10 comments A special truck customized to represent the illegal prison run by the US Army at Guantanamo Bay is seen to be en route to Islamabad along with the Long March. Some student volunteers were rallied across various student networks to join on the float as mock prisoners.
Catch the Live updates of the Long March at PkLongMarch.blogspot.com
8 comments There will be protests in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad on Thursday, May 8th 2008 for the immediate restoration of the deposed judges and for purging the judiciary free from the PCO inductees and conspirators of the Nov 3rd coup. Please come to the protest in whichever city you are based in and also inform all your friends in Pakistan.
The battle for the judiciary will go on. AZAAD ADLIYA KO BAHAAL KERO!
Karachi
Parking area in front of Rahat Milk Corner, Khadda Market
6:15 – 7: 30 pm
Walk to the legal CJ of SHC, Justice Sabiuddin’s house
Lahore
Outside the PPP Secretariat, 25-A, Faisal Town (near FAST)
6:30 – 7:30 pm
Candlelight vigil and peaceful protest.
Islamabad
Outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Constitution Avenue
5:30 – 6: 30 pm
Candlelight vigil and peaceful protest
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3 comments 
ReallyVirtual, a fellow blogger from Lahore accidentally stumbled across a major security flaw, a few weeks back, within the website of the Lahore Electric Supply Corporation (LESCO) http://www.lesco.info/. It must be kept in mind that LESCO’s original public page is at http://lesco.gov.pk, but this alternate website seems to be geared towards the support personnel. Accessing the lesco.info website via the customer service link at http://www.lesco.info/mc/ guides you to their Human Resource Management System log-in page which incidentally already has the Guest login and password pre-filled for your convenience.
Once into the system a search around the website using the various convenient search options shows some remarkable information about the electricity consumers in Lahore. Designed by a Lahore based firm called Clicksoft (http://clicksoft.com.pk/) who claim to be a groundbreaking software development organization providing high-end technical solutions … vast experience of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions for demanding mission critical environments in, retail and wholesale, manufacturing, financial services lead by the Lahore based CEO Naseem Ahmad.
I have no idea if this data is deliberately placed online or it is an accidentally link into the back-end portal system, luckily one only comes across the names and addresses of all ‘in-process’ applications within LESCO system, no explicit revealing data is publicly displayed but ReallyVirtual, an IT professional, analyzes the system to rightly point out this easy backdoor access unfortunately opens the door for script kiddies to exploit the system by simple SQL injection techniques and be gifted with truck load of highly private and sensitive information which may be stored elsewhere in the system.
LESCO must be urgently urged to shut down their online system with immediate effect taking Clicksoft to task for this major security flaw ensuring that such a mistake was never to happen again.
A shoutout to ReallyVirtual for discovering this leak and then taking time to explain it to us, it must be noted that no harm has been done to the LESCO system at the filing of this report and a few screen captures were indeed taken simply to report the leak to the world.
3 comments In light of the fact that the issue of the restoration of the judiciary once again lies in peril, and with the 30 day countdown finally coming to an end. The students organized a rally that proceeded from Fast University to the PPP Secretariat. The protest brought together the students once more to send the message that the youth of the country are still active and will not sit idly by. The slogans chanted were pro-judiciary and anti-Musharraf. A new variety of slogans from pre-election days were directed at Zardari saying be loyal to us [the people] Zardari, do not betray us (ker hum se wafadari, zardari zardai; na ker tu hum se ghuddary, zardari zardari) and musharraf-zardari alliance is not acceptable (musharraf zardari ittehad, na manzoor na manzoor).
The message was loud and clear, as repeated over and over by the various speakers. “You the politicians are the representatives of the people, you are answerable to us. We have elected you. You have come on our mandate, and you must stick to the task entrusted on you. We, the people, elected you to restore our judiciary. A restoration that comes with no strings attached. A minus one formula or the reduction of judicial tenures; no such side policies will be appreciated and will be tantamount to a betrayal of the public’s trust.”
The students made a human chain around the intersection along the rally’s way, followed by a picket line around the PPP secretariat. The rally lasted for about an hour and a half, with the students peacefully dispersing as has become the tradition of these student-led protests.
23 comments I would like to share with you an analysis shared by a lawyer who claims that MQM deliberately started the fight and then took the battle onto the streets if Karachi
So far as I have been able to ascertain, the turmoil started around 12.00 in the Karachi Bar Association when a group of lawyers belonging to the Legal Aid Committee (an MQM-backed organisation comprising lawyers working in the CDGK, KESC and other state owned organisations) accompanied by a number of non-lawyers marched into the general body meeting of the Karachi Bar chanting slogans in favour of Musharraf and condemning the Sher Afgan incident. At this point, the lawyers of the Legal Aid Committee claimed that one of their number had been assaulted and injured by some other lawyers and chaos erupted.
Within minutes, the City Courts were cordoned off by hundreds of MQM activists who started firing at lawyers and setting fire to their vehicles. Around this time, news started coming in that the Malir Bar Association building had been burned. Then they started attacking the buildings around the City Courts (which are predominantly occupied by lawyers chambers) and set fire to them. It was clearly a pre-planned action. Lawyers’ offices and residences as far afield as Zamzama, PECHS and Gulistan-e-Jauhar were attacked.
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30 comments This evening in yet another embarrassing move, a rowdy crowd physically assaulted Ex-Minister Sher afghan in Lahore. Though the blame is being placed on the Lawyers (MQM desperately wants to pin the blame on Lawyers and Civil Society) but it is apparent that the rowdy crowd dressed in plains clothes (not lawyers) thrashed Sher Afghan.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=LL4zioRP92E[/youtube]
I fully condemn this incident and would at the same time to send strong words to the media spin-masters of PPP and MQM to not twist the blame around. A desperate attempt is being made to accuse the lawyers and civil society for this incident but if you have a look at the video the attach was initiated by a man dressed in plain brown shalwar kameez while throughout the approach to the waiting ambulance we witnessed people dressed in plain clothes attacking Sher afghan while lawyers tried desperately to prevent the attack. While Sherry Rehman the Minister of Information has initiated an inquiry. Little good will that do when the culprits belong within the ruling party, a prime example is yesterdays incident when Arbab Ghulam Rahim was beaten amongst a crowd of Jiya Bhutto chanting crowd and the spin masters have orchestrated the accused as being a hired servant of Arbab Ghulam Rahim himself
24 comments 
Well its not news to anyone who regularly follows Karachi Metroblog but at this moment all of our current batch of authors are effectively sidelined and trashed. Sean the co-founder from Metrblogging wrote a post after he disabled all authors from the system where he states that the ongoing bickering and fighting amongst the authors and the management was the reason why he had to shut the site down and we all got the axe.
Dear Readers of Karachi Metblogs,
It is with a sorry heart that we at the Metroblogging headquarters in Los Angeles have to announce that Karachi Metblogs will be shutting down for a while while we decide what is the best future for it. While I could certainly try to sugar coat this and blame corporate restructuring, the truth is we are just sick of the constand bitter rivalry within the ranks of the authors which has lead to absolute chaos on the site. Honestly, not a day goes by that one author isn’t e-mail me complaining about this or whining about that, and quite frankly I just don’t care enough to keep putting up with all of it. It’s become a nightmare and it has to end.
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Comments Off on Seminar: Do Countries sell their own people? 
A seminar is being held in Lahore on Human Rights titled,
Do countries sell their own people? Civil liberties in the age of the War on Terror.
Time: 3:00 PM
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008
Venue: HRCP Auditorium (107 Tipu Block, Garden Town, Near Barkat Market) – Google Map or Download the JPEG Image
The speakers are Mrs. Amna Masood Janjua, spokesperson of the families of the missing people as well as a senior advocate of the Lahore High Court. Mrs Amna Masood’s husband went missing about 2 years ago, since then she has waged struggle for the release of his husband whose whereabouts are still unknown. She has been joined by the relatives of other missing persons whose loved ones went missing during the last some years (allegedly ‘sold’ to US agencies, on the pre-text of war on terror).
The issue made headlines when CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry took notice and ensured the release of several missing persons from the shackles of illegal detention.(Refer to http://missinginpakistan.wordpress.com/ for details)
The seminar will be preceded by a screening of the documentary “Missing in Pakistan”
Details:
We hope to be able to help them with this campaign when they visit Lahore. We would like the maximum number of people to hear the stories of these victims of arbitrary state-aggression so that people understand that not all those “picked up by the agencies” are terrorists or extremists – and more importantly, that even if they are suspects, they deserve due process and the chance to defend themselves the same way that any other suspect (accused of theft or murder or fraud) is entitled to under our Constitution.
3 comments Guest Blog by Amjad Malik (blog)
Previous Article of the series : Silent Revolution – 1
My brief visit to Pakistan in March was welcomed by suicidal blast in Lahore FIA building and farewell attack in Islamabad restaurant resulting several deaths and injuries which pose a serious question of law an order situation in Pakistan where some ordinary citizens still believe that its more of self created problem and may be some agencies involved in it. Opinion is divided which is fatal for Pakistan as govt of the day has failed to send a message across the gravity of situation where unknown sophisticatedly armed men are willing to die with hundred others to score some political point, is it a revenge or the foreign invasion of different kind. It may be the failure of Musharraf regime to properly advocate in favour of their ill thought policies which are back firing. As a nation Pakistanis are not trained to an extent where they can stop any danger coming towards the state in fact, we all awake when the water is above the danger threshold, and nationalism is no where seen in Pakistan and alas Qauid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah is confined to portraits and ceremonial status. His sayings and doings are hardly remembered in particular by our rulers. If they are acted upon from the beginning or even now, we would not be in the mess we are currently in.
12th May massacre showed the tendency of rulers to an extent they may go to suppress lawful drive for constitutionalism in Pakistan, however, the way nation behaved over the tragic death of late Be Nazir burning their own train stations, looting banks and blowing businesses and damaging properties is a worrying sign for the flag carriers of federation. We need to knit ourselves to one nation without caring our geographical heritage or regional location in order to combat the 21st century war of information. Of course, language can play an important and integral part in carrying the message and none other than Urdu could be used to broadcast national message which may be understood by all as if you speak in foreign language how can you convey your message in a borrowed language. I would go one step further and would recommend national disciplinary service to train the whole nation towards rule of law & basic defence drive so that we as a nation start to learn respecting the law of the land.
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Comments Off on March 10th: Black Flag Week Events Karachi
Lahore
Islamabad:
1 comment 
March 8th marks the celebration of the International Womens Day worldwide, in Pakistan women have done some hard work to be considered at par with the men of society, probably their most notable event remains the protest of Feb 12th 1982 where women were brutally attacked by the state machinery (aka Zia-ul-Haq), that day is probably the ‘unofficial’ Women’s Day in Pakistan.
I share with you an article [unedited version] written by Beena Sarwar in Dawn on 3rd March 2008
Here comes that day again, the one dedicated to women all over the world, March 8, International Women’s Day. In Pakistan, we observe our own unofficial Women’s Day every February 12 since the watershed rally in 1983 organised by the Punjab Women Lawyers Association in Lahore. Sadly, the symbolism of this demonstration is still relevant: it was a protest against Gen. Ziaul Haq’s law of evidence that reduced the testimony of women in court to half that of men; like many other laws the general imposed, it remains in our statute books.
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8 comments Guest Post by Amer Nazir
And why should it…
The present change has not been brought about by the politicians alone too many unsung heroes have lost their lives… they did not have a distinguished name or title, they just died on the streets… only to figure in a grand total, to add on to figures that we read in the newspapers but which we now do not give a second thought about…
Zardari and Nawaz Sharif stand redeemed today, whether they deserved the earlier treatment or the present notwithstanding the fact is that they stand redeemed today, their troubles are over in a personal sense and then revenge is a dish better served cold… but what about the nation… when will it be redeemed… what about those common people who have suffered irreparable loss… and what about those who worked and voted for the redemption of a nation…
How can they say that they will not impeach Musharaff not take him and his cronies to trial… that it is not a priority…
This change has come about because of the efforts of those who lost their lives in the process whether it is Benazir Bhutto or the hundreds of nameless, it has been brought about by those ordinary people who have and still are languishing in jails and in exile… by the brave lawyers, the judiciary, the politicians who refused to contest elections, by the media, the common man on the street who came out for demonstrations in different cities of the world and this change is the result of each and every one of us who has written may it be even a single word to protest… to let the world know of our plight and which has finally changed global perception…
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8 comments The progress of the Judicial bus courtesy Faris of People’s Resistance
At around 10:00 the judicial bus left the Sindh high court.bar on its way to Malir Bar reaching there at 10:30 where a big crowd of lawyers & activists were gathered. A press conference was held.
Finally at around 11:00 they have departed for Hyderabad
At 11:45 – We have an update that the caravan has just left Karachi on its way to Hyderabad via super highway to hopefully reach Hyderabad at 2:00
Update at 12:35 – Judicial Bus roaring on Super highway! Police, truck drivers sharing Victory signs with the rally! 100 kms more to go…
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5 comments It is being reported by.the SAC team in Lahore that Nawaz Sharif has come to he judicial colony in Islamabad along with his brother and has just now entered inside the enclave there are hundreds of supporers along with him and the civil society
2 comments 
Posted by Faris Kasim of the People’s Resistance network
I was lucky enough to visit two very different polling stations today, clearly showing the inherent classism and divisions in Karachi (Pakistani) society today.
I first went to my polling station in Bath Island, NA-250 with my family and was really impressed by the arrangements. Policemen politely guided us to the right section, where I had to stand in a proper line for about 10 minutes before the first person checked my name on a clear voter’s list. He read my N.I.C # out loud and this was confirmed by 3 officials in one corner of the room. My father’s and my brothers name were clearly visible on the voter list as well. He put the black mark on my right thumb and asked me to proceed to the next table where two people responsible for handing out the National & Provincial balloting papers were sitting. After marking my candidates, I folded the balloting papers and asked the official if i had done them correctly, dropped them into the boxes and left happily. Maybe one reason for this order was because a European photographer was roaming around the polling station with a BBC Urdu crew.
Cowasjee was present in the room and was being interviewed by BBC. As always he commented, ‘Hona kia hay, salaa phir wohi ghundaa logh aaye gah!’ hahahahaha
The other polling station I visited was in Malir Halt, opposite to the airport, NA-256. This is a core MQM area and rigging is expected here. I dropped my grandmother and mother to the ladies polling area and this is what they’ve told me: ‘There were only 3 – 4 women standing in a line to go through the voting process (including my grandmother and mother) while the room was filled with nearly a dozen women, who were just standing around laughing and chatting. The tables were in a mess and no one was really bothering to mark the thumb, checking the voting list or even confirming the N.I.C #. Amazingly, women were being ASKED to put stamp the ‘kite’ section while the cardboard screen was lying on the corner, facing the wrong way! My mother was furious and told the ladies there to give my grandmother some room so she could use the cardboard area. When they were dropping the balloting papers in the boxes, two random women were staring hard to see what she had stamped.
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