Acid survivors fight back: a story of hope amidst despair

Posted on March 11, 2012 by beenasarwar

'Saving Face' co-directors, Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy: American-Pakistani cooperation wins

My report for IPS, featuring an interview with Dr Mohammad Jawad, published before ‘Saving Face’ premiered on HBO on March 8, International Womens Day

Acid survivors fight back: a story of hope amidst despair

Beena Sarwar

BOSTON, March 8:  When the Oscar-nominated film ‘Saving Face’ won an Academy Award in Hollywood Best Documentary (Short Subject), it was the triumph of several ‘firsts’: the first time ever that a Pakistani filmmaker had won an Oscar; Pakistan’s first Oscar winner was a woman; and it was the first time that an American and a Pakistani had co-directed an Oscar-winning film. Continue reading →

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Pakistan’s first ever Oscar: saving face – or losing it?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by beenasarwar

“To all the women in Pakistan who are working for change, don't give up on your dreams. This is for you” - Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy accepting her Oscar. Reuters photo

A slightly edited version of this article was published by Common Ground News on March 6, 2012

Pakistan’s first ever Oscar: saving face – or losing it?

by Beena Sarwar

BOSTON – Pakistan’s online community erupted in virtual cheers as Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy received an Academy Award for co-directing the Best Documentary (Short Subject), recently at the Hollywood broadcast live by television stations worldwide. A tweet by Pakistani blogger Anthony Permal summed up the feelings of many of his compatriots: “A woman from #Pakistan, who made a film about women, won an Oscar. In your face, world.” Continue reading →

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Pakistani-Americans await changes to India’s discriminatory visa rules

Posted on March 7, 2012 by beenasarwar

New York-based Indo-Pak couple Ibrahim and Pramilla Malick: People connect in a heartwarming way but both countries try their best to keep us apart.

My report for IPS published on Feb 16, 2012 – Pakistani-Americans await changes to India’s discriminatory visa rules

Incidentally, Indian expats face the same restrictions.

Story also copy-pasted below.  

By Beena Sarwar

BOSTON: India and Pakistan have agreed to ease visa restrictions on each other’s citizens – but until that actually happens, American citizens with dual Pakistani nationality will continue to face what they allege is discrimination by the Indian visa authorities. Continue reading →

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Good news from Pakistan (besides the Oscar award): LUMS to create Abdus Salam Chair

Posted on March 4, 2012 by beenasarwar

Update to the news below: Professor Asad Abidi Named the Inaugural Holder of the Abdus Salam Chair at LUMS, (Jan. 2017)

Exciting news from Adil Najam, Vice Chancellor of LUMS – for those who don’t know him, Dr. Adil Najam was the Frederick S. Pardee Professor of Global Public Policy at Boston University and served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), work for which the IPCC was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with Al Gore. He left BU (where his office had the most gorgeous view overlooking the Charles River) to head the Lahore University of Management Sciences. Continue reading →

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Kamran Shahid’s threat to CFRM signatories…

Posted on February 26, 2012 by beenasarwar
Blog post Feb 21, 2012Kamran Shahid of Express TV sent the following email to Citizens for Free and Responsible Media in response to CFRM’s letter on the Pakistani media and Balochistan that was also emailed to him. Both are posted on the CFRM facebook page. I do wonder what about the letter he found “factually incorrect and harassing” and on what basis he has threatened legal action. Many of the names provided in the letter are well known public figures, should be easy enough to find their addresses if he really wants to.

> From: kamran shahid <kamran.shahid@expressnews.tv>
> Date: Wed, Feb 22, 2012 at 12:37 AM
> Subject: Re: Citizens for Free and Responsible Media statement on the media and Balochistan
> To: C4FRM Pakistan <c4frmpk@gmail.com>
> Kindly send your Names and addresses, so that on the basis of your factually incorrect and rather harassing mail, a legal notice will be served > to you in 24 hours.
> *** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from Mobilink ***

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Pakistan: Media and Balochistan – Citizens for Free and Responsible Media statement

Posted on February 21, 2012 by beenasarwar

Tuesday February 21, 2012: 

Citizens for Free and Responsible Media statement on the Media and Balochistan

To: All TV channel heads, producers and directors, newspaper editors, DG PEMRA, Minister of Information, Prime Minister Pakistan

Summary:
1. We urge the Government to facilitate dialogue by lifting curbs on the media in Balochistan.

2. We call upon the media in Pakistan to address the situation in Balochistan with sensitivity, empathy and fairness and to facilitate a civil discourse.

3. We demand a public apology from Kamran Shahid, the producers of Frontline, Express TV, Barrister Saif and APML and all channels to boycott Mr Saif until he apologises publicly for his remarks. We also urge the APML as a responsible political party to apologise for his excesses.

Continue reading →

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Gear up for Karachi Literature Festival 2012

Posted on February 9, 2012 by beenasarwar

Time for the Karachi Literature Festival again, for the third year running. Once more, it promises to be an exciting event, a real silver lining for the city. See updated programme at the KLF website. Here’s a preview by novelist Bina Shah – read it and salivate if you can’t attend. Video and photos from previous years are also online. Just to get you going – here’s a four-minute short documentary from last year’s event, by Mateela Films.


The 30-minute documentary is also at the British Council Pakistan‘s Vimeo site.

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Petition: STOP the violence against Pakistan’s religious communities

Posted on February 7, 2012 by beenasarwar

Pakistan needs rule of law and de-politicisation of police. Those engaging criminal offences like hate speech, threats and incitement to violence, and vigilante violence must be charged, tried, prosecuted, and punished. We will not allow people in public office or public positions, like political parties and traders’ unions to go around supporting hate-campaigns and violence. Please sign this petition demanding an end to violence against religious communities in Pakistan Continue reading →

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Citizens for Free and Responsible Media, Pakistan: Summary of media consumer activism

Posted on February 5, 2012 by beenasarwar

 Summary of media consumer activism in Pakistan from Citizens for Free and Responsible Media, Pakistan, Saturday February 4, 2012: Continue reading →

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Citizens’ response: Thank you Mr Siddiqi…

Posted on January 29, 2012 by beenasarwar

Maya Khan: fired for refusing to tender an unconditional apology

From: Dr Kamran Iqbal (cc’d to signatories below)
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2012
To: Zafar Siddiqi

Dear Mr Siddiqi,

Thank you for your prompt and courageous response. We appreciate the moral courage of SAMAA TV’s stance. We hope you will continue to lead by example in developing a code of ethics and directives, which you have issued for your channel that we urge, should be made public on your website. You may want to have a look at the code of conduct guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists, to consult while drafting your guidelines. Continue reading →

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