Global Voices

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The world is talking, are you listening?

Mehwish khan at ProPakistani compiles a list of sites which are providing live updates and results of the Pakistan general elections 2013.

Pakistan-based Internet access advocacy group Bolobhi releases a timeline with details of the 12 times mobile services were suspended in the country since April 2012.

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At 7:15pm, the low buzz of a drone was heard overheard. Seconds later, an enormous explosion engulfed the area, destroying the boat and several nearby homes. Sources say 46 Watertown residents were killed in the missile strike, including 12 children.

……

Of course, that's not what happened. But if it did, wouldn't we find it unconscionable? If so, then why are Americans okay with our government doing this to people in other countries?

A hypothetical narration of a drone targeting the Boston Marathon bombing suspect in Watertown by an American Facebook user based in San Francisco, has gone viral amongst Pakistani Facebook users. Within 24 hours the post was shared more than 5000 times and generated hundreds of comments.

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Chowrangi blog reports that considering the deteriorating law and order situation and pre-election violence the Election Commission of Pakistan has allowed candidates to keep five civilian bodyguards with licensed arms during the ongoing Election 2013 campaign.

Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House describes how another Christian colony had been attacked in Gujranwala, Punjab in Pakistan using the same rhetoric – revenge for alleged “Insult to Islam”.

Raza Rumi at jahane Rumi discusses about the strong possibility of violence during the impending Pakistan 2013 elections.

Satirist Bassem Youssef tweets:

A new investigation started against me accusing me of: insulting Islam(again), spreading atheism & insulting Pakistan #LOL

He was recently accused of insulting Islam and Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in his TV programme El Bernameg [The Programme]. The court rejected the lawsuit.

Screenshot of “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” Drone strikes and deaths since 2004 in Pakistan by Pitch Interactive

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On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]:

“A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to Italy, by way of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Bolivia. From authoritarian regimes to democratic countries, none are exempt from criticism on the topic. In 2013, torture remains as endemic, omnipresent and multi-faceted as ever”.

Shiraz Hassan recently visited dilapidated temples and gurdwaras of Rawalpindi and appeals that these old heritage sites, which depict the secular past of the country, need to be preserved. There are still more than 25,000 Hindus living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Mehwish Khan at ProPakistani reports that the first international Urdu bloggers conference was held on January 26, 2013 in Lahore, Pakistan. Over 70 Urdu bloggers from different parts of the country took part in the conference.

In Pakistan in 2012, the federal government announced plans to gradually phase out CNG due to gas shortages. Last week as supply to many CNG stations remained suspended, people queued in long lines to buy petrol for their vehicles. Teeth Maestro has more.

Salman Latif exposes the flawed arguments in favor of reserved seats for women in the Pakistan National Assembly.

Journeys To Democracy reports that some Pakistani activists have sent out a petition for peace and de-weaponization of Karachi city to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The brutal violence, armed robberies, kidnapping and extortion in this Pakistani port city have claimed lives of around 8000 people in past four years.

Iskanderkul Lake in Tajikistan. Photo by Flickr user Oleg Brovko (CC BY 2.0).

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Omair Alavi reports that increase in crime rate in Karachi marred the recent Eid-ul-Azha celebrations.

Taimoor Mughal at Teeth Maestro provides a holistic view about the categories of Talibans in Pakistan.

“Who is Politically Liberal in Pakistan?” – asks Raza Habib Raja.

The blogger of Kiss My Roti takes off her hijab and provides the reason for it.

Aman Ki Asha Milne Do Petition Logo

Visa restrictions prevent citizens of India and Pakistan from visiting families in the other country. There isn’t even a tourist visa protocol between these two biggest neighbours of South Asia. Journeys To Democracy promoted the Aman ki Asha Milne Do petition to change this.

Owais Mughal at Doodh Patti compiles the updated number of railway stations in Pakistan crowd-sourcing from blog readers. Get the complete list from that post.

Ayusyha Khanna at Pak Tea House argues that if Pakistan truly wants to realize its potential as far as economic performance is concerned, then it should adopt secularism to create an atmosphere of peace.

Owais Mughal at Light Within posts a tribute to Mango, which is the national fruit of Pakistan.

Samra Muslim at Pak Tea House writes that the month of Ramadan is not important for religious reasons but it is the month of business all around creating a lot of commotion in the economy of Pakistan.

Omair Alavi provides the latest updates on the story of honor killing of 5 girls in Kohistan and questions the media's role in the whole debacle.

Saad Hirani sheds a light on the population explosion in Pakistan and the bleak future it shows with depleting resources.

Teeth Maestro reports that Ali Kapadia, a Pakistani filmmaker, has recently started a film project which talks about Peace between Pakistan and India.

Anushay Hossain writes that Bangladesh should not hide its scars of the rape of hundreds of thousands of women during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, bring justice for them and move forward.

Before the May 6, 2012, General Election in Greece, Friday 4 was the last day political parties could organize public speeches and rallies. Heavy criticism was levelled at PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos's choice to give a public speech at Syntagma Square in Athens, center of anti-government and anti-austerity mass citizen protests so far. Netizens on Twitter mocked [el, en] the political party for its “audacity to hold a public speech” and the low audience turnout, criticizing also the presence of Pakistani immigrants, reportedly paid or forced to swing green flags in favor of PASOK.

The contempt of court proceedings against Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is taking new twists and he may lose his premiership. Aamir Saeed has more on the story.