Is Pak military's business empire contributing in country's economic and political strength?
 
 

Wherever you look the army

Farooq Sulehria

The Pakistan Army is a successful state within a failed state. It is the most organised, largest and successful political party: with over half a million ‘paid’ full time members, it has ruled Pakistan for 32 years. It is the biggest conglomerate: running over 20 different...

 

A   letter   to   the   ISI

Adnan Farooq

Sabz Salam. The WikiLeaks have cast fresh doubts on your role in Afghanistan. It is true there is nothing concrete in the Afghan war logs about your alleged activities in Afghanistan. Your former boss, Hameed Gul, has unconsciously but correctly declared these leaks...

 

Fascist ideology of an efficient army

Dr. Qaisar Abbas

The former U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, General McChrystal’s recently published article might have political undertones but his humiliating remarks and disrespect toward president Obama and his executive team revealed a clandestine...

 

Pakistan’s Military Economy

Rabayl Manzoor

It is a common joke that Pakistan is a rare place where an army has a country instead of the other way around. The armed forces in Pakistan emerged as the stabilizing force under whose command we’ve witnessed growth rates in large-scale manufacturing historically...

 

‘Military's predation is an institutional feature’

Adnan Farooq INTERVIEW

A dissident’s job is always fraught with dangers. In case of Pakistan, the risks involved in criticizing all-powerful Khakis and their proxy Taliban hardly need an elucidation. Still, dissident voices keep tormenting military establishment. Ayesha Siddiqa is one such ‘tormenter’. In an interview with Viewpoint, she candidly exposes the Khaki myths painstakingly built by indoctrinating outlets. Read on:

 

Haitian lessons for flood-hit Pakistan

John Reimann EXCLUSIVE

Within days of the Haitian earthquake, the US military seized control of the principle airport at Port-au-Prince . They used this control to bring in the troops rather than relief supplies. This was because the Haitian state had collapsed (literally) while the Haitian working class had a long left tradition. In the eyes of US and world capitalism, this left a danger of a workers’ movement developing in response and even seizing real power.

 

Pakistan: not a safe haven for anti-Taliban

Farhat Taj OPINION

The ordeal of the late Kamal Mahsud, a well-known singer from Waziristan, and his family is a case in point. Mahsud went on singing despite threats passed by Taliban. He was ordered to give up his singing. He died in January 2010 in a fire that mysteriously gutted his house. His family believes it was a case of target killing carried out by Taliban in collaboration with elements in khakis. The Mehsud family pinpoints Inter Services Public Relations, or ISPR, in this regard.

 

 

Axe falls on women rights as crisis deepens in Iran

Sholeh Irani ANALYSIS

The growing chasm between conflicting factions of ruling clique has induced a change in regime’s tactics to handle the deepening crisis. Serious efforts are underway to avert the likely collapse of regime threatened by a growing dissatisfaction among citizens and a likely foreign military intervention. All this is happening as Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is losing support among his own backers. He has been criticized directly and indirectly by different sections of the Iranian establishment for his public statement with regard to the talks with Washington. He has been accused of US leanings.

 

English; endangered indigenous languages in Pakistan

Muhammad Banaras COMMENTARY

Pakistan is a multilingual society with at least six major languages and 59 minor ones. The most prominent languages include Urdu, English, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Brahvi, Seraiki, Hindko, Sheena, and Balti, Khawar and Kashmiri and many other minor languages are spoken in the country with great linguistic diversity. In the given multi-lingual environment of Pakistan, the major dilemma is the extinction of small regional languages due to the lack of commitment on the part of the government. UNESCO has said that many of the 27 languages, spoken in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and the country’s northern parts may be extinct with the passage of time.

 

Whose fault is it anyway?

Abu Usama COMMENT

The culture of religious intolerance has penetrated so deep into our social fabric that its repercussions are being felt globally and there appears to be no immediate resolution. But in order to tackle the problem, it must be seen in its historical context. 
I was a young boy in early 1960s, living in a small peaceful city then called Montgomery (now Sahiwal). I’d no idea how many of my classmates were Shias and how many were from any other sect. Our friendship was above our sects and beliefs. Our parents never imposed any restrictions either with regards to our choice of friends.

 

Raise your hands if you are surprised?

Ahsan Awan DEBATE

My grand dad has been a supporter of Pakistan Cricket Team for the last 50 year but after the latest spot fixing saga he has clearly instructed family members not to mention the word “cricket” in front of him ever again. In short the latest match fixing saga has seen Pakistanis gone beyond anger and embarrassment. In a stunning expose, British tabloid News of the World carried out a sting operation against alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed. Experienced under cover reporter for the tabloid Mr. Mazher Mahmood posed as a member of a Far East gambling cartel looking to make a few quick bucks approached Mazhar Majeed to help set them in the cricket betting world.

 

River bears my wedding palanquin

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

In 1974, Pakistan was inundated by flash floods. Moved by the havoc wrought by deluge, Faiz Ahmed Faiz composed a touching Punjabi poem. Written in the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry, the poet assumes the voice of a woman to narrate the tragedy. Read on:

 

 


Laal's new song for Flood Relief
 
Kashmir's e-protest: Fahad Shah
Change is the only constant. The struggle of Kashmir for independence from Indian rule is also changing as people shift their platform for protest as new media are made available. The internet has become the podium for the new generation to express their support. It was not so popular earlier in the valley; today most of the people who don’t come on to the street to protest have taken the protests in everyone’s heart to social networking sites like Facebook and video bank YouTube.
Read more...
 
What's Wrong With Imran Khan?: Hasan Shakoor

Dear Mr. Khan,

I was rather disappointed to read your latest article entitled "How to clear the mess." In Pakistan's political wasteland, many still remain optimistic that someone of your background, education and high standing in society will maybe provide a viable option worth supporting, or at least say the right things at the right times. You have, time and time again, failed to do either.

Read more...
 
Donate to Labour Relief Campaign to help people of Pakistan

Pakistan is facing worst ever floods of its history. Torrential rains have unleashed flash floods in different parts of the country since last three weeks. Water levies broke leaving the people exposed to flood water. More than 12 million people have suffered due to these floods. More than 650,000 houses have collapsed, mainly in villages. Thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed due to flood water. Houses, live-stock such as cattle's and goats, household goods, clothes, shoes and other items have been destroyed. Residents of villages are currently without drinkable water, food, shelter and in need of clothes. In particular, the situation is dire for children and women and they are in desperate need of food and clothing. Disease is spreading fast in the areas affected due to lack of drinkable water. In particular, flu, fever, diarrhea, cholera have been noted and are spreading.

The government's response has made matters worse. They failed to act immediately, leaving tens of thousands of people unaided. They came after twenty four hours to the make-shift camps with paltry amount of food bags to distribute. The gap between the food being distributed and the large number of people desperate to eat led to fighting breaking out making matters even worse for these desperate people.

Despite the fact that there is very little coverage in the media, the fact remains that the situation in Balochistan is just as bad as in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa and western and southern Punjab. As usual, also, they are not at the top of the government's priority list.

Situation is turning out to be worse with heavy rains started since last night in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province.

The Labour Education Foundation, Labour Party of Pakistan, National Trade Union Federation, Women Workers Help Line and Progressive Youth Front have set up Labour Flood Relief Camps in Lahore and so far have collected more than 300,000 rupees. Rs. 110,000 have already been sent to Baloachistan and more than 200,000 are on way to Southern Punjab to help flood victims.

We appeal our friends and organizations in Pakistan and abroad for donations of a monetary kind or in the form of drinking water, clothes (new), shoes, medicine.

Appeal issued on August 7, 2010

For further information please contact:

Khalid Mahmood
Director
Labour Education Foundation
Ground Floor, 25-A Davis Road,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Email: khalid@lef.org.pk


Tel: 0092 42 6303808   0092 42 6303808    
0092 42 6303808   0092 42 6303808     
0092 42 6315162   0092 42 6315162      
0092 42 6315162   0092 42 6315162      
Fax: 0092 42 6271149

Mobile: 0092 321 9402322     0092 321 9402322    
0092 321 9402322    0092 321 9402322     

If you wish to transfer funds, below are details of the account for sending money to the LRC.

A/C Title: Labour Education Foundation
A/C Number: 01801876

Route:

Please advise and pay to Citi Bank, New York, USA Swift CITI US 33 for onward transfer to BANK ALFALAH LTD., KARACHI, PAKISTAN A/C No. 36087144 and for final transfer to BANK ALFALAH LTD., LDA PLAZA, KASHMIR ROAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN Swift: ALFHPKKALDA for A/C No. 01801876 OF LABOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION.