PC Hotel Workers Strike – Day 21
The protest by PC Workers continues in the basement of the Pearl Continental Hotel where over 150 union employees are holding fort asking three basic demands. Reinstatement of Four sacked employees (PC Four), The PC Management to recognize the union and third is to come to the negotiation table. It has been 21 [...]
PC Hotel Workers Strike update – 20 Days and counting
There are only about 140 people left in the basement in their 20th day of protest at the PC. On Sunday evening about 30 to 40 went home due to sickness or some other emergent reason and were not allowed to return to the basement and in their astute attitude the PC management is [...]
Update on PC Hotel Workers Strike – 12 Days
Read the detailed fact sheet on this dispute and then support these protestors by sIgning the PC Workers Petition to The Hashwani Group
It heartening to note that despite all the resistance by the Hashwani Group and the PPP Leader Najmi Alam who threatened the protestors setting up camp outside Pearl Continental to disappear for [...]
Media ignoring a 10-day Pearl Continental Hotel workers strike
For the past 10 days about 150 employees of the Pearl Continental Hotel are holed up in the basement of PC Hotel in Karachi in protest of the sacking of over 100 employees across Pakistan. What started as a simple protest on Constitution avenue in response to the sacking of 4 union empolyees from [...]
Rendezvous with Farah Pandith, US Special Rep for Muslim Communities
Last week a few “new media” journalists were invited by the US Consulate to an exclusive meeting with Farah Pandith, who has been recently appointed as the U.S Special Representative for Muslim Communities. The usual bloggeratti excitement was held at bay since the invitation card had a blazing “No-Camera” policy, which had most of [...]
CPLC in the midst of a Political Turf Battle
Two days back the Governor Ishrat ul-Ibad had issued a Press Release recommending the appointing of businessman Mr Ahmed Chinoy, as the new head of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) replacing the outgoing Sharfuddin Memon whose appointment has come to an end. The Governors request was forwarded to the Home Ministry so that the request [...]
Laidback Show Episode 16
Terrorists are the American Agents: Shia Scholars
Guest Blog by Farhan Janjua
In the aftermath of today’s deadly twin bomb blasts at the Shia pilgrims, the scholars of Jafarria Alliance notably Allama Hasan Zafar Naqvi has blasted the United States of America in strong words stating that these terrorists pretend to be Anti-American and in fact are working on the very own agenda [...]
Targeted killings and the Land Mafia in Karachi – Open Letter by SHEHRI
An Open Letter to Rehman Malik by Shehri
Mr Rehman Malik has been making rather interesting statements about stopping the “targeted killings” in Karachi.
The simple fact is that the land mafia of Karachi is behind a number of these murders and the motive for these assassinations is money.
Let us take the case of land mafia [...]
Roads need Bicycles
Blog post by Naeem Sadiq, published in The News on 16th January 2010
Bicycle, the most energy-efficient form of transport ever devised. It doesn’t emit pollution, it runs on renewable energy, it makes its user healthier, it’s easy to repair, it requires little in the way of pavement or parking, and 80 percent of the world’s [...]
The Graffiti Activist: Asim Butt [1978-2010]
I write today with a very heavy heart to hear that a fellow activist and an amazing artist is no longer with us. Asim Butt (1978-2010) aged 32 took his own life yesterday morning in his house, whatever be the circumstances that pushed him to taking this tragic step, it has left many friends [...]
Laidback Show Episode 12
PICTURES: Solidarity Day 1st Jan 2010 – Karachi
A very supportive rally was organized by the Aman Ittehad at the Karachi Press Club. A large number of civil society groups were in attendence and the rally made a strong statement for peace in Pakistan. Pictures are enclosed here, a video of the event shall be uploaded soon
Solidarity Day 1st January 2010 – Karachi Press Conference
At 3:00pm today representatives of the Aman Ittehad namely Justice Majida Rizwi, Senator Iqbal Haider, Anis Haroon, Bishop Ijaz Inayat, Uzma Noorani, Mumtaz Tanoli, Uzma Aslam, Barrister Zain and a few more people addressed the media at the Karachi Press Club today. The Aman Ittehad leaders shared with the media plans for the peace [...]
The Aftermath of the MA Jinnah Road Bomb Blast
Following the bomb blast in Karachi – life generally goes on, but the people, the shopkeepers, the families who have suffered shall never forget the day an unruly mob changed their lives forever. Here I happened to photograph this shopkeeper on MA Jinnah Road who sits helplessly watching as many fire tenders try their [...]
