Dr Khan’s new mission

Defence and Disarmament, Nuclear weapons, War and Peace

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.
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Education: the common enemy

Education

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.
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PDH survey and status of women

Health, Population, Women

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

WE as a nation shy away from the specifics. That is why numerical data is not our forte. We generalise the information available and reach sweeping conclusions.

This also explains why holding a census or organising surveys is never the first priority of governments even though policymaking tends to be lopsided without accurate statistics.
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Muted protests won’t do

Terrorism and Violence, War and Peace

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

PAKISTANIS have perfected the art of protest. Karachi has posters plastered on the walls calling on people to demonstrate their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

In 2007 Musharraf’s coup against the judiciary brought lawyers on to the roads until ‘democracy’ returned to this country. But why are the voices of protest so muted when it comes to Swat? To protest against such tragedies is a duty. And Swat is a tragedy that will ultimately shape the future of Pakistan.
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Voices of peace in din of war

War and Peace

By Zubeida Mustafa
Source: Dawn

INTERNATIONAL politics do not move in a straight line. There are ups and downs in how states manage their ties.

They move forward and backward in a zigzag movement of two steps forward, one step back which is very often reversed and becomes one step forward and two steps back. In this medley of relationships bilateral ties acquire a multidimensional character and are not all black or all white.
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