First, they refuted the claims of the movement. Then they used intimidation to silence it. Now, they have openly threatened to use force if the movement crossed the “red line.” These tactics are neither new nor limited to Pakistan. China has used them. Its leader Mr. Xi has introduced a new episode of repression. Russia […]
China’s war on Uighur Muslims
Reports have abounded in the press in recent months about the alleged human rights violations by the Chinese government against Uighur Muslims in the small autonomous region of Ningxia in north-central China. The major allegation is that China considers Islam as a ‘mental illness’. And that the government has set up training camps to cure […]
Why do we obey the law?
Suppose your friend is driving you home after a late night shift at work. She stops at the red traffic light even though there are no cars or police around. You ask, “Why did you stop? There is no one around.” She replies, “I know, but it is the law. I have to obey it.” […]
The best revenge is not being like your enemy
As the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) continues to challenge Pakistan’s most powerful institution- the military, its supporters have protested in Canada, the United States, Denmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom against policies of war in the Pashtun region. However, in their own country, the State’s intelligence apparatus and security agencies have done everything possible to […]
What goes on in the bigot’s mind?
Over the past couple of months, I have read a few books in which the main theme is very relevant to all that is going on in Pakistan, particularly the Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and the state’s response to it. These include The Bigot by Stephen Bronner, The True Believer by Eric Hoffer, Anti-Semite and […]
Manzoor Pashteen and state’s intransigence
The Pakistani state’s intransigence about the legitimate demands of ethno-nationalist movements is not new. The war with Bengalis in 1971 and the seven-decade-long conflict with the Baloch demonstrate it well. The newly launched historic Pakhtun Tahfuz Movement (PTM) should not be taken aback by it. The PTM should not make mistakes that could get it […]
Naqeeb Mehsud’s death and the problem of “terrorism” framing
Three weeks ago, the Karachi police murdered Naqeeb Mehsud over unwarranted terrorism charges. Naqeeb was a native of Makin, South Waziristan, and resident of the city as his family and he had migrated to Karachi in the wake of military operations in their hometown. On initial inquiry after the murder, his profile did not fit […]
The curse of Pakistan’s enforced disappearances: Activist Raza Khan goes missing from Lahore
LAHORE: A social activist Raza Mehmood Khan has gone missing from Pakistan’s Lahore city following a discussion session on the topic of extremism. The activist had held the meeting in the context of a recent sit-in staged by religious parties in Faizabad, Islamabad, and the State’s subsequent capitulation to it. “After the end of our meeting […]
The firm, yet cautious China and the responsibility to protect
China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and a leading world economy. Hence, it is important to understand its foreign policy towards the ‘responsibility to protect’ or R2P. R2P is a norm developed at the beginning of the century to protect populations from intra-state mass atrocities (such as genocide, war […]
Critical reading and thinking can save you!
In a conversation, the owner of a small restaurant in San Diego tells me that thousands of IS fighters are breaking into the city from Tijuana. A bulky waitress on counter and a guest couple on a side table also make gestures of agreement with him. But, I have no idea what the heck this […]