Posted on February 18, 2011 by beenasarwar
Happy to get this email from fellow journalist and activist Naveen Naqvi:“I am happy to report that our site,
Gawaahi.com is now online. Gawaahi.com aims to archive digital stories of abuse, survival and resistance.
You can find more information on our mission and team in our
About page. If you see the page titled
Our Partners, you will see the wonderful support we have received even before launch.”
Great going (and I love this visual by Zaina Anwar)!
Filed under: Gender | Tagged: abuse, floods, Gender, Pakistan, resistance, take back the tech, violence | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 7, 2011 by beenasarwar
UPDATE from CFD, Feb 6, 2011: The state prosecutor appointed to prosecute Mumtaz Qadri has been provided adequate security by the government and has agreed to conduct the trial, which will not benefit from any reaction or controversy that our letters might cause. We look forward to the trial commencing, and justice being done.
Note: On Feb 14, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) is likely to formally charge-sheet Malik Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer.
Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: blasphemy, case hearing, Pakistan, qadri, salmaan taseer | 4 Comments »
Posted on February 6, 2011 by beenasarwar
Please endorse Citizens for Democracy letters to President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice and Bar Associations of Pakistan seeking justice for assassinated Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer – yesterday the public prosecutor refused to appear in court, reportedly because he was not given adequate protection. He must be provided security and those threatening him dealt with according to law. “This is an utterly unacceptable situation. It is indeed a sad day when a victim cannot find legal representation but many lawyers offer to represent a murderer, gratis.We demand that the assassinated Punjab Governor be provided appropriate legal representation by the State. We demand that both the Punjab and Federal governments immediately provide the prosecutor the requisite protection to enable him to appear in court and discharge his legal duties…”
Expecting justice to be done and the rule of law to be followed…
Filed under: Blasphemy Laws | Tagged: blasphemy, Pakistan, public prosecutor, rule of law, salmaan taseer | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 5, 2011 by beenasarwar
An analysis and chronology of recent moves to amend the controversial, man-made ‘blasphemy laws’ of Pakistan – Nasim Zehra in Citizens for Democracy blog
Filed under: Blasphemy Laws | Tagged: blasphemy, cfd, citizens for democracy, nasim zehra, Pakistan, Sherry Rehman | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 4, 2011 by beenasarwar
Article published Jan 30, 2011 in The News on Sunday – and in Hardnews, India (‘Blood upon the altar‘)
PERSONAL POLITICAL
Manufacturing a ‘hero’
By Beena Sarwar
The assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has been termed a ‘watershed moment’ for Pakistan — not just because a sitting governor of the country’s wealthiest and most populous province was murdered in broad daylight by one of his own security guards. Perhaps the greater shock was how the murderer, Mumtaz Hussain Qadri, was allowed to commit this crime and how many hailed him as a hero for having killed someone perceived (falsely) as being guilty of ‘blasphemy’. Continue reading →
Filed under: Blasphemy Laws | Tagged: agencies, blasphemy, democracy, Media, Pakistan, qadri, salmaan taseer | 9 Comments »
Posted on February 3, 2011 by beenasarwar
Posted on January 29, 2011 by beenasarwar
Egypt is the second biggest recipient of American aid and military hardware, long used by the Mubarak regime to brutalise the people. The Egyptian police are even more brutal than in Pakistan. Watching the situation now on Al Jazeera livestream, when the police have been forced to retreat before the might of the people, I remembered the time some years back when they humiliated and stripped women protestors in public – I posted a message out to my yahoogroup back in May 2005 Eyewitness testimonies: Molestation of Democracy in Egypt. Around the world people observed solidarity with the protestors in Egypt, responding to a call to wear black on Jun 1, 2005. I later wrote this article, posted to my yahoogroup as Personal Political: Women, public space, Cairo and Lahore – copied below. Imagine if there had been twitter and facebook then… Continue reading →
Filed under: Gender | Tagged: Asma Jahangir, Egypt, facebook, Pakistan, police brutality, protest, twitter, violence, women | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 25, 2011 by beenasarwar
From Zahid Abdullah of CDPI:
Press Release
Punjab government urged to enact Right to information law for province
Islamabad, January 25, 2011: Despite being the biggest province that houses well over half country’s total population, province of Punjab has not carry out legislation on right to information, effectively denying its residents access to information held by provincial departments. PML N leadership has been championing the cause of transparent and open government and its leader Mian Nawaz Sharif has exerted pressure on the federal government to be more open and transparent in its functioning. Continue reading →
Filed under: Media | Tagged: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, CPDI, Pakistan, punjab, right to information | Leave a comment »
Posted on January 25, 2011 by beenasarwar
PMA protest walk (update: postponed pending negotiations with government)
From Pakistan Medical Association:
Dear CIVIL SOCIETY Friends,
Walk with Joint Action Committee of Doctors
Monday, 31st January, 11.30am
From PMA House to Karachi Press Club
Wear Black
For press release and details see Dr Sarwar blog
Filed under: Human rights | Tagged: doctors killings, extortion, karachi, Pakistan, PMA, target killings, violence | 1 Comment »
Posted on January 16, 2011 by beenasarwar
Nagori in Karachi, Feb 2008
Irreverent, bold, and passionate – that’s how I remember Nagori, who was very much part of the struggle – and particularly supportive of the Women’s Action Forum – against Gen. Zia’s military dictatorship. The last time I met him was in Feb 2008 when he gave a wonderful presentation of his work before a small group of people.
Isa Daudpota sent this brief slide show of three photos of Nagori with the note: “The hand with the cacti is Nagori’s. I took it on the Khi-Hyd highway. My photo with him was taken at Aijaz Qureshi’s house. Continue reading →
Filed under: Progressive politics | Tagged: artist, nagori, Pakistan | 2 Comments »
Happy to get this email from fellow journalist and activist Naveen Naqvi:
