Jinnah's historic home in Ziarat, Balochistan, where he spent the last days of his life with his sister Fatima Jinnah in 1948 a year after he led Pakistan to independence, was reduced to ashes on June 15, 2013 after bombs ignited the wooden building. It was serving as a museum with Jinnah's belongings on display and was one of the popular tourist sites in Balochistan.

Separatist group Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) has taken responsibility.

Pakistan's newly elected parliament condemned the attack. It also passed a unanimous resolution condemning the acts of terrorism in Balochistan, while the government announced the plan to restore Jinnah's residence.

Funkor Childart Center participated in the Children's Literature festival in Quetta in 2012 and painted the Ziarat Residene of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Used with permission.

Jinnah was the first Governor-General of Pakistan after its independence from British India in 1947 and served in the position for a year before he died. His home was iconic, featuring on the country's 100-rupee note.

Reaction on social media to the attack on his home was strong.

Jamaluddin wrote on his blog in a piece called Jinnah’s burnt Ziarat residency: A piece of Pakistan died today:

June 15, 2013 will be remembered forever. Today, the beautiful building that adorns our hundred rupee notes was burnt and destroyed by militants who flung hand grenades at Jinnah’s residency in Ziarat. All the historical photographs and furniture was destroyed. As always, the militants who committed this despicable act of senseless violence escaped unhurt.

Blogger and columnist Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) wrote on Twitter:

@YusraSAskari: Apologies, Mr. Jinnah, we can do no else but hang our head in shame. #Ziarat

Adil Najam (@AdilNajam), blogger and the Vice Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences slammed the bombings:

@AdilNajam: Dastardly. Cowardly. Pathetic. Jinnah Residency in Ziarat attacked. This is attack on an idea. The idea of all of us. The idea of Pakistan.

Freedom fighter and Pashto translator Azad Pashtun (@AzadPashtun) wrote:

@AzadPashtun: Picture of Jinnah's Ziarat residence on the 100 Kaldaar will need updating. pic.twitter.com/YFNl2EIPHs

Journalist & columnist Nadeem Farooq Paracha (@NadeemfParacha) aka NFP, the author of Smoker's Corner, tweeted:

@NadeemfParacha: Maybe BLA fools blew up Jinnah's residency because they feel the state & government are not giving them as much respect as they do to TTP?

Balochistan is Pakistan's biggest but least developed province. It is witnessing the fifth separatist uprising since 1947 and according to The Economist, “this insurgency is stronger than the previous ones.” The attack on the residency shocked many in Pakistan, but not all in Balochistan.

Baloch Hal, Pakistan's first online newspaper from Balochistan, suggested in its editorial “The end of Jinnah?” that the new Pakistani government shouldn't take any actions against Baloch in haste:

The government should instead build a new monument to commemorate the Baloch youths, political activists, journalists and professors who have lost their lives in the conflict. It is meaningless to live in the past and snub the present and the future. If the central government wants to politically address the conflict, it should make sure that the Residency attack is not taken as an opportunity to launch fresh operations in Balochistan or justify the kill and dump operations.

Baloch Hal is blocked in Pakistan. Malik Siraj Akbar, the editor in chief of Baloch Hal like many other Baloch intellectuals lives in the USA.

Pakistani-Canadian writer, broadcaster and a secular Muslim anti-Islamist activist Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) wrote:

@TarekFatah (Tarek Fatah): Baloch guerrillas fighting Pakistan occupation, bomb home of country's founder, MA Jinnah. Before-&-after picture. pic.twitter.com/TMF5oe6OYX

Exiled Pakistani journalist and editor-in-chief of The Baloch Hal Malik Siraj Akbar (@MalikSirajAkbar) noted possible hypocrisy in the reaction to the attack:

@MalikSirajAkbar (Malik Siraj Akbar): Jinnah's biggest portrait was smashed outside Ayub Stadium in Quetta in 2006: no reactions. The Residency wasn't even his house

Fasih Ahmed (@therealfasih), Newsweek Pakistan's Editor and first Daniel Pearl Fellow, 2003 wrote:

@therealfasih (Fasih Ahmed): Taliban have killed children, attacked shrines, GHQ. Yet the attack on a house Jinnah stayed at for a few months is the real outrage? #Hello

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Amid threats of terrorism and reports of rigging, determined voters in Pakistan turned out in high numbers, braving chaotic polling stations and long lines on May 11, 2013 to have their say in the country's first ever democratic transition of power.

The final results are not yet tallied, but former two-time prime minster Nawaz Sharif and his Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) is expected to win and form the government.

The party's official Twitter account (@pmln_org) declared the victory:

@pmln_org: PMLN Roshan Pakistan | Thanks to the Nation for Trusting us And supporting the Revolution ! https://t.co/Qvz4kUr2SS

A woman is exercising her right to vote here during general elections 2013 at a polling station in the home town of Benazir Bhutto on Saturday. Image by jamal Dawood. Copyright Demotix (11/5/2013)

Popular cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, who had attracted a large following among young people and urban voters ahead of the general elections, fell short of leading his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to an election win. His former wife, Jemima Khan (@Jemima_Khan), remained optimistic about the party:

@Jemima_Khan: PTI-from a 1 seat party to 2nd biggest/main Opposition in the Assembly, governing 1 province. Not a tsunami but definitely a #nayaPakistan [new Pakistan]

The vote was peaceful in most areas, though bombings and shootings in Karachi, Peshawar, and Baluchistan left a reported 29 dead and many others injured, pushing the total number of deaths caused by election-related attacks from Taliban militants and other militant groups in recent weeks to more than 150.

But despite the violence, an estimated 60 percent of the 86 million people qualified to vote made it to the polls, more than in any recent elections in the country.

Twitter was buzzing with reactions all day.

Faisal Sherjan (@fsherjan) noted:

@fsherjan: First indicator voter turnout. Chattering class participated in electoral process. Young Pakistan voted for change. Voters showed maturity

People stand in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station during the phase of the election in Karachi, Pakistan on Saturday 11 may 2013. Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis went to the polling stations. Image by Rana Zahid 84. Copyright Demotix (11/5/2013)

Journalist Fahd Husain (@Fahdhusain) pushed the country to break its own voting record:

@Fahdhusain: 1970 turnout was 63 percent. Highest in Pakistan history. Let's smash this record! #Elections

Writer, blogger, and development professional Raza Rumi (@Razarumi) posted a comparison:

@Razarumi: In 2008 elections voter turnout in Pakistan was 44.1%; In Bangladesh 87.4% during 2008 elections. In India 2009 election,voter turnout 59.7%

Female Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) employees register female voters with their identification cards. Image by Saad Sarfraz Sheikh. Copyright Demotix (11/5/2013)

Reports of discrepancies and vote rigging in which people were allegedly forced not to vote have cropped up in some areas of Pakistan, mainly in the port city of Karachi, triggering protests in support of Imran Khan and his PTI party. Karachi journalist Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) shared a photo of the demonstrations:

@faizanlakhani: Picture: #PTI protests in Karachi against rigging in elections. #PakVotes pic.twitter.com/yot6KebFy1

Yasmeen Ali (@yasmeen_9) also tweeted a photo showing hundreds protesting against the supposed rigging:

@yasmeen_9: protest at Lalak Chowk against rigging in #NA125 hundreds out protesting. @HAMIDKHAN_NA125 pic.twitter.com/s8FzEEP3Sg

#Rigging is trending in Pakistan, thanks in part to PTI's social media team. This is to be noted as an important moment in the new trend of using social media as a political and mobilization tool in Pakistan.

The party alleges that the winning Pakistan Muslim League-N was seen manipulated the polls, and videos from one polling station in Lahore NA-125 and Rawalpindi NA 56 supposedly show rigging:

@PakVotes: Rigging video exposed from Rawalpindi NA-56 where PML-N workers are forcing people not to cast vote. http://pakvotesmap.pk/reports/view/240 … #PakVotes

Army officials are patrolling as the army troops have started patrolling in different areas of the city while patrolling has also increased in sensitive areas on the occasion of General Election 2013, in Karachi on Friday May 10, 2013. Image by PPI Images. Copyright Demotix

They have started a Change.org petition, however, this petition only focuses on two constituencies of Karachi and doesn't mention Rawalpindi and Lahore:

Elections should be held again across the constituencies Karachi-1 (NA239) to Karachi-20 (NA258) due to multiple reports of rigging and other hindrances in the process. We want a free and fair election, with voters and polling stations protected by law enforcement agencies against those who seek to intimidate and coerce.

The interim Punjab Chief minister & former journalist Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) said PTI planned to file a complaint over four seats believed to be fixed:

@najamsethi: I just talked to [Imran Khan]. He complained about “rigging” in 4 seats by [Election Commission of Pakistan's] Presiding Officers. He said he will lodge complaint with ECP.

Pakistan is still waiting for the report of EU observers, and as of now, there are no independent reports coming in.

However, re-polling has been ordered for more than 40 polling stations in Karachi where voting was suspended on election day because of irregularities. Express Tribune journalist Omar Quraishi (@omar_quraishi) responded to the news:

@omar_quraishi: Know many people who voted for 7-8 hours to vote in NA 250 and are pretty annoyed that the result has been delayed because of repolling

The independent Free and Fair Elections Network or FAFEN and the Election Commission of Pakistan is requesting that political parties lodge official complaints with evidence.

This post is part of our Special Coverage Pakistan Votes 2013.

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Orangi is considered Asia's largest slum and houses close to a million people in Karachi. A trained architect, Parveen also worked tirelessly to document land in the ever growing slum and in Karachi, to protect it from the city's notorious land mafia, who she had been receiving death threats from for years.

“Parveen Rehman in her Orangi office. She changed the lives of half a million people. Orangi lost a mother figure.” Image from Twitter user @Alexpressed

On his blog Alexressed Diary of a concerned Pakistani, Ale Natiq writes:

Most people know her as the Director of the Orangi Pilot Project but she was more than a mere NGO Director. She and her organisation have left footprints across a wide area of Karachi and have influenced several thousand lives. It will not be unfair to say that she influenced the lives of half a million people or half the population of Orangi in one way or the other. Karachi’s slums and katchi abadis have lost a mother figure.

Among other milestones, the OPP is known for initiating one of the most successful community-driven sanitation programs in the world. Since its inception in 1980, it has helped 2 million people improve their sanitation by installing underground sewer pipes and indoor toilets across Pakistan.

Steve Inskeep, host of NPR's Morning Edition and Author of Instant City Life and Death in Karachi, which features an interview with Parveen, remembers on Twitter:

 @NPRInskeep: Outsiders would get a little tense just visiting Orangi, the vast gang-infested zone of Karachi where Rahman cheerfully worked each day.

Karachi Violence

The day Parveen was murdered, seven other people were killed in various incidents of violence in the city. There was a feeling of extreme loss and grief among Pakistan's Twitterati. Pakistan Director at Human Rights Watch Ali Dayan Hasan tweeted on March 14, 2013:

@AliDayan (Ali Dayan Hasan): Slowly but surely, everyone and everything good in our country is being targeted and killed.#ParveenRehman #Pakistan

Others including journalists Beena Sarwar, Mohammad Hanif and columnist Cyril Almeida echoed his sentiments:

@beenasarwar (beena sarwar): #ParveenRehman RT @mohammedhanif: this is the saddest thing. And we thought we have seen too much sadness. Can't even muster up anger

@cyalm (cyril almeida): A selfish thought tonight: am sick at the thought of the growing number of ppl in my phone book who have been cut down. Too much death.

@BhopalHouse (Faiza S Khan): I realise, I've known for some time, that no depths to which Pak won't sink. Grateful that I still feel heartbroken. Soon that too will end.

@AmSayeed (Amima Sayeed): the negative propaganda against NGOs has led to this: #ParveenRehman shot dead. It is the blind hatred that doesnt see contributions!!

Tribute to social worker Parveen Rehman killed by terrorist in Karachi, Image by Ayub. Copyright Demotix (14/3/2013)

Parveen's Fight against Karachi's Land Mafia

Before joining the OPP in 1982, Parveen worked as a architect. She continued to teach at various architecture schools over the years to create socially-responsible architects in the country. Parveen, had spent years documenting land in the fringes of the ever-expanding metropolis Karachi. According to her students and colleagues she had been receiving death threats from the mafia involved in grabbing precious land in the city:

Ms Rehman was an ardent compiler of the record of precious lands, which were on the fringes of the city in shape of villages but were speedily vanishing into its vastness because of ever-increasing demand by thousands of families who were shifting to Karachi every year from across the country. She said on record that around 1,500 goths (villages) had been merged into the city since 15 years. Land-grabbers subdivided them into plots and earned billions by their sale.

Journalist Fahad Desmukh tweeted his audio interview with Parveen Rehman in which she talks about threats from the land mafia in Karachi: 

@desmukh (Fahad Desmukh): Parveen Rehman: “We said all that you can do is kill us. What else can you do? We're not afraid of you” #LandMafia

SesapZai an artist from Pakistan writes in her blog:

It almost seems to me that people in Pakistan do not want to develop; development is a looming monster that becomes a huge threat as soon as someone tries to push it forward. And rather than supporting and encouraging such brave humanitarians — like Parveen Rehman — who’d dedicated as well as put their lives on the line, to help the poorest in the region live better lives, they are instead murdered. And with them, all hopes and dreams for a better, more economically sufficient future, wither away too.

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The residents of Joseph Colony, within Lahore's Badami Bagh area had already fled their homes on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday, after the police warned them of a potential revenge attack over an alleged blasphemous remark made by Sawan Masih, a 28-year old sanitation worker from their community.

Pictures of Joseph Colony's burnt houses were circulated on social media by the Express Tribune Facebook page. In these pictures, a jubilant mob is setting beds, washing machines and household stuff on fire.

@norbalm (i N O R B A L M ™) With Pride I BURN & Record it with my Mobile #Lahore #BadamiBagh pic.twitter.com/3agi09KxE2

Mob setting fire and recording via mobile. Image courtesy Twittter user @norbalm

@TahaSSiddiqui (Taha Siddiqui): See burnt homes in #Lahore via @etribune pic.twitter.com/rJBRFBj0vz

Pakistan's Blasphemy Law is a sensitive issue; Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and the Federal Minister for Minorities, Shahbaz Bhatti were assassinated for their opposition to the law.

Reza Habib Raja writes in Pak Tea House:

In countries like Pakistan, it is the reverence of religion (which at times does not even have neat correspondence with actual adherence to its rituals) which is the main culprit. A law implemented in the name of religion is often impossible to repeal. People may not be following religion in their personal capacities, but fully understand its power in collective settings.

The Blasphemy Law is often used against religious minorities in the country. The Constitution of the country also discriminates against religious minorities. Non-Muslims are barred from becoming head of the state and other institutions according to the 1973 constitution.

Pakistan's Christian minority shouts slogans against the attack on their community members in Lahore, during a protest in Hyderabad. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (10/3/2013)

Reza Habib Raja in his blog in Pak Tea House states it's not only the law:

Much more than the law, it is the mindset. I really don’t think that merely repealing the law will change anything. In fact law can only be repealed if there is a sufficient majority in the assembly. And that majority will only repeal it, if majority of the electorate wants it to be repealed. I really don’t think that any party has the political courage to even present the possible repealing as an agenda point in its political manifesto.

BoloBhi, a right-based organization tweeted a video made by Saad Sarfaraz Shiekh about the Badami Bagh incident.

@BoloBhi (Bolo Bhi): “As sweepers, we clean their houses. They would die in the garbage if we didn't ” voices from #Josephcolony http://vimeo.com/61458898

@salmansid (Salman Siddiqui): Just imagine being a Christian or an Ahmedi or Shia 4 a second in #Pakistan what future will u think u'll have 4 urself, ur family here?

Blogger and columnist Sonya Rehman interviews one of the residents of Joseph Colony:

Beena Sarwar, a Pakistani journalist based in the US writes in her blog post, ‘Planned attack on Christian properties in Lahore; protest demonstrations Sunday':

The mob was given a free hand to burn and loot; it destroyed more than 150 houses and shops, as well as a church, including bibles and religious symbols (blasphemy case against perpetrators, anyone?). This is not the first time this has happened. Remember Shantinagar (1997), and Gojra and Kerian. (2009)

Pak Tea House blog sums up the situation in Pakistan:

Religion has been elevated to such level and in a way that any debate on it has become impossible. Consequently, as a society we are completely impotent to even condemn those who misuse religion for committing horrifying acts. This impotence is the real tragedy and is even more horrifying than the actual act.

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Let's put a stop to these subversive lyrics that infiltrate the minds of people who don't know better and who then justify to themselves the rightness of a crime that harms another human being, sometimes so severely that they lose their lives.

28 year-old Honey Singh (also known as Yo! Yo! Honey Singh) is the highest paid Indian musical artist. He has given playback vocals to recent Bollywood films like ‘Khiladi 786′, ‘Cocktail’ and ‘Luv Shuv Te Chicken Khurana'. His music numbers made hits on Asian pop charts.

After the petition Honey Singh’s new song with Jazzy B, ‘The Party Getting Hot’ got over one million viewers. It was released online on 28th December.

According to the First Post:

“The video has been so far viewed in more than 150 countries. It is now being ranked as the No.1 most watched video in India on YouTube. It is among the Top-5 most watched videos in UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand over the last few days.”

The writer and award winning film-maker, Gautam Chintanami is furious:

One of his first independent songs is called Ch**t Vol. 1 (Vagina Vol. 1) and if the title wasn’t an indication enough the lyrics, too brazen by any stretch of imagination, go something like: Aja teri ch**t maroon, Tere sar se ch****y ka bhoot utaroon, Ch*****7 ke baad tujhe joote maroon, Tere mooh mein apna l***a de ke m***h maroon (Come let me f*** you till the thought of making love leaves your mind, Beat you with my shoe after I f**k you and then I’ll shove my d**k in your mouth and j**k off).

Amid public outrage over the Delhi rape case the Indian twitterati also questions these anti-women, violence oriented lyrics.

Are the HoneySinghs making Indians misogynistic or is our misogynistic society producing & celebrating pop icons like him?

— rama lakshmi (@RamaNewDelhi) January 1, 2013

Am all for the campaign against Honey Singh's sexist rubbish, but will we please extend our anger to misogyny in cinema, advertisements,TV?

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) January 1, 2013

You can't cancel #HoneySingh or those who dance to his peculiar brand of misogyny, but opposing concert certainly a good start. @raheelk

— Mirza Waheed (@MirzaWaheed) December 31, 2012

There are a few in the Bollywood who are not for banning the lyrics of Honey Singh. Chetan Bhagat, the author of six blockbuster novels is among one of them.

Hussain's paintings were about artistic freedom for some. The same people want to ban honey singh because this time he offends them.

— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) January 2, 2013

@chetan_bhagat nothing artistic about singing out violent and pornographic text and calling it music.#yoyohoneysingh

— shunali shroff (@shunalishroff) January 2, 2013

Anurang Kashyap, film director and screenwriter was also questioned by the twitterati for his professional relationship with Honey Singh.

@amritabhinder aren't you being another kind of Taliban.. How can you decide what should be in public domain.. Porn is in public domain

— UGLYAnurag (@ankash1009) December 28, 2012

@crazyabtsrk because whether you know it or he's a big hit. Even the likes of Anurag Kashyap are associating themselves with him.

— Amrita Bhinder (@amritabhinder) December 27, 2012

Gautam Chintamani questions the social responsibility of the Bollywood.

My question is if Bollywood readily gives Yo Yo Honey Singh a pass without questioning his earlier lyrics then are they even serious about taking up social responsibility?…In the quest of being liberal we refuse to call a spade a spade without endlessly debating lest we come across as unreasonable people. And as such does one really need a debate to know which one is the bigger evil between a ‘Main Zandu Balm Huee’ and Honey Singh’s ‘Ch***ey key baad tujhe jutey maroon (Beat you with my shoe after I f**k you)?

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Let us build Pakistan (LUBP) blogs:

Dr Allah Nazar Baloch family was specifically targeted in the action. His aged mother along with other family members mostly women and children are injured. Homes of Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, his brother Safar Khan Baloch along with dozens of other homes are arsoned after looting. They have taken away Dr Allah Nazar Baloch, brother-in-Laws Shah Baig Baloch and Naeem Baloch with many Baloch youngsters.

Protesters demonstrating near 10 Downing Street. Image by Ruth Whitworth. Copyright Demotix (30/8/2012)

As world celebrates X'mas, Pakistan Army has laid siege to Mashkai in #Balochistan for 2 days with heli-gunships. Help!bnchr.com/english/news/1…

— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) December 25, 2012

According to the Baloch twitterati, the 72-hour long military action targeted the civilian population. The memorial account of Baloch independence icon Balaach Marri continued tweeting the updates on the military operation and death toll. Balaach was killed in a military operation in 2007.

MASHKAY Civilian Death Toll Rises to 31: inc. 12 from same family, women and children mainly targeted in bombardment #BalochistanOperation

— TheBaloch (@BalaachMarri) December 26, 2012

Army smartly chose Dec 25 for Mashkay operation because all Pakistan & India would be busy watching #PakVsInd match. #BalochistanOperation

— TheBaloch (@BalaachMarri) December 26, 2012

https://twitter.com/ArchenBaloch/status/283945655523753984

#BalochistanOperation BBC wants to use the pictures I just shared. Unfortunately they don't have a single correspondent in Balochistan.

— QZ (@Natrani) December 26, 2012

Let us build Pakistan blogs:

„Mainstream media is busy airing stories on singer Annie domestic issues with her husbands. They know, it will cater more interest than any news about war ravaged Balochistan.”

The incomplete list of civilians killed in the operation is also shared on twitter.

Incomplete list of martyrs & injured in yesterday's military operation by Pakistan Army at Mashkay Balochistan. twitter.com/Barifee/status…

— Borhaan Arifee (@Barifee) December 26, 2012

There are few pictures circulated on social media however the authenticity of these pictures are still not confirmed.

Photo by Sangat Baloch, used with permission

Photo by Sangat Baloch, used with permission

This is not the first military operation by the Pakistan army or the Frontier Corps in Balochistan. However, the Balochistan issue never gets much attention in the mainstream media and political discourse. Baloch twitterati mostly live in exile or tweet anonymously due to security reasons.

Ignorants: -those who think any military Opdoesn't violate civilians Human Rights – shame on those calling Baloch tweeps liars #Mashkey

— salma jafar (@Chiltan) December 26, 2012

BOMB us, DISPLACE us, ABDUCT us, TORTURE us, KILL us, But at end of the day Balochistan won't be yours. #Mashkay #BalochistanOperation

— Faiz Baluch فیض بلوچ (@Faiz_Baluch) December 26, 2012

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In this fellowship program, 22 journalists from Afghanistan and Pakistan gathered together twice, once in Islamabad and once in Kabul. The young journalists form both sides of the Durand Line started a blog after meeting for the first time in Bara Gali, a hill station near Islamabad. The about section of the blog titled Understanding the neighbor says:

This blog is a collective effort of all of us to stay connected and to understand our neighbour better…Together we will bridge all the gaps and mend all the fences that keep us away from each other.

22 journalists from Pakistan and Afghanistan on the ‘Understanding the neighbors program'. Image by author.

Beenish Mohsin, Diplomatic correspondent at ARY news channels shares, what is her expectations from this program.

The first phase of the program was “A week of breaking stereotypes“, which worked well for many of the participants. Ayesha Hasan from the Express Tribune, Pakistan, shares her experience:

Hailing from all four corners of the two countries, we, journalists, returned home with positive images, changed perceptions, unforgettable memories and most important of all: new friends. 
Everyone had a unique story to tell, an idiosyncratic account of their lives and pied explanations and expectations, but some left an impression on my mind.

The experience of Afghan journalist Faisal Moonzejar was an eye opener. He gives voice to his suspicions he had about his neighbor, Pakistan:

My Afghan fellows were tired because of the long flights and went to rest. But I came to talk to my Pakistani counterparts. They offered me to join them at trekking. First I wasn’t interested, but when I saw their enthusiasm and friendliness, which reminded me of my childhood picnics with my school mates, I readily accepted the offer.

In another post‚ ‘we have no one to blame’, Faisal Moonzejar writes about what he and his fellow Afghan journalists lack:

“I have realized that Pakistan is not the problem. The main problem is that we always blame Pakistan for our internal crises – the ethnic matters. When I was a child, I was told that Shiite (Ahle Tashee) are the ‘dirtiest’ and was forbidden from going to their homes or accepting water or anything to eat from the let alone making friends with them.”

The participants in Kabul. Image by author.

The participants mutually worked on investigative, in depth stories about the information darkness in both the countries about each other.

In one of the reports the journalists conclude:

Journalists continue to face challenges in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The only way out is if the governments of either country allow exchange of information and broadcast of its respective TV channels across the borders.

They also tried to dig out stories about mutual cooperation and trade links that can benefit the people of both countries. One of the follow finds out that Kabul is the new Dubai for Pakistanis.

Sher Badshah’s job encouraged his brother Sardar Badshah to come to Afghanistan in search of a job. Now, he gets a salary of 500 US dollars as a cook.

Ayesha Hasan was enthralled to see the women parliamentarians, social activists and diplomats in Kabul. She writes:

No matter how difficult it may be to overcome age-old Afghan traditions, women seem to be slowly making their presence felt in the political domain. One indication of this is the Taliban’s absence of dissent to the presence of women in the High Peace Council’s governing body that is assigned with carrying out peace negotiations with them.

Image of Kabul taken by the author.

I wrote in that blog:

They will make the world understand the Af-Pak relation with their new understanding. They are ready to challenge the decades old established narratives about their neighbors- the narratives that are missing in the public sphere. I am very happy while writing this that these journos are no more neighbors, they happily call each other friends now. Mission accomplished!

Please also read our previous report on the same program.

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Rimsha is accused of burning pages of Noorani Qaida, an Arabic learning lesson for beginners, and putting them in a plastic bag. The incident happened on August 16, 2012 in the slum Meherabadi in G-12, Islamabad where she lives with her family. A local police station filed a First Information Report (FIR) after a neighbor made a formal complaint against her.

The blasphemy offence comes under Article 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code and the offender can get life imprisonment or a death sentence. The news was taken up by a website ‘Christians in Pakistan’ on August 18.

The report became big news on Pakistan's mainstream media five days later on August 22. Prior to her arrest some locals of the area blocked a main highway in the capital. The mob apparently wanted to do the justice themselves. Last month a mob burnt a mentally unstable man in Bahwalpur; the man was also accused of blasphemy.

Pakistan's Minister for National Harmony, Dr. Paul Bhatti, said in an interview to BBC world service that 600 Christians have fled their homes in Islamabad after the 11-year old was arrested for blasphemy. The Christians are afraid and are hiding; the memories of 2009 Gojra attack are still fresh in their minds when a Muslim mob burnt houses of Christians and police didn’t come to help them. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Gojra riots were pre-planned and the local administration was involved.

Anthony Permal a Pakistani Christian based in the UAE brought tweeter users attention to this story:

‏@anthonypermal: Confirmed- Police in #Pakistan have arrested an 11 year old Christian girl suffering from Downs Syndrome for blasphemy.

Soon an online petition was circulated for asylum of Rimsha:

@MohsinSayeed (Mohsin Sayeed): Raise your voice to save lives of Rifta&her family. Escape to a secular country is the only option. They will kill her: http://www.change.org/petitions/high-commissions-and-diplomats-of-secular-western-nations-asylum-to-the-family-of-11-year-old-christian-girl-accused-of-blasphemy# …

The online petition requests the secular western countries to provide asylum of Rimsha’s family:

Pakistanis of good conscious are signing this petition because the State of Pakistan even failed to protect their own Governor who spoke out against the draconian blasphemy law, where mere accusation of blasphemy will ensure Jail and perhaps worse for the accused.

There is another petition that is calling on Pakistan’s Minister of Human Rights and the government to protect and release Rimsha Masih.

Meanwhile, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari called on officials to explain the situation to him. The Pakistani Ambassador to the USA tweets:

‏@sherryrehman: Pres Zardari has taken serious note of reports of the arrest of a minor Christian girl on the charges of blasphemy & called for a report.

Amnesty International urges Pakistan to reform Blasphemy laws:

‏@amnesty (Amnesty International): #Pakistan must ensure safety of Christian girl arrested for ‘blasphemy’ whose life is at risk http://owl.li/d9aPc

France’s foreign ministry has called the Pakistani authorities to free the young girl. Irshad Manji, Muslim Feminist and author of ‘Allah, Liberty and Love’ condemned Pakistan’s blasphemy law.

‏@IrshadManji: My @RFI_English interview about #Pakistan's blasphemy law, which has led 2 jailing of #Christian girl named #Rimsha:

The situation is condemned by Pakistani Human Rights campaigners and activists and few politicians on twitter.

‏@Ali_Abbas_Zaidi (Syed Ali Abbas Zaidi): The most tragic short story to have been written about misuse of #blasphemy law in Pakistan: “She was just 11 years old.”

‏@MaheenAkhtar (Maheen Akhtar): Where the hell is suo motto of Cheif Justice Pakistan, is he sleeping…..Oh wait is this “Blasphemy”

‏@beenasarwar (Beena Sarwar): The important issue in accusations of ‘blasphemy’ is that of intent, niyat, of the accused. That's something the accusers ignore. #Pakistan

Ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf condemned the incident. Leader of PTI Imran Khan tweets.

@ImranKhanPTI: Shameful! Sending an 11yr old girl to prison is against the very spirit of Islam which is all about being Just and Compassionate.1/2

‏@SundasHoorain: @CMShehbaz Still waiting for action & condemnation from PML-N on an 11yr old getting accused of blasphemy, beaten & arrested #FreeRimsha

All other political parties are afraid of talking about this issue. It is considered sensitive. However no one from Pakistan demands to repeal this law.

@anthonypermal: We can't repeal blasphemy law. A) mobs would go on vigilante sprees with no qualms & b) cops couldn't stop open shia killing, how this?

In 2010, Ambassador Sherry Rehman filed the ‘Amendments to the Blasphemy Laws Act 2010′ in the National Assembly as a member of the parliament. On December 20, 2010, the Council of Islamic Ideology also announced proposed amendments to the law to prevent its misuse. But religious parties in the house -Jamat-i- Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan, and Sunni Tehreek and others threatened a mass protest. Sherry Rehman later received death threats and was confined to her house.

In January 2011, the Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer a vocal critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, was publicly gunned down by his own guard, Mumtaz Qadri for his beliefs. Incidentally Qadri is also in Adiala jail where Rimsha has been sent. When Qadri was on his way to trial, his supporters showered him with rose petals.

The Sunni Tehreek party rally in favor of Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of Salman Taseer, and they demand his release in Hyderabad, Pakistan. Image by Rajput Yasir. Copyright Demotix (09/01/2011)

Malik Siraj Akbar in his blog for Huffington Post says that discriminatory laws deepens religious intolerance in Pakistani society:

Despite such frequent unpleasant events, Pakistan has made almost no progress in reforming its deeply flawed and discriminatory law involving blasphemy. Such laws, on the one hand, discriminate against religious minorities and, on the other hand, further deepen religious intolerance and fanaticism in Pakistani society. They provide the murderers a license to kill people and easily get away with such heinous crimes in the name of religion.

Mehdi Hasan in his blog writes:

Personally, I've never quite understood why so many of my co-religionists are so keen to kill or maim those who ‘insult’ Islam, Prophet Muhammad or the Quran. What is behind such rage and, dare I add, insecurity? Is their God so weak, so sensitive, so precious, that He cannot withstand any rejection?

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But the latest controversy is about a Ramadan special show in which the TV-anchor Maya Khan invites a religious scholar to convert a Hindu boy named Sunil to Islam. The whole conversion process was telecast live.

This live show has started a debate once again about media ethics, along with a conversation about the role of ratings-driven religious programming and the use of non-stop advertising in Pakistan.

In this video [ur] Maya Khan introduces the religious scholar, who asks the Hindu boy why he wants to convert to Islam. Sunil replies [ur], “I work at Ansar Burney Trust (a human rights organisation) and I like the environment there.”

Not getting a straight answer, the scholar rephrases the question and asks him what drew his heart towards Islam. Sunil replies [ur], “I have been fasting the last two years during Ramadan too.”

Then the scholar asks him if he is being forced to convert by anyone. Young Sunil replies [ur], “I am not giving into any pressure, I am converting to Islam of my own free will.” [note: time code: 01:00-01:25]

The scholar proceeds to convert the boy,  and then a prayer and sermon follows. The camera pans the room and shows a few dozen young boys, women and some other scholars on set.

After the show was telecast, Ansar Burney, a well-known human rights activist and Sunil’s employer tweeted that it was a ‘forced conversion'. He also said he fired his own brother Sarim Burney from his organisation because he was present on the TV set with Sunil:

@AnsarBurney (Ansar Burney): My staff Sunil is a young man, who I was informed was forced to convert, though it seems now the actions were not by ARY TV.

Burney also tweeted that he was taking the matter to the court:

@AnsarBurney (Ansar Burney): The ‘Burney Legal Solicitors’ London is going to send legal notice to Anchor Maya Khan and TV owners of 10 million sterling pounds.

Maya Khan, the show's host was recently hired by Geo TV's main competitor ARY TV to do a Ramadan special show. She was fired earlier this year from  another private channel Samaa TV, after a successful public campaign was launched in reaction to her ‘moral policing’ young couples in a public park in Karachi.

Here are some other Twitter reactions:

@TahaSSiddiqui (Taha Siddiqui): #MayaKhan is bk to her intolerance cuz she has audience, sponsors and a broadcaster for her show. We need to hold them responsible too!

@NadeemfParacha (Nadeem F. Paracha): Breaking Wind News: Maya Khan kisses an infidel and turns him into a believing frog.

The boom in the electronic media has also brought boom in religious TV shows:

@ammarakh (Ammara Khan): #MayaKhan live converting a non-muslim boy to Islam. Shame on our channels for their endless theatrics in the name of religion.

Farooq Tirmizi in the Express Tribune Blog raises questions about reactions to the conversion:

The first is this: being happy about somebody converting to Islam means that you fundamentally believe that the person’s previous religion is inferior to Islam. Here is my question to all those Muslims who get excited about religious conversions: how much do you know about other religions of the world? How much do you know about your own religion? Do you even know why you are Muslim?

Trimzi also questions the constitution of Pakistan that forbids conversion of Muslims to other religions:

This brings me to my second problem: how a lot of fundamentalist Muslims are utterly convinced of the superiority of Islam – and seek legal codification of that superiority in Pakistan – while demanding equal treatment in other countries. Sunil converting to Islam was perfectly legal, but what if a born Muslim wants to convert to another faith? Why is that illegal under Pakistani law?

The reality of reality shows is summed up by Farzana Versey in her blog Cross-Connection:

These are all circus acts, and one does not expect better from reality television and that includes news channels. Part of the hot air is possibly because this is a competitive game, where ethics are the flakes of pistachio on the phirni, not an ingredient. This is borne out by the fact that the editorial is worried about how just to spice things up ‘religion is now fair game too'.

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In the recent past, targeted violence against the Hazara community in Balochistan has increased. In the last 9 days, 30 Hazaras have been killed. Banned sectarian militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has taken responsibility for the latest attack. Last year Lashkar-e-Jhangvi distributed pamphlets threatening Hazaras to leave Pakistan by 2012.

The Hazara members were travelling by bus before the shooting attack occurred in Quetta. Image by RFE/RL RFE/RL, copyright Demotix (04/10/12).

Hazara People blog writes:

It is systematic genocide in the complete silence and negligence of international community. There are over 600,000 Hazaras living in Pakistan. They migrated from Afghanistan in 1880′s as a result of persecution by the Afghan ruler Amir Abdul Rehman Khan.

Why aren’t the authorities taking action against the militant groups who are openly attacking the Hazara community? Journalist and blogger Amir Saeed answers the question at Guppu.com in this way:

Baluchistan is bleeding. The massacre of Hazara community continues with complete impunity while the most intriguing is the eerie silence prevalent in the corridors of power – both at federal and provincial level. Perhaps, it is not on agenda of political bigwigs to speak for the community and do something viable to protect them from extremists and bigots having a field day in the province. The role of security agencies is also dubious but ‘fortunately’ they operate under civil authority.

Baloch journalist and blogger Malik Siraj Akbar also points finger at the Pakistani authorities for not taking action against Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The persecution of the Hazara community is unlikely to end in the near future until the Pakistani security establishment fully abandons its covert support to Sunni fundamentalist groups such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. There is ample evidence of contacts between the Pakistani authorities and these terrorist groups. In addition, the legislature, judiciary and the executive branches of the government have still not included the plight of the Hazaras in national policy debates.

Rafia Zakaria in her column calls it a dark Spring for Hazaras. They are caught between the fire and the frying pan as the International community only knows the Baloch separatist movement.

For the Shia Hazara of Balochistan, who are seeking not independence but their rights under the Pakistani constitution, the dearth of local sympathy and the brashness of global generalisations have colluded to produce a landscape where hope seems as elusive as justice.

Topics like #ShiaGenocide, #Hazara and #Quetta were trending on Twitter in Pakistan on Saturday. The main discussions were focused on whether to call the events ‘Shia Killings’ or ‘Hazara killings’.

@Hazarapatriot (Ali Hazara): Sad – people are debating on killings to call it Shia killing or Hazara killing. Ask the victim families if it matters for them.

@Baqwaas (Baysharam): It is not a ShiaGenocide or a SunniGenocide. It's Human Genocide. #InterFaithUnity

@Chiltan (salma jafar): #Shame on those who gave ethnic color to #Shiakilling in Quetta. Due to which 100s of innocent Baloch arrested /victimized

Many condemned the killings and accused the right wing Sunni religious groups:

@alisalmanalvi (Ali Salman Alvi): Atrocities on Shia Muslims are not restricted to a specific locality. Mosques are spewing venom against Shias, Ahmadis & other minorities.

Leading Hazara activist M. Saleem Javed tweeted:

@mSaleemJaved Hazara protester: ‘We are anti-Taliban and we will remain so, even if nobody remains alive.’ #Quetta #Pakistan

Hazara protests. Image by author

There were country wide protests by the Hazara community over the weekend but mainstream TV channels and radio didn’t touch the issue extensively. There was hardly any participation from other groups of the society.

@beenasarwar (beena sarwar): Ignoring peaceful protest also sends the msg that if you want to make the headlines, be violent and loud #shiagenocide #pakistan #media

@Razarumi (Raza Rumi): ‏2) Mainstream media black-out of 000s of Shiite Muslims who have been protesting aganst Shiite killings in Gilgit,Chilas Karachi and Quetta!

The Baloch tweeples criticized the Punjab for being quiet.

@BalaachMarri (TheBaloch): Punjabi media actors playing it smart on Twitter. Condemning the terror attacks but reluctant to speak against the attackers.

@gedrosian (Gedrosia): #Balochistan is at war , #Pakistan is too blind by it's fashion week #hazara #baloch

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The Twitterati were informing each other about the latest developments on the political front in the country.

@AtikaRehmn (Atika Rehman): Breaking- PM Gilani fires Defense Secretary #Pakistan

@foreignhina (HRK): Defense secretary fired, ISPR fired up. How banana is my republic? 

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. Image by Rajput Yasir. Hyderabad, Pakistan. Copyight © Demotix. 12th January 2012.

On January 11, 2012 Wednesday, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Director General  of Pakistan's spy agency ISI's replies to the court in the Memogate case was “unconstitutional” and “illegal”. He said this to Chinese newspaper “People’s Daily” in an interview that was quoted by the state-owned wire service Associated Press of Pakistan. The ISPR Public Relations office of the military reacted and issues a press release saying “this has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the Country.”

@thomasbarthlein: This must be the first time in history that People's Daily had a breaking news story #Pakistan PM

@therealfasih (Fasih Ahmed): Kicker from today's ISPR release: Allegiance to State, Constitution prime consideration for Army, “who *in this case* has followed the book”

Pakistani Military appointed a new commander of 111 Brigade the same day PM fired the defense secretary. The triple-1 Brigade is an infantry brigade infamous for its involvement in the military coups in Pakistan. 

@cpyala (Cafe Pyala): New 111 Brigade commander appointment just routine says ISPR.

Speculations arose about a coup d’état in Pakistan as in the past the tussle between the parliament and the military often led to military coups.

DrAwab (Awab Alvi): My logic on PPP + Army: SC had nailed PPP for NRO & Memogate, for ARMY to jump in now means it wants to give #PPP a face saving exit #PTI

@spopalzai (Shaheryar Popalzai): ‘These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you’ #Pakistan

@kaalakawaa (Kala Kawa): PM's allegations that COAS acted unconstitutionally may force COAS to act unconstitutionally.

@SirajAhsan: @OmarWaraich Zardari has check mated the army.. Either COAS gets sacked or he dies a coup. Both ways PPP wins.

@umairjav (Umair Javed): Sack the army chief for insubordination. Let's see the army do something without any guarantee of judicial indemnity.

In Pakistan the 4 year old democratic government was unable to provide people with basic necessities. Shortage of electricity and gas led to many anti-government protests. Politicians have become discredited by the corruption and tax-evasion cases. However, many citizens support the democratic process and want the parliament to complete its 5-year tenure. 

@UsamaKhilji (Usama Khilji): What ‘grievous consequences’ Pakistan Army? Keep trying to guard us, as your job requires. Stop threatening your bosses. Love, Pakistanis.

@akchishti (AK Chishti): So ur a traitor for criticizing army; made a contempt if u criticize judiciary, blasphemer for going against mullahs but politicians r cheap

@SamadK:  If Gen K thinks a coup will be tolerated by the people, he's badly mistaken. No one will accept a coup now, not even the CJ. #Pakistan

GeorgeFulton1 (George Fulton): Does the Pakistan Army suffers from collected amnesia too? Doesn't it remember how despised it was after the Emergency?

@kursed (Abdullah Saad): Any civilian political leader or journalist, promoting a coup should be publicly vilified. They'd know what's in store.

The role of judiciary is also questioned among the Twitterati. After the lawyer's movement in 2007, it was a common belief that the judiciary stood up against the military dictator, the then President General Musharraf, and in the time of turmoil it will stand together with the Parliament. Now, it is seen differently.  Earlier on Tuesday, a five-bench of Supreme Court called the PM “dishonest” and later sent a notice of contempt of court. The Prime Minister has been asked to appear in the Supreme Court in the NRO case.

@majorlyprofound: People should keep in mind that the Judiciary has played a part in facilitating, validating and legitimizing every coup in Pakistan.

@SamadK (Samad Khurram): The courts will probably overrule a coup, fortunately. But they are also likely to overrule sacking of COAS/DG ISI, unfortunately. #Pakistan

@theRealYLH (Yasser Latif Hamdani): Can the SC disqualify the PM? No. How can an unelected govt official declare an elected of the sovereign ie people? #separationofpowers

Pakistani Tweeps reflect upon on both new and traditional media’s hyped-up reactions about the political situation in the country. 

@Razarumi (Raza Rumi): According to @adnanrasool at least two TV channels through their programming are trying hard to convince the ARMY to take over. #free #media

@jhaque_ (Jahanzaib Haque): GUESS which side Express News is leaning on the Civil-Military rift? :D twitpic.com/85z4f6 (Pic )

@NPRinskeep (Steve Inskeep): Worth noting as we follow the uproar in Pakistan: it's approximately the 927th news story in last 4 yrs to prompt speculation of a coup.

@marvisirmed (Marvi Sirmed): Boycotted Geo for being so stinkily anti-democracy. Switched to DuniyaTV, pleasant to watch @NasimZehra, Rauf Klasra & @Arsched.

Many sent out light hearted tweets and joked about military coups in the country:

Blogger Tazeen Javed of Reluctant Mind tweets:

@Tazeen: #PakistanPM is trending. Gilani Sahab, you are right there with Beyonce and Justin Beiber. MashaAllah !

@acorn (Nitin Pai): What's the new game Pakistan wants to introduce in the Asian Games? Coup-coup

It is difficult to say how responsibly the social media will react in the time of real political turmoil. Many think the social media is following the footsteps of traditional media and giving more importance to rumors than to hard news. As Shoaib Taimur tweets:

@shobz (Shoaib Taimur): i have to admit that social media users including me are rather rash to tweet stuff without verifying anything.

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This time Veena stirred up controversy when FHM India, a male lifestyle magazine, published her nude picture on its cover page. The December issue of FHM India title says, “Pakistani W.M.D Veena Malik on Asif, Burqas and Work Visas”. There is an arrow pointing towards the ISI tattoo on her arm “Hand in end of the world too”. ISI is Pakistan’s infamous secret service.

Veena’s shoot with an ISI Tattoo on her arm sparked strong reactions from right, left and center in Pakistan and India. As expected, Veena Malik immediately denied the nude shoot. Later, she sued FHM India for 100 million PK Rupees over “morphed” pictures.

Pakistani media has declared it an “edited” picture. Almost all the leading English newspapers published a censored version of the cover. Express Tribune calls the photo fake without any proof and a publicity stunt by Veena Malik.

Image taken by the author

Veena defended herself in GEO TV. She says, she did a shoot with FHM India but it was not nude and she did agree to the ISI tattoo.

The editor of FHM India, Kabeer Sharma says the shoot is authentic and he has proof. FHM India sued Veena back. He tweeted:

@ka_beer: We’ve seen Ms Malik’s notice floating on the internet and have forwarded to our legal department for appropriate action.

On the home front, Veena’s shoot got all the attention. ‘All about Pakistani’ blog contributor Zohaib Nisar calls Veena Malik a porn star and her photo shoot a disgraceful action:

The controversial and bold Pakistani actress cum model, Veena Malik, has done another SCANDULOUS & VERY OBJECTIONABLE photoshoot in India. The shoot is done for a men magazine FHM, in which Veena can be watched ALMOST NAKED, covering her sensitive parts only with her limbs. The even objectionable thing is that she has got an ISI Tattoo on her arms and on the magazine cover she is introduced as “Pakistani W.M.D”. (we suppose WMD here means Woman of Mass Destruction).

But many out there in the Pakistani blogosphere are defending Veena’s act which she denies. The Express Tribune’s Blogger Taha Kehar comes forward defending Veena:

Before we presume that Veena Malik is to blame, we must understand that she is associated with the glamour business. She has the right to work with any company to enhance her career prospects. It is absurd that people should disapprove of her strong preoccupation with Indian projects and opportunities. Clearly, a country which has a dreadful history of mistreating its artistes and poets do not have the right to criticize her decision.

Pakistanis in an internet cafe look at a website displaying Veena Malik's photo. Image by rajput yasir, copyright Demotix (04/12/11).

Pakistani blogger Riaz Haq in his blog “Haq’s musings” looks at Veena’s photo shoot with a different angle. He calls it part of the protest culture and challenging the religious orthodoxy in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Remember that Veena also challenged a Mufti sahib (Islamic scholar) in a talk show early this year after participating in a reality show Big Boss in India.

Malik is part of a new emerging crop of Pakistanis which, in small but significant ways, has challenged the religious orthodoxy. She, and others like her, present a sharp contrast to the rising wave of Islamic radicalism that the U.S. and the Pakistani secular-liberal elite view as an existential threat to the country. And with many well-traveled Pakistanis importing ideas from abroad, they are contributing to Pakistan's 21st-century search for itself.

The Veena controversy came at a time when Pakistan is facing tense times after a NATO airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. In retaliation, Pakistan boycotted the Bonn conference II. Pakistan-US relations are tense and Pakistan has sent a new ambassador to the US after Husain Haqqani was forced to resign over the “Memogate” scandal.

Writer, blogger and music lover, Shoaib Taimur tweeted :

@shobz: Thank you Veena Malik for the distraction and that also just when the weekend started. Bless u. #veenamalik

Foreign Policy blog wonders about the ISI tattoo:

Beyond the cover's authenticity, there's another lingering question. Why the tattoo of Pakistan's spy agency?…Malik doesn't appear to have much of a track record of criticizing the ISI, but she has challenged Pakistani power centers before, making headlines in January by publicly dressing down a Muslim cleric after he chastised her for cuddling with men and wearing inappropriate clothing on the Indian reality show Bigg Boss.

Some tweets expressing netizens’ take on this issue:

@stupefy: The Nude photo is fake. Veena Malik doesn't look like this without clothes.- Interior Minister Rehman Malik

@umairjav: (Umair Javed) Make copies of the picture and bury it in your backyard. This way, our grandkids will know there were some amongst us who lived free! #Veena

@Saad_Haroon: Her arm says ISI but that picture is just so RAW #Veena

MTV India joked on Twitter:

@ChachiChatters:#Veena Malik would make a terrible ISI agent considering how much she reveals.

@rizvico: #Veena & her green assets.By the way. I agree to her freedom of expression some people are not bold enough to digest it twitpic.com/7peytv

Veena’s father disowned her after the whole incident.

@ImPaSsIoNeD_Pk: Coward father, courageous daughter. What an irony-he has stripped her of his assets and she has stripped to show her assets!! #Veena Malik

Blogger Sami Shah sums up the whole episode in this way:

@samishah Okay, the Veena Malik photo is definitely real. Also photoshopped. Now if u will excuse me, i need to study it in greater detail.

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The PTA has become a laughing stock and initially many believed the list to be a hoax. The list of 586 Urdu and 1,109 English words and phrases was sent to the mobile phone operators in the country on 14 November 2011, by the PTA.

Sources say that service providers were asked to implement the banned words under the “Protection from Spam, Unsolicited, Fraudulent and Obnoxious Communication Regulations, 2009” in 7 days. The letter circulated by the PTA says the mobile operators must also submit monthly reports on implementation of the ban. However, mobile operators deferred implementing the ban.

Wordle Image of the banned word list. Click on the image to enlarge.

The list was leaked and published online by Bytes for All (BFA), an Internet right group organization. BFA is ready to challenge the ban in the court. Bytes For All (BFA) expressed concern about unwarranted “moral policing” on Pakistanis:

We believe that this embarrassing and shameful directive by PTA is not all about banning abusive words; but about encouraging the act of moral policing by authorities.

Bytes for All fears that such efforts by PTA will boost and give place to booming filtering and monitoring industry, which is already a huge threat to the privacy rights of the citizens of Pakistan. We believe that with this filtering, the state can enforce its dictates by limiting or preventing access to its communications infrastructure but on the other hand violating the fundamental right of freedom of expression and access to information.

Words like “Jesus Christ” and “Satan” are also in the PTA list in the interest of the glory of Islam. Blogger Umair Tariq questions:

Sifting through these banned words, I discovered that even the word “Jesus Christ” might be forbidden, along with many other words of everyday usage. Why on earth has Jesus’s name been banned? Is it some kind of an abusive word? As much as rightists and McBurqas may like it, this list is totally ridiculous.

I want to ask the defenders of this list how they would have felt if the name of the Holy Prophet (SAW) was placed on a list of banned words elsewhere in the world.

Salim Khursheed Khokhar, a Christain MPA, protested against it in the Sindh Assembly, saying if the government block the word Jesus Christ it would be like depriving Christians of their religious rights.

Youth Awareness blog was the first to comment on the list:

What the fuck :O , Never been a fan of words like ROFL, LMAO, LOL etc etc……but if you go through the list of “supposedly”  banned words by the PTA you will literally be ROFLYAO (The Y stands for your instead of M for my). I won’t write anything just go through this and imagine what baboons are running this country.

Shivam Vij became the talk of the town after he published his article on Firstpost.com:

“The English list begins with “A.S.S.” and ends with “YELLOWMAN”. Some words sound harmless (“CRAP” and “CRAPPY”), others bizarre (“JESUS CHRIST”, “FLATULENCE”, “MURDER”, “MONKEY CROTCH”). Many are commonly used obscene words (“FUCK YOU”) and care has been taken to account for alternative spellings (“BIATCH”, “MUTHAFUCKA”). While many spelling variations of ‘masturbation’ are on it, the correct spelling is not. Most words seem to be designed to prevent ‘sexting’ or sending sexually explicit texts (“SEXY”, “LICK ME”, “DO ME”, “S&M”, “LOTION”, “PORN”). The list comes down on anal sex as much as vaginal sex. But it isn’t just sex. By banning “DRUNKEN” they perhaps hope to reduce alcoholism.”

Many social media activists came up with the idea of typing numbers rather than the whole curse or banned words. The Pakistani Twittersphere is full of funny and interesting tweets about the PTA list.

On the one hand Pakistan mobile operators are still in talks with the PTA over the list, and on the other hand, the leaked list has started a debate about the benchmark of obscenity, private space and telecommunication laws in the country. The coming days are crucial for both perspectives. It seems that this will only add more fire to the political turmoil the country is already facing.

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Many Pakistani netizens are sharing their shock and have joined in prayers for Shahbaz's return, but one wonders, will prayers work for the young Taseer?

Shahbaz Taseer was kidnapped in the broad day light from a busy Hussain Chowk in Gulberg, Lahore. He was driving his (read his late father's) Mercedes. The kidnappers came in a white Toyota Corolla brand car and one knows what was the number plate/registration number. The Pakistani media are sadly focused on the car company and model rather than on the registration number. The kidnappers threw his Ipad, Iphone and two other phones on the road and also left his expensive car. They only took Shahbaz along…why?

Express Tribune's blogger Jahanzeb Haque detests the kidnapping in his blog and also tries to answer this question:

“Was it the fact that the Taseers maintained a courageous face after the murder of their father, stepping forward into the media light and trying to make a difference, rather than cowing down as the men in beards would want? A refusal to submit to the whims of terrorists merits murder and abduction?

What a sad state of affairs – the screams in my head will not stop today, or for many more days.”

No one has taken responsibility for Taseer’s kidnapping and there is no demand made public for ransom. Many bloggers and twitteratis are avoiding to speculate and protests against the kidnapping were canceled on the request of the family.

However, few bloggers and tweets are indirectly pointing fingers at the right wing organizations that supports Malik Mumtaz Qadri, the killer of late Salman Taseer.

Kalsoom Lakhani at Changing Up Pakistan (CHUP) calls this cowardly act inhuman and prays for early return of Taseer:

“Although the perpetrators of today’s kidnapping have not yet been confirmed, we know that whoever committed this act are not Pakistanis. They are not Muslims. They are not human beings. They reek of the rot and decay that plague this society, that people like the Taseers have had the courage to challenge and stand against. I’ll update this space as news comes in and send thoughts and prayers to his family for Shahbaz’s safe return.”

This is the second high profile kidnapping case in one month. A US citizen Warren Weinstein was abducted from his house in the city of Lahore early this month.

Blogger Tazeen Jay raises some serious questions about the performance of the state:

“If a rich and well connected (they have connections with the men in two of the most powerful houses of the country; Presidency and PM House) family like Taseers is facing so much grief vis-à-vis security, rule of law and justice in the country, imagine the plight of a common man. Be it Karachi or Jamrud, the Taseers or any other poor family, the state is failing its citizens again and again and is doing it with impunity.”

Salman Latif is disturbed by the reaction of the society and feels that the many don't care about the kidnapping:

“Many who, either out of cowardice, or because they secretly support this act of kidnapping, have used the age-old excuse: since hundreds of other people are dying in Pakistan, why should we care about the abduction of one person, merely because he’s a celebrity? To such dumb-head cowardly hypocrites, let me ask this: why should we give a damn to the killings in Kashmir when people are dying at Baluchistan at the hands of Pak army, a land which is much more close? “

Sonya Rehman keeps her fingers crossed and wish that young Taseer was kidnapped for ransom.

“Shahbaz, we’re praying for you. We’re praying the abduction was carried out solely for ransom. We pray that you are returned, unharmed, to your family – and most importantly – to the loving, outstretched arms of your mother.”

Here are a few tweets encouraging special prayer for return of Shahbaz Taseer:

Pakistani Politician and son of Former President of Pakistan; General Zia Ul Haq tweets from Mecca:

@ijazulhaq: Salam from Mecca. Millions performing Umra & Taravi. Been jam packed. Dua at Qayum ul Lail at 3 am today. Praying for Shahbaz Taseer too

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan’s Ambassodor for Polio Eradication and the daughter of the President Asif Zardari tweets:

@AseefaBZ: Please dont stop praying for the safe return of @shabaztaseer. Thoughts & prayers r w/h @shehrbanotaseer,@AmnaTaseer & whole Taseer family

Mohammad Ali tweets:

@ghotkipk: Tonight is Laylatul kadr night. Pray for recovery of Shahbaz Taseer I'm reading the surah Yaseen. May all our prayers be heard. Ameen

Anjum Kiani requests:

@AnjumKiani: @Mehmal @zburki plz dont forget those killed inKarachi, kashmir and drone attacks whilst we grienve for Shahbaz

Looking at the recent and past record of the Punjab Police, there is a little hope that Shahbaz Taseer will be found soon. But hoping against hope, let us join the collective prayer for his safe and early return.

Written by Qurratulain Zaman · comments (0)
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