July 2009

Pakistani woman activist awarded Humanitarian award

By Ibrahim Sajid Malick

WASHINGTON: Women’s rights advocate Sameena Nazir was recognized Friday at InterAction’s annual forum, the largest forum for the not-for-profit, corporate and government sectors in Washington DC.

Nazir is the first Pakistani to ever receive the Humanitarian Award which is given annually to individuals who have made significant contributions in the developing world and whose work reflects such qualities as courage, initiative, and grace under pressure, integrity and personal sacrifice.Read More »Pakistani woman activist awarded Humanitarian award

Supreme Court of Pakistan declares Nov 3 2007 actions unconstitutional

supremecourt1ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday declared the steps taken on November 3, 2007 by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional.

The judgment came after the 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry completed the hearing of constitutional petitions regarding PCO judges, appointments of judges of higher judiciary and November 3, 2007 steps.Read More »Supreme Court of Pakistan declares Nov 3 2007 actions unconstitutional

Hazards of “Commercialization” in Lahore

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Ahmad Rafay Alam

When the Lahore Development Authority published full-page advertisements inviting people to submit their opinions on whether or not 58 of the city’s roads should be ‘commercialised’, it struck one as ironic how an unrepresentative organisation like the LDA should suddenly turn to the people for input on complex urban planning issues.

Then again, there is much more to the concept of commercialisation that meets the eye. And most of it is incredibly destructive to urban development.Read More »Hazards of “Commercialization” in Lahore

Strategic Dialogue between Russia and USA

Mehmood-Ul-Hassan Khan

Russia remains the world’s biggest state with enormous natural resources and a huge arsenal of non-conventional weapons.

The leaders of Russian Federation and the USA are trying their levels best to restart strategic dialogue between the two countries. Recently, Barak Hussian Obama visited to Moscow and met with his counterpart Dmitry Medvede and discussed on many important regional and global issues. Some strategic experts say that it is paradigm shift in the US foreign policy while others term it style over substance. Many political scientists predict that it is the restart of new great game in the Central Asia region.Read More »Strategic Dialogue between Russia and USA

ANTI-ISLAMIC ATTITUDE OF TALIBAN

By T.H Shah

T H Shah1The recent suicidal attacks at Pearl Continental Hotel Peshawar on 10th June 2007 which led to series of bomb blasts on mosques in Pakistan raise many questions concerning love and affinity of Taliban to Islam.  Taliban have been reported to have accepted the responsibility of these brutal attacks and sought justification on the premise that these places been centre of anti-Islamic forces, and that they will continue such attacks in future as well. Read More »ANTI-ISLAMIC ATTITUDE OF TALIBAN

HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE OF CRISES MANAGEMENT

By T.H Shah

T H Shah1In a wake of heavy monsoon downpour in Karachi and Lahore, many casualties have been reported causing crushing blow to the victim families. At least thirty people reported to have been died and more than sixty injured due to last day heavy rain in Karachi. Though the monsoon raining is enthusiastically welcomed in Pakistan for it is harbinger of pleasant buffets of winds and rains in unbearable hot weather, but it has some sorrowful strings that usually remain invisible to the people because of absence of crisis management structure and ill-conceived city planning in the country. The death of these people in Karachi crops up many questions from sociological viewpoint as in Pakistan, large numbers of families depends upon the earning of one person who is the main source of livelihood for his or her family members. Obviously, the death has deprived the victim families of their main financial support and they are left with nothing. If the died ones includes anyone doing menial job or labouring for baking his or her bread, then the loss is extremely unbearable for the victim family.Read More »HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE OF CRISES MANAGEMENT

First-ever goods train from Islamabad to Istanbul on Aug-14-2009

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By Mumtaz Alvi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Iran and Turkey will alter the course of history on August 14, when the first-ever freight train will kick off its 6,506-kilometre journey from Islamabad to Istanbul via Iran.

The first train, tagged as the demonstration train, will take 15 days from Pakistan’s federal capital to the Turkish capital, whereas a ship takes 40-45 days from Karachi to a Turkish port. As many as 20 containers will be attached to the locomotive.
Read More »First-ever goods train from Islamabad to Istanbul on Aug-14-2009

Media Muzzled in Pakistani Kashmir

image zafar iqbalBy Zafar Iqbal

The uppermost court in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has banned the publication of news about it without its permission. All editors and media publishers in Pakistan and its part of Kashmir  received an order from the Supreme Court that they can not publish any matter about the court, except  issued by the  body itself. In this regard, official press note  said that in recent days some news items were published in Pakistani press about the Chief Justice (CJ) AJK Supreme Court and other judges which are ‘damaging the credibility of the institution’,Read More »Media Muzzled in Pakistani Kashmir