Tag: Taliban

  • Becoming an IDP – Real life experience of two females from Swat

    Foize Nasim interviewed Saira, a 20 years old girl from Mingora, Swat at a training centre set up by PPAF at Jalala Camp. Saira has 7 sisters and 3 brothers. 3 of her sisters are married, two of whom were living at Jalala with their families. One sister, Farhat was missing with her husband, who…

  • Psychoanalysis of an Extremist

    “I am stuck, in middle of nowhere, or at the extremes of somewhere, I don’t know what is right or what is wrong, rather who is right or who is wrong. Height of epistemocracy I might be at, rather in a quest to know more, but got more questions than answers along the way. I…

  • A Swati Doctor Interviewed about the War in Swat

    A few members of the Peoples Resistance group visited Banares Colony in Karachi, Pakistan and interviewed an IDP refugee Doctor from Swat who shares his thoughts. I would also like to quote a short section from the email by Abira Ashfaq which had accompanied this video It seems like one can always accuse people who…

  • Foreign Policy ranks Pakistan as the 10th Most Failed State

    Nothing to be proud off but in a survey conducted by Foreign Policy Magazine where they evaluated 177 countries across the world Pakistan was ranked as the 10th most failed state where Somalia was ranked as the most failed state followed by Zimbabwe, Sudan, Chad, Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Guniea and then Pakistan…

  • The displaced vs the well placed people of Pakistan

    “The twins were born as the mother desperately struggled with the pangs of pain, the sound of falling artillery shells, the suffocation of gun powder and the stench of decaying dead bodies. By the time it was morning, the family realized that one of the two babies, had not survived the ordeal of childbirth. The…

  • Report on the IDP situation

    Report by Wali Haider from ROOTS Talking to the displaced people in various IDP camps, or in the homes of friends/relatives during my recent visit to Takht Bhai and Charsadda they have taken refuge it is obvious that for them the objectives of the army operation remain unclear. At the same time their suffering as…

  • The women who walked – and walked

    This is an abridged version that was published on 4th June in The News extracted from a recent report by AIRRA (Aryana Institute for Regional Research and Advocacy) based in Peshawar, whose members traveled to the IDP camps for these interviews. We write here some of the stories the women of Swat told us. They…

  • IDP Crisis, More transparency, please

    Voices of reason and critique are often drowned in the sounds of gunfire and heavy artillery shelling. This current operation ‘Rah-e-Rast’, or what is being termed as a ‘War for Pakistan’s survival’, has resulted in an exodus of almost 3 million people which might just be another number for those who are at the helm…

  • Peaceful Anti-War Protestors, Harrassed & Arrested

    People’s Resistance, a civil society coalition of students, professional and ordinary citizens strongly condemns police violence and arrest of peaceful anti-war protestors in Quaidabad, Karachi today, on grounds that the right to peaceful dissent has been violated. The march had been organized by The Jang Mukhalif Committee comprising several local groups that have been protesting…

  • Update on Swat Relief Collection Drive

    Just an update from the collection drive for the Swat relief where I plan to head out to Mardan on 18th or 19th. I have talked to MAKRO and have negotiated a hamper of relief goods for one family at a rate of Rs. 3000. It is still being negotiated down and the lower it…

  • Collection Drive for IDP Relief team to Swat

    UN estimates there are 980,000 people being displaced out of NWFP – there is tremendous suffering and a severe lack of funds and Volunteers. Facebook Event – Collection / Donation appeal for IDP’s in SWAT I plan to lead a team to the affected areas hopefully to depart from Karachi on the 18th of May…

  • Shameful Flight – Redux

    “Only in the desperate days and weeks after those celebrations of mid-August did the horrors of Partition’s impact begin to emerge. No viceregal time had been wasted in planning for the feeding and housing and medical needs of ten million refugees. No British officers or troops remained to keep the peace in shattered Punjab, or…

  • Survey shows 52% people NOT favoring Army incursion in NWFP | 72% supported Peace Deal

    International Republican Institue which has since 2006 been conducting some valuable opinion polling in Pakistan has just recently released their tenth survey – You can download the charts and graphs using this link [PDF] | While the descriptive review can be read here [PDF] The poll was conducted March 4-30, 2009 comprised of a randomly…

  • Women to Reclaim Public Spaces – A Seminar by WAF

    A Programme of Defiance & Resistance by the Womens Action Forum Karachi Press Club 8th May, 2009, 5:30 – 7:30pm Womens Action Forums invites you to a programme highlighting the implications of Talibanisation for women, artists, and minorities in particular, and to our country in general. The Talibans have created terror through slaughtering of people,…

  • The Taliban’s Atomic Threat: John Bolton’s Fear Mongering

    Afghanistan is not a nuclear power. Yet the alleged conspirators of 9/11 emerged from there.