Search Results for *talibanisation*
April 12, 2007
Editor’s Note: April 2007
Hello, is anyone in charge in this country? The ‘holy spirits’ are raising hell in the federal capital, but the men in uniform do not appear to be unduly concerned. Their failure to handle the Jamia Hafsa issue with an…
March 14, 2007
‘Jihad’ Against Female Education
It was a regular morning for the young girls who trooped into the school building in Dara Adamkhel. The unsuspecting students froze in their tracks, however, on spotting a sinister warning affixed to the notice board of Mohammed Hussain Maila…
October 17, 2006
Publicity Stunt?
He was cool and relaxed in a baby blue shirt, deep blue tie and navy jacket. His hair was expertly blow-dried. As the TV cameras zoomed in, President Pervez Musharraf looked slick, sartorially and otherwise. And when veteran interviewer Steve…
October 17, 2006
Musharraf’s Doublespeak
Though President Musharraf’s latest sojourn to the United States may have reinforced his status as America’s favourite dictator, his standing as a credible leader has hit a new low. During his inordinately long stay in New York, for the United…
October 13, 2006
Accord and Discord
Last month’s peace accord in North Waziristan is the latest point of discord between Islamabad and Kabul. Their uneasy relations have entered a new phase of uncertainty on account of Kabul’s strong belief that the agreement between pro-Taliban tribal militants…
June 11, 2006
Sex, Lies and VIPs
Afsana, a slight eight-year-old girl, was not really sure what she was doing at Lal Chowk in the midst of an angry demonstration on a sultry day in May. One hand was clutched tightly by a burqa-clad woman shouting slogans…
April 15, 2005
Generals and the Genie
One of the reasons that people have difficulty in comprehanding General Pervez Musharaf’s rhetoric about promoting ‘enlightened moderation’ and combating religious extremism is the fact that the military and the mullah in Pakistan have become extremely close allies, with each…
January 5, 2004
Canadian Nightmare
The pre-dawn darkness was pierced by light beams coming from long columns of police vehicles on the deserted streets of Toronto, Canada. In the cars, men on a mission: to swoop upon homes in different parts of the city to…
July 15, 2003
Time Up for Jamali
While President Musharraf continues to deny that he has any intention of packing up Parliament or dismissing the Jamali government, Islamabad is rife with rumours of an imminent political shake-up. The buzz is not without basis. The President’s men are…
July 15, 2003
Backward March
Special prayers are offered at the huge Jama Masjid in the heart of Peshawar city after the passage of the Shariat law in the Frontier province. The cleric delivers a sermon, following which MMA supporters start marching towards ‘Markaz-e-Islami,’ the…