The Sharifs and the religious right
Political alarm bells have begun to ring after the recent secondary dissection of the rightist vote bank into sectarian divisions after a period of 40 long years. It was in…
The religious right in Sindh
Despite intellectual property rights, the internet has broken the monopoly over books, libraries, distances, university degrees etc which are not confined to a few individuals now – including in Sindh.…
The religious right strikes back
After offering their Fajr prayers, they boarded the bus destined for Peshawar without knowing this might be their last journey; dozens were injured and killed by the bomb planted by…
Transgender rights
FOUR years after the epic and surprising (given our right-wing bent) multiparty approval of a Transgender Act, right-wing forces now say it is un-Islamic. Terming it anti-religion may be responsible in…
Islam & rights
RIGHT from the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), Islam has advocated for the protection of human rights. It says that every individual — male or female — possesses a…
Policing and the right to protest
IT appears as if Imran Khan has deliberately slowed down the pace of his party’s ‘long march’ on Islamabad. But the challenge of providing security to the protestors and maintaining law and…
Right to the city
EVERY day in Pakistan brings stories of violence against women. But some are particularly harrowing in their symbolism. The rape of a woman in Islamabad’s F-9 park has been the…
An overlooked right
AS Pakistan struggles with its economic, political and constitutional crises, there has not been much focus on the human rights of its people. The fact of the matter is that…
Right-wing creep
MANY Pakistanis take pride in the fact that the religious right wing has never really gained much traction in any general election. This sense of jubilation is heightened by the…
Religious prisons
A JIRGA in northern Pakistan bans women from visiting tourist spots. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan continues to deny education to girls as well as freedom to work or go…
