to her personal safety, especially as numerous “relatives” of the perpetrator are coming over and begging Dr Sultana for forgiveness and a retraction of her FIR — at least one of whom has been identified/ recognized as a member of an unnamed “agency”.
Here is a summary of the newspaper reports posted below:
- Most newspapers have reported this incident truthfully, giving an honest account of the attacker’s motives. However, the Daily Times report has given it a love angle and turned it into an estranged lover’s story. There is enough to suggest that that’s untrue and that Dr Sultana was attacked because she was not wearing a hijab.
- Students of Lal Masjid have acquired wireless communication sets for fast communication with permission from the Islamabad Frequency Allocation Board (IFAB). This is a couple of weeks after the government started ‘Operation Lal Deen’ against these students. The IFAB have also allocated these students a separate frequency. 25 students have been given these wireless sets and assigned different areas to track the movement of law enforcement agencies.
- The Islamabad City Magistrate says he can do nothing about it, even if they are being used against the government, if the sets have been acquired legally with the permission of IFAB.
Continue reading ‘Update (May 11 2007): Female teacher assaulted at QAU; Lal Masjid goes wireless’
Where LoC means Lots of Coffee by Vinod Sharma - The Hindustan Times
Islamabad
One need not travel to Lahore and Karachi any longer for a taste of the Pakistani entrepreneurship, humour and its thinking people’s irrepressible urge for democratic freedom. The proof lies in the pudding served 24X7 at Civil Junction, a thoughtfully named cafeteria in the heart of the Pak capital.
CJ’s ‘Vajpayee’s cup of Coffee’ is one hot favourite: old, poetically smooth, chronically alone, mythologically brewed, firmly soft and, in short, more than you can expect.
“There is no foreign hand in its making,” the cafe’s elaborately done menu assures of the cuppa served since the Indian and Pakistani troops were eyeball-to-eyeball on the borders.
Of identical vintage and price, ‘Musharraf Guesspresso’ is CJ’s best bet: khaki and brewed under high pressure of discipline. Its base very, very strong; the real kick being in its aftertaste!
Continue reading ‘Cafe: Where LoC means Lots of Coffee’
Taken from the BBC website. Mr Alam has put down all that is negative about Islamabad and Pakistan. It is a shame that a man who probably spent his childhood growing up in Pakistan does not have a single positive thing to say about his country. Could he not mention the beauty of Islamabad, the greenery, the landscapes, the infrastructure of the city, the planning, the development, the high literacy rate, the architecture, and above all, the people.
Continue reading ‘First Impressions of Islamabad’
