By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
A REPORT recently released by Fafen (Free and Fair Election Network), an umbrella organisation of 30 civil society groups working to foster democratic accountability in Pakistan, should provide us some food for thought on the workings of our democracy.
Continue reading Strange ways of our MPs
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
NOTWITHSTANDING the rumpus created by President Barack Obama`s remarks about the Zardari government being “extremely fragile” the latter observation should provide some food for thought to Pakistanis.
In a damage-control attempt the US special envoy Richard Holbrooke tried to explain off the reports on the president`s statement as being “journalistic garbage, journalistic gobbledygook”.
Continue reading Is Obama’s concern justified?
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
MUCH has been said about the shameful performance of our parliament on April 13 when it approved the controversial Nizam-i-Adl Regulation without much of a murmur.
The two members who protested, MQM`s Farooq Sattar and the PML-N MNA from Chakwal, Ayaz Amir, have received much-deserved accolades — albeit given grudgingly to the MQM. But why did the others lose their voice? What happened to the women?
Continue reading Where were you dear sisters?
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: The WIP
Peace activists in Pakistan and India are attempting desperately to be heard above the din raised by warmongers – elitist by all counts and claiming to be patriotic as well – in the wake of the Mumbai carnage. Jingoism is in the air – be it from so-called nationalists (posing as analysts on television) advocating a nuclear attack for the defense of their country, or the man on the street. Be they from Pakistan or India, they speak of war with great abandon as if it is child’s play. For the electronic media it is a race for sensationalism.
Continue reading No Time for War: A Call for Peace Amid Rising Nuclear Tensions between Pakistan and India
By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn
PAKISTAN faces a serious constitutional crisis which has been compounded by the problems spawned by extremism and violence that threaten the country’s security, territorial integrity and social cohesion.
On the one hand, there is the question of who should govern the country. In the absence of a stable and generally accepted political system that provides a mechanism for a smooth transition to a new ruler periodically, a political vacuum looms large over the horizon.General Musharraf has exploited the situation cleverly to entrench himself in office even if this required him to distort the Constitution of 1973 beyond recognition and violate it blatantly. On the other hand are the jihadi and fanatic forces who feel they just have to give the final shove to see the country fall in their lap.
Continue reading A way out of the present crisis