For FATA residents, the good news may be short-lived on May 29, 2018After the passage of the 31st Constitutional Amendment from both the houses of the Parliament as well as by the provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the merger of FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa awaited just the assent of the President of Pakistan. On Monday, the President did put his signatures on a key piece of legislation, […]
Rest in Peace Madeeha Gauhar! on April 26, 2018Madeeha Gauhar’s passing is not just the end of what will probably be considered the golden age of Pakistani theatre, it is a great loss for progressive, pro-peace voices in this country. Above all, it is a personal loss for her family, friends and admirers. My first introduction to her was through TV. This was […]
Human Rights defenders say that the Chair of Inquiry Commission on Enforced Disappearances should be replaced on April 18, 2018Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has not done much about the plight of missing persons, said Ms. Amna Masood Janjua, who has been campaigning against enforced disappearances. Talking to Daily Times she criticised the briefing by Justice (r) Javed Iqbal that he offered to National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights on Tuesday. Ms. […]
The curious case of Geo News suspension on April 2, 2018As reports emerge that Geo News has been taken off air in various areas across the country, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has categorically denied that her ministry has issued any directives for the suspension of the channel’s transmission. Talking to Daily Times on Sunday, she said, “the government hasn’t shut down […]
Senate and Pakistan’s Project Democracy on March 13, 2018 The process Senate elections were completed yesterday with the oath taking of newly elected senators and subsequent elections of the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson of the upper house of the parliament. This process has been at the centre of a multitude of conspiracy theories since last at least one year. Even in its […]
Senate chair: who plays what on March 12, 2018After holding elections on 52 seats on March 3, the 104-seat strong house is scheduled to meet on Monday (today) at 10am to elect its new chairperson and deputy chairperson. With the high-profile election due today, the capital remained a busy city over the weekend. Three major parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples […]
Empire Strikes Back on February 22, 2018In what may prove a decisive blow to Nawaz Sharif’s political career, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled on Wednesday to bar him from heading his political party for being disqualified from the membership of the Parliament. The judgement left many concerned about the promotion and protection of fundamental rights baffled for being in direct […]
Funeral bridges religious and ethnic divides on February 14, 2018Asma Jahangir’s funeral was an emotionally draining yet an energising experience in unique ways. People of all ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, and social classes came to bid adieu to her. Only she could manage to amass such a wide spectrum of the society at such an occasion. There were trans people, women, men, youngsters, older […]
Long Live Asma Jahangir on February 12, 2018If death is defined as the end of life, Asma Jahangir hasn’t really died. The larger than life, iconic defender of human rights and the most daring challenger of the status quo, Asma Jahangir breathed her last at her home in Lahore on Tuesday. With her, we lost the most towering hero of our age, […]
In pictures: Pak-Afghan border fencing in progress on February 10, 2018MIRANSHAH: Undeterred by cross-border attacks and braving the inhospitable weather in the rugged terrain, Pakistan Army is determined to complete the border fortification process by the end of 2019. Read: Pak-Afghan border: Fencing to finish by 2019