Sameera Rashid

The level of violence against women is frighteningly high in Pakistan. Women are killed, maimed, brutally tortured, raped and persecuted to perpetuate patriarchal societal norms, and now in these precarious times, to vindicate ideology of religious fanatics. When violence against women is justified in the name of socially approved traditions, religious laws, it unwittingly serve […]

Some of us, watching with bated breath the high-pitched drama named the ‘Long March for Revolution’ by Dr Tahirul Qadri, heaved a sigh of relief at the drop of the curtain. Indeed, it was an engrossing drama with a finger-waving fiery preacher as a hero, whose voice resonated with tens of thousands of people gathered […]

India was envisioned by its founding fathers as a pluralistic democracy, which would reflect the cultural, political, and religious aspirations of its diverse communities. The political vision of its founders was democratic and inclusive, but their economic vision was socialist; the former has seen an uninterrupted progress but the latter suffered rough jolts with the […]

Pakistanis love to discuss politics but dislike politicians, viewing them as corrupt, opportunistic and bereft of ethical principles. Sins of politicians are manifold: defaulting on bank loans, embezzling development funds for their personal use, and offering sanctuary to dacoits and contesting elections on fake degrees. The anti-politician bias has permeated deep into the psyche of […]

In the aftermath of the 1857 War of Independence, when Muslim quarters at Delhi were razed to the ground and the Mughal royalty and nobility faced the wrath of British colonial power, some of the eminent Indian ulema moved out of Delhi and established madrassahs in qasbahs (small towns) of Deoband, Saharanpur, Gangoh, Bareilly and […]

Fazlullah has been chosen to lead the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), possibly because of his staunch anti-peace talks stance. After his election, the TTP spokesman categorically refused to hold talks, calling the government of Pakistan “a US puppet”. The backing of the Afghan Taliban — possibly of Mullah Omar — also played a role in his […]

After the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud in a drone strike, a council of Taliban leaders belonging to different tribal agencies and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) selected Maulana Fazlullah as the head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). By elevating Fazlullah to the top position, the TTP has not only marked a break with its past […]

The arguments against the peace process are tenable, but the pro-peace talks lobby extends some equally reasonable arguments. One, the agenda of talks enjoys popular legitimacy as pro-peace political parties were voted into power. Two, holding negotiations with militants might aid in splintering the hydra-headed TTP, as for some militants, political reintegration might outweigh the […]

In recent weeks, the upsurge in militant attacks has reignited a bitter debate on the issue of peace talks with the militants. And each new violent event either seems to push the momentum towards peace talks, or seemingly, causes the evolving process to falter. In the wake of the death of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Tehreek-e-Taliban […]

After the invasion of Afghanistan by the United States of America and its allies in 2001, as the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda militants moved into tribal areas, they succeeded in networking with homegrown militant outfits due to the well-entrenched jihadi infrastructure. Therefore, it can be argued that conditions were already ripe in Pakistan for […]