Monthly Archives: February 2009

Women decide to fight back

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

FOR the Women`s Action Forum, 2008 was a landmark year. Three new chapters were launched in Hyderabad, Sukkur and Khairpur. To celebrate this expansion, 50 women from the new chapters and WAF Karachi met in Hyderabad for their first Sindh convention on Feb 14.

This amounted to making a strong political statement on women`s rights — WAF refused to be intimidated at a time when the Taliban were having a field day in Swat.
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Education policy, will it work?

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

On Pakistan Day, the nation will be presented with a gift from the government — a new education policy. The education minister told the media the other day that the draft policy had been sent to the provincial governments for their feedback.

The assurances Mir Hazar Khan Bajarani held out amounted to offering the people the moon. Hence disappointment may be in store.
Continue reading Education policy, will it work?

Dr Khan’s new mission

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

DR A.Q. KHAN, who is a hero to many as the father of Pakistan`s atom bomb, was declared a free citizen by the Islamabad High Court last week. The government has said it will appeal against the ruling.
Yet many rejoiced at Dr Khan`s winning his freedom that was said to be limited by mutually agreed conditions imposed on him by the government. The scientist has promised to spend his days spreading education though it is not clear what his message will be.
Continue reading Dr Khan’s new mission

Education: the common enemy

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

THE Taliban`s move to bomb and torch schools — most of them girls` — have caught the public eye in a dramatic way. Nearly 200 schools have been attacked in Swat alone in the last several months.

Educational institutions in Fata and some of the settled districts of the NWFP have not been spared either. In fact, the first school that was bombed was in Angoor Adda in South Waziristan in February 2006.
Continue reading Education: the common enemy