Beena Sarwar

Dancing on Broken Glass Dec 31, 1969

President Pervez Musharraf’s appointment of businessman and media tycoon Salman Taseer as governor Punjab set off howls of protest from the PPP’s chief coalition partner PML-N

Benazir’s Legacy Dec 31, 1969

How could Pakistan’s all-powerful president and chief of the army staff be dislodged -- other than through the political process?

Why not hang Surabjit Singh? Dec 31, 1969

Whether it is for illegally crossing borders, overstaying visas or terrorism, Indians and Pakistanis arrested in each other's countries have poor consular and legal access.

Kashmir Liberated, Others Languish Dec 31, 1969

Kashmir Singh spent 35 years in various Pakistani prisons before Ansar Burney, the caretaker minister of human rights found him and obtained a presidential pardon.

When the Will of the People Poses an 'Inconvenient' Truth Dec 31, 1969

"What kind of democracy is it that puts the fate of the country in the hands of a Nawaz Sharif and an Asif Zardari? My lord! How weird!"

Voting For Change Dec 31, 1969

Despite pre-poll manipulation and irregularities voters have rejected the politics of hate and religious extremism.

The Dirty Tricks Brigade Tries to Spoil a Party Dec 31, 1969

Already stunned at the loss of their leader, the PPP is now reeling from the registration of tens of thousands of FIRs against its workers including charges of attempted murder.

Media: The more things change... Dec 31, 1969

Where only one Najam Sethi was picked up under the Sharif regime, over the past eight years, dozens have been picked up and tortured by Pakistan’s secret agencies.

Resist, resist, resist: ‘The gift of a crisis’ Dec 31, 1969

General Musharraf’s announcement of an ‘emergency’ on Nov 3 stunned many among this otherwise complacent generation -- enough to finally act upon their convictions.

Pakistan: Media Under Siege Dec 31, 1969

Police have attacked and arrested journalists demonstrating all over the country. Over a hundred journalists offered themselves for mass arrest in Karachi on Nov 20.

Pressures Mount on Pervez Musharraf Dec 31, 1969

"The judges by not taking oath, the lawyers and civil society by resisting have shown the way. The media is standing by them. This is one battle the General is sure to lose"

Boots, Beards, Burqas and Bombs Dec 31, 1969

The Lal Masjid operation has intensified Gen Musharraf’s problems - An Analysis.

Countering Our Very Own Frankenstein Dec 31, 1969

According to media reports, pro-Taliban elements like the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Moham have already clashed with the military. The TNSM has reportedly seized all highways in the area, including the Silk Road leading to China.

Eyewitness: Karachi, May 12, 2007 Dec 31, 1969

A narrative of the events of “Black Saturday” and the “stop-the-blame-game” argument.

Alex Dec 31, 1969

A tall, broad, handsome 21 year old who loved basketball, on the outside he was the same old Alex. But he had become someone he did not want to be.

Fight Hudood, Protect Women Dec 31, 1969

Pervez Musharraf’s amendment of Pakistan’s Sharia laws represents only a partial victory against legislation that many have been fighting against for over two decades.

South Asian Earthquake: Don’t care… or don’t know? Dec 31, 1969

The few reports trickling in from the earthquake zone remain blips in the overall media radar.

Pardon, didn’t mean to kill you... Dec 31, 1969

Three frozen moments of grief, captured by wire photographs at different parts of the world in one day last week stand out... Anguished families in Brazil, Kashmir, and Iraq, captured by Reuters and AFP cameras and printed in newspapers on July 25 are tie

How Free is ’free?’ Dec 31, 1969

The Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's August 11, 1947 speech to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, in which he talked about freedom of religion, is no longer censored, as it was for years.

Advani in Karachi Dec 31, 1969

'There are many people who leave an inerasable stamp on history. But there are a few who actually create history. Qaed-e-Azam Mohd Ali Jinnah was one such rare individual,' commented India’s opposition leader and Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal

A Personal Publication Dec 31, 1969

In 1997, Gallerie was born. It had a conscience, and it 'strung art, poetry, cinema, essays, photography, short stories and ’life’ -- which would feature socio-political /human interest stories of communities in India and overseas.

Misogynist State Dec 31, 1969

'Forcibly preventing participation in public events by women can act only to encourage extremism, and send out a message to orthodox elements that their actions are condoned by the state.'

March for Peace Dec 31, 1969

Indians and Pakistanis are allowed public access for cricket, but not if they are walking for peace

To Saneeya Hussain (August 13, 1954-April 20, 2005) Dec 31, 1969

There are tears at your untimely departure, but no, we’re not just sitting about mourning gloomily. Our grief runs deep, but when we meet and share your memories, there is also laughter, especially as we recall yours.

No Retreat Dec 31, 1969

A large number of girls braved the threats to participate in the Sargodha marathon on April 9, but were forced to run inside the stadium of a girls’ college -- defeating the very notion of a marathon as a long distance run.

A Space of One’s Own Dec 31, 1969

Actually, a woman walking alone in public is also a rare enough sight (which explains my own initial hesitation) and why so many people asked how I felt about it. Even rarer is the sight of a woman cycling anywhere – as women of my mother’s ge

Country Visa, City Visa Dec 31, 1969

Fuzon and the MHB performed in Mumbai Feb 27, at a fund-raiser for the tsunami victims. They could have made a spontaneous detour and performed at the Pakistan India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy Convention in Delhi, Feb 25-28. They would have lov

The Ultimate Violation Dec 31, 1969

What happened to Shazia should not happen to anybody. And those who want to suppress the case, hide the reality, protect the sinners who committed this act, have they ever thought that this could happen in their own house too, to their own daughter or wif

More on the Price of Love Dec 31, 1969

They hailed from different ethnic communities, lived in different cities, and their family backgrounds were entirely different. But they met, became friends, and wanted to marry.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being Asif Zardari Dec 31, 1969

'Corruption,' pronounces Asif Ali Zardari, 'is a state of mind. A corrupt person wouldn't have sacrificed eight years of his life in prison. '

Report What? Dec 31, 1969

Anis Haroon, the well known women’s rights and peace activist, relates a story about the time she visited Bangalore, India in 1989 to attend a South Asian women’s conference.

Let the People Meet Dec 31, 1969

In Pakistan, the demand for Indian visas is as much as 1500 – per day – from around the country -

Lady Reporter Dec 31, 1969

There is no simple answer to the question that people (mostly foreigners) often ask: how does it feel ‘to be a woman journalist in Pakistan’?

HREP: Bringing in the Little People Dec 31, 1969

Initiated in Karachi almost ten years ago, HREP aims to foster education that contributes to peace and understanding. Their books are beautifully illustrated and produced, but cheaply priced, available in Urdu as well as English.

Jirga injustice Dec 31, 1969

From an informal body meant to settle small claims, the ‘jirga’ in Pakistan has been allowed to emerge as a powerful extra-judicial force protecting the interests of the powerful.

To Margaret Hassan, It Matters Dec 31, 1969

“They just don’t get it!” The thought jumps out as one follows the Great Presidential Debate in the USA, with John Kerry, George Bush and their respective supporters going on and on about the “war on terror”.

No Compromise on Murder Dec 31, 1969

The heirs of the victim can forgive the murderer in the name of God without receiving any compensation or diyat (blood money), or compromise after receiving diyat.

The Commonality of ’Fundamentalisms’ Dec 31, 1969

Lalit Vachani documentary will resonate in Pakistan -- and other societies traumatized by ideologically-motivated violence -- due to the insight it gives into the minds of those involved in organizations that contribute to such violence.

The Dragon’s Teeth Dec 31, 1969

There are many more like the man with the briefcase who walked into the Sialkot Imambargah. They did not develop their warped mindsets overnight -- nor will they be wiped out overnight by military means.

The Forgotten 54 and More Dec 31, 1969

These men if still surviving have little time left for niceties now. They need to be brought home in whatever state they are. Even if there were human rights violations, releasing these men would send a gesture of goodwill and peace.

The FM Boom Dec 31, 1969

So what does this mean for Pakistan? After all, most FM stations just dish out ‘ear candy’ - easy listening, music hits, recipes, chit chat... Just more commercialisation and encouragement of ‘the burger culture’, right? Maybe, but

The Price of Love Dec 31, 1969

Hameed may not find it so easy to dispose of his daughter, who has refused to accept her fate lying down; before being locked up, she managed to contact some human rights activists.

Sister Act: Radio Free Speech in Bushland Dec 31, 1969

I can’t help thinking that it is ironic that just as people rarely know of the dissent in Pakistan, so too there is little knowledge of the vibrant dissent within the United States

Kashmir: Everyone has lost in their own way Dec 31, 1969

Four displaced women in Kashmir talk about their lives to Indian journalist and peace activist Sonia Jabbar in Autumn’s Final Country a devastating and sensitive film...

Re-thinking Kashmir Dec 31, 1969

The documentary Crossing The Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India

Some Mother’s Son Dec 31, 1969

There is strength and inspiration to be drawn from those who use their pain, not to cause further destruction, but to heal and move ahead. One such woman is Visaka Dharmadasa, whose young son Achinte went missing in September, 1998 when the LTTE attacked

Our ’Zamir’ Dec 31, 1969

Zamir in Urdu means conscience, and that is what Zamir Niazi, that great chronicler of media freedoms and censorships, was to so many of us – our conscience.

Managing to Get By Dec 31, 1969

The proportion of people living below the poverty line in 2003, meanwhile, expanded to 38.1 per cent, as compared to 30 per cent

Feeling Good Dec 31, 1969

Leaders – self-styled or elected – must accept responsibility for the actions of those they lead. Secondly, a government is responsible to all its citizens and not just a privileged few... Pakistanis look forward to the day when they too are a

Breaking the Silence Dec 31, 1969

Such torture is routine in the prisons and police stations across Pakistan, but our authorities too continue to doggedly ignore reports about such abuse... The question is, will it take graphic photographs to make our authorities address the issue?

Loudspeaker Victory Dec 31, 1969

Most people suffer the loudspeaker menace in silence.

More Cobwebs Dec 31, 1969

As in other countries, textbooks in Pakistan too, should be written by professionals in order to expand and sharpen young minds – and not to brainwash or dull them.

Musharrafising a monarchy? Dec 31, 1969

The reference to Pakistan’s president goes further with allegations that the king (Gyanendra of Nepal) will push a “guided democracy” even if he gives in to political demands for elections.

Civilisation That Isn’t Dec 31, 1969

What leads people to not just kill another human being, but to inflict pain and torture before killing, and then mutilate the bodies afterwards?

Jehad and The Curriculum Dec 31, 1969

Pakistan’s so-called religious parties are up in arms at the rumour that references to Jehad are to be removed from Pakistani textbooks – biology, for example.

Criminals -- or Victims of an Unjust System? Dec 31, 1969

If the President really wants to help women in prison, he would do well to repeal the Hudood Ordinances. This would have a far greater impact than limited remissions and pardons.

India-Pakistan: Friends on Visa Dec 31, 1969

When people from India and Pakistan meet, peace seems the most favoured option.

Pakistan’s Hudood Laws: Extremely Misused Dec 31, 1969

Two decades of a lack of public debate has contributed to the continuing misconceptions about these laws. People often assume that they are Islamic, and therefore justified.

Bombay, personally Dec 31, 1969

A visit to Karachi’s vibrant, charismatic, long lost twin

The Yearning for Peace Dec 31, 1969

Finally, some 600 Pakistanis were granted visas. Even so, this was the largest ever delegation to visit the other country.

Build Bridges, Not Bombs Dec 31, 1969

This year, there was an unusual addition to the crowds thronging Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar on August 14. As the sun set, a small group (women of assorted ages, plus two visiting Nepali teachers) arrived with peace placards and candles

Sobho: the struggle continues Dec 31, 1969

I still believe in the revolution, in a society that provides justice for all

The Politics of Rape Dec 31, 1969

Why the Meerwala Jatoi panchayat thought they would get away with it

A Classical Revival? Dec 31, 1969

Set up in the early 1970s during the ZA Bhutto years the PIA Arts Academy was meant to promote Pakistani dance and music, and introduce this aspect of our culture to countries serviced by PIA