RIP Comrade Chacha Maula Bux Khaskheli

Posted on September 1, 2011 by beenasarwar

Just received via email: The Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) announces with deep sense of bereavement pain and profound sorrow, to all the fraternal parties, comrades and friends, that Comrade Chacha Maula Bux Khaskheli, the Secretary General of the  CC of CPP, has passed away at 11 pm on 30th August, 2011.  He was 76 years old. The Communist Party of Pakistan offers LAAL SALAM (RED SALUTE) to Comrade Khaskheli for his unforgettable militant struggle and sacrifices for the party and people of Pakistan.

A BRIEF PROFILE OF COMRADE KHASKHELI: Continue reading →

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HRW statement; and Indian citizens on abduction of Shahbaz Taseer

Posted on August 26, 2011 by beenasarwar


Shocked to learn of the abduction of slain Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer’s son Shahbaz this morning, in Lahore reportedly by four gunmen as the younger Taseer headed to his office. I join all those calling on the government, police and administration to ensure his speedy and safe recovery, and arrest and prosecution of the culprits – see statements below by Human Rights Watch, and a press release by concerned Indian citizens: Continue reading →

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Left and nationalist parties rally and declaration on Sindh situation

Posted on August 25, 2011 by beenasarwar

Yusuf Mastikhan

“SEVEN PROGRESSIVE AND NATIONALIST PARTIES HAVE RESOLVED TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE WELL PLANNED ETHNIC AND LINGUAL MAYHEM IN KARACHI BY ARMED TERRORIST GROUPS SUPPORTED BY PARTIES IN POWER. TO OPPOSE THIS A RALLY IS BEING ORGANIZED ON SATURDAY THE 27TH AUGUST AT 3PM FROM REGAL CHOWK TO PRESS CLUB, YOU ARE REQUESTED TO PARTICIPATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, THANK YOU”, says an email from progressive leftist activist Yousuf Mustikhan. See below for the declaration of these parties on the Sindh Situation Continue reading →

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Urgent appeal to support flood affectees in Pakistan

Posted on August 21, 2011 by beenasarwar

Villagers struggle to save their livestock, Badin, 2011. Photo: courtesy Dawn

Over a million people have been displaced by current floods in Pakistan. Please read the urgent appeal below from friend Abdulrahman (aka AR or Abbey), Founder & Coordinator, SA Relief, aiming to provide flood affected people at a camp in Badin with cooked meals for the next 15 days (email pkfloods@sarelief.com). Just 25 USD will feed a family of four for one week. Read on, and please help: Continue reading →

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Tareque Masud, Mishuk Munier killed in road crash :((

Posted on August 14, 2011 by beenasarwar

Mishuk Munier at The Real News (photo TRN)

Catherine, Tareque and Nishad (Daily Star)

Shocked and grieved beyond words at this tragic news about the road accident that killed prominent Bangladeshi filmmaker Tareque Masud (The Clay Bird)  and television journalist Mishuk Munier who helped start The Real News. Mishuk’s father Prof. Munier Chowdhury of Dhaka University was “perhaps the greatest dramatist and public speaker we ever had,” Bangladeshi journalist Afsan Chowdhury once told me. “That was in 1970 and i was in the first year  of college. Prof. Chowdhury was picked up by the Jamaatis and disappeared, his body was never found”. Tareque’s wife Catherine (my classmate in college) is severely injured and in hospital. Their Nishad is a toddler, barely a year and a half old. My heart goes out to her and to the families of those killed. Here’s a link to the report of the accident in The Star, Bangladesh. TRN’s obit of Mishuk here, and The Daily Star report today ‘Fate puts a full stop‘.

Filed under: Media | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Pakistani journalists: standing tall – my article in EPW

Posted on August 11, 2011 by beenasarwar

Pakistani journalists: standing tall

Journalists in Pakistan walk a tightrope between the military and the militants, risking their lives as never before to get the truth into the public domain. They have always had to tiptoe around directly challenging the concepts upheld by the security establishment. But as a Pakistani writer and filmmaker writes, the media in Pakistan is still standing.

By: Beena Sarwar 

Economic and Political Weekly, India | Vol XLVI No.29 July 16, 2011 | PDF | Text below

Continue reading →

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Indian pilot’s daughter writes a deeply touching reply to Pakistani pilot who shot her father’s plane down

Posted on August 11, 2011 by beenasarwar

Qais Hussain with his damaged aircraft during the 1965 war.

Thanks to Naveed Riaz in Lahore for the email that formed the basis of my report on Qais Hussain’s condolence note to Farida Singh, daughter of the Indian pilot whose plane he shot down during the 1965 war. Here’s another note Mr Riaz just sent to his email list: 

This profoundly humane episode continues to move ahead with Indian and Pakistani news channels and media bringing it increasingly to the fore today after Beena Sarwar in Karachi broke the story in Pakistan’s leading daily The News (Aman ki Asha).

Mrs Farida Singh, daughter of the deceased pilot of the Indian plane Jahangir “Jangoo” Engineer replied today to Qais’s letter of condolence four days earlier – see below (NDTV’s coverage this evening at this link). Beena’s article and Qais’s condolence letter here) Continue reading →

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Protests against Police Brutality in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore

Posted on August 10, 2011 by beenasarwar

Call for Protest Rally against the brutal attack on Nairang Gallery, Lahore  and its curator and staff by SHO Shadman Police Station Rana Zulfiqar – Please also see facebook event THREE Protests against Police Brutality in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore  

Artists, art critics and gallerists and civil society members will demonstrate in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on August 13, 2011 (details below) to show solidarity with Nairang Gallery, Lahore, which was attacked on August 2, 2011 and register their protest against the reprehensible behavior of the police. They will demand a public apology by SHO Rana Zulfiqar and his dismissal from the police force for beating the curator and staff of Nairang Gallery. All concerned citizens must unite to stop police violence against citizens. Continue reading →

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After 46 yrs, the healing touch: Pak pilot says sorry for mistake

Posted on August 10, 2011 by beenasarwar

NOTE: Qais Hussain has clarified that he did not ‘apologise’ for what he did. His note was a letter of condolence and an attempt to set the record straight. He has written to Indian Express with this clarification

Front page report in The Indian Express Aug 10, 2011: After 46 yrs, the healing touch: Pak pilot says sorry for mistake (also would have been nice if they’d credited me or Aman ki Asha). Excerpts:  Continue reading →

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Pakistani pilot writes after 46 years to daughter of Indian pilot he shot down

Posted on August 9, 2011 by beenasarwar

Better late than never: Ex-PAF pilot Qais Hussain in Lahore, 2011. Photo by Naveed Riaz

Below: A report I did based on an email that Naveed Riaz in Lahore forwarded me, published on the front page of The News this morning with the Aman ki Asha logo. There has been a phenomenal response to this report, with most people lauding Qais Hussain’s courage in speaking out after all these years and writing what must have been a difficult letter. Here’s the link to my interview on PRI about it.

Pakistani pilot writes after 46 years to daughter of Indian pilot he shot down

By Beena Sarwar

Nearly half a century after shooting down an Indian civil aircraft under orders during the 1965 war with India, a Pakistan Air Force pilot has sent a condolence message to the daughter of the pilot of the aircraft he downed.

Qais Hussain, a rookie Flying Officer during the 1965 war, made this moving and humane gesture via email, expressing his condolences and providing details of the circumstances under which he shot down the Indian aircraft. The email is addressed to Farida Singh, daughter of the Indian Air Force pilot Jahangir “Jangoo” Engineer, one of the three famous Engineer brothers in the Indian Air Force. Continue reading →

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