Take Back The Tech is a collaborative campaign which takes place during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (25 Nov - 10 Dec). Its goal is to promote ICT to end violence against women. In Pakistan, P@SH@- Pakistan Software Houses Association- is taking the initiative forward and have already launched the campaign on various online platforms.

Jehan Ara, President of P@sh@, initiated the campaign after holding a small meetup with bloggers to help find ways in which the campaign could be beneficial. On her blog  In the Line Of Wire, Jehan shares details of the campaign and ways in which people can help collaborate.

From 25 November to 10 December, get ready to click your mouse, flex your SMS fingers and engage full energy to take control of technology to end violence against women. PC’s Women’s Programme calls on users of the radio, television, internet,
emails and mobile phones to Take Back the Tech!

Meanwhile Jehan also launched the campaign on Twitter which has received an overwhelming response from men and women alike.

jehan_ara: Let us discuss what legislation exist to fight Violence against Women using ICT and whether they need to be changed/reviewed #takebackthetech

rai_azlan It is well-known that violence often ends when others intervene. #takebackthetech

faisalkapadia: FOR THE WOMEN OF PAKISTAN lets put an end to domestic violence against them #TBTT

Fariha Akthar at Far Quest shared announced the online campaign in a post:

I devoted most of my free time today in attempting to TBTT….yes to “Take Back The Tech!” and it’s going to be so at least till the next 16 days. [..]

We here in Pakistan have planned to run the local TBTT Campaign.(..) We have laid down a basic day-to-day activities plan as well that we will follow mainly to create awareness about female harassment issues and sharing tips on how to fight back this menace.

Rai Azlan at “My land Pakistan” blog discussed the need to highlight incidents of violence against women.

Living in a male dominated society I sometimes  consider myself superior over the opposite gender, it might be the influence of the overall social air. However I believe that superiority comes with responsibility and one can only be superior if the entire obligation toward him is being fulfilled.

[..] As soon as I got to know the importance and the aim behind this campaign I felt like it might be the way I can try to fulfill my responsibility.

Teabreak, Pakistan's largest Blog aggregator, announced its support for the campaign, calling all bloggers to join in and spread the word. Teabreak is home to over 1200 registered bloggers across Pakistan. Taking up the initiative will help amplify it to a larger audience. More support poured in when “The Laid Back Show“, hosted by renowned bloggers Awab Alvi and Faisal Kapadia, dedicated an entire episode to the campaign in order to help spread awareness and gather more support.

The campaign has triggered debate over the use of social media tools and has discussed cases of online harassment. Lets hope that this initiative culminates into a more powerful campaign to combat violence against women- a campaign that is not limited to 16-days but will last till the percentage of women facing violence declines appreciably.

On foot, these internally displaced people (IDP) of South Waziristan have reached to D.I. Khan after traveling for hundreds of miles and their plight is very dismal. Rudimentary camps have been established in D.I Khan area, but these camps don’t have enough food, medicine and shelter and  drinking water. Still the special support group officials are not in these areas and a human tragedy is in making.

Meanwhile a report of Dawn highlights the ill-treatment of locals fleeing from the battlefield. Most of these people are reportedly facing discrimination and don't seem much hopeful about the ongoing offensive.

Hina Safdar at Chowrangi is hopeful that the government would take immediate steps in preventing a refugee crisis.

Refugees fled to Dera Ismail Khan and Tank, the two major towns in North-West Frontier Province on the border of South Waziristan. Aid workers said humanitarian access to the refugees remains the key challenge for the government given the area’s volatile security environment. The government denies there is any refugee crisis, saying it had made arrangements for the displaced, including a system to provide them with cash support and food items. It wasn’t feasible to set up camps, in part because of concerns about tribal violence because of traditional rivalry. The displaced are mostly staying with relatives or clansmen(..)I hope that Pakistan army will once again succeed and nip the evil forever so that we would not witness any refugee crisis again.

The crisis in Waziristan appears to be quite different from that of the Swat Valley region. Regardless of the number of people displaced the most important factor remains is the handling and keeping checks on people to avoid Taliban infiltration in the camps. However with reports of agitations from the locals and lack of proper camps keeping track seems extremely difficult.

In a post titled “Questions to ask before South Waziristan Battle” at Pakspectator , Altaf Khan gives voice to the concerns of the majority.

• Is the army prepared, in terms of equipment, training and tactics, for the kind of guerrilla warfare that it is likely to come up with?
• How the local population will be differentiated with the terrorists, especially how the Mehsud tribe will be segregated from the Mehsud militants?

These remain few of the many questions in the mind of the most as the battle continues. Although the people appear to be supportive of the offensive the concerns about the handling of IDPs and how to prevent a humanitarian crisis linger on. In my own blog I raised concerns and posted an analysis about the ongoing situation and the problems that need to be tackled:

The fact is, the attitude of the authorities and the public at large towards the Mehsuds is one of caution and fear more than sympathy and concern. Such prejudice only bolsters the Taliban agenda, fueling recruitment from among Mehsud ranks. But the war cannot be won if the Waziristan locals show indifference towards the need for combating Taliban and their infrastructure. Without winning the hearts of the people, the military’s victory will only be temporary. If we want this to be a ‘decisive blow,’ we have to overcome our insecurities and let sympathy overcome prejudice.Dire situations such as these require us to rise as a nation. Let us extend our support to the IDPs of Waziristan, regardless of their past and their support for the Taliban. This is our chance to help our people break free from the shackles of the Taliban. Let’s take the path of salvation together.

The death was first reported on Twitter by a close friend and ex-colleague of khan which ensued a wave of reaction in many social networking sites. Farrukh, khan's friend, urged bloggers to unite and demand explanation regarding the accident that took the young man's life in a message on Twitter:

@Farrukh ahmed: 2 all bloggers: need your help in raising voice against a miserably organized game show arranged by Unilever which took the life of a good friend. Unilever is refusing to disclose the details / video footage of the event.

Later, an entry on Farrukh's blog unchained the details of the incident:

Apart from my personal account, Saad's death is becoming a closely guarded secret by the multinationals involved in the campaign of the show. Ironically, that has become the very reason of it being widespread internationally on blogs and social networking websites(…) with this post, I want to set some facts straight and publicize some questions that I'm sure would arise in your minds as well upon hearing the details of Saad's death.

Paksatire has come up with a satirical comic strip criticizing the role of mainstream media for not highlighting the case fairly. The message conveyed is that the mainstream media is allegedly under pressure from the corporate sector.

Satrical comic strip- criticizing lack of coverage of Khan

There was a lot of camaraderie and we got the opportunity to observe almost all the departments in action, practically as insiders.(..) The Corporation is a soulless machine, dedicated to the pursuit of profit. Vision statements, ethical guidelines, and corporate social responsibility programs are merely legal requirements that have no practical bearing on how companies do business.

Sabeen further elaborates on the issue of liability, making demands to bring the facts out to the open:

Having said that, I agree that the show that took Saad Khan’s life was in a completely controlled environment and the tragedy could have been avoided. It does indeed smell like a case of total negligence.

Dr. Awab Alvi at Teeth maestro has also posted a series of articles covering the accident, speculating negligence from the organizers end. In one of the recent posts he posted an interview with a co-participant, who claimed that the accident was avoidable and was caused by negligence of the organizers.

Max Robinson made comparisions between the reality TV shows all across the globe. He emphasizes the need for TV executives to bear responsibility in informing the participants regarding the risk factors involving particular stunts.

The circumstances surrounding Khan's death remain a mystery. As speculations rise nothing can be said for certain until any documentary evidence is produced. On my own blog I extended my concern on the various reality shows, that are frequently aired in Pakistan.

This incident also open doors to the world of freak reality shows in Pakistan where security measures are never considered. [..] The question now is regarding the creditability of these kinds of entertainment shows– least concerned about security measures – should we allow them to continue airing for the sake of entertainment and commercialism?

Now a year after the resignation the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) (PML-N), a leading political party, insists on putting Musharraf on trial for treason. Continuous demands have been made from the PML-N which are met with side-stepping from the Government considering the risk of a political fallout.

The dodgy tactics by the Government seem to invite more political unrest than avoiding it. Moreover the recent decisions from the Judiciary also reflect their reluctance in proceeding with the case. Ahsan at Five Rupees discusses various reasons why the Judiciary is backing off from charging the former president.

Faisal Kapadia at Deadpan Thoughts questions whether the trial is even necessary.

However the political parties and Judiciary continue to tag this as an important issue rather than revenge. The issue is portrayed to be of great concern to people across Pakistan. The Blog PkPolitics writes about a recent survey conducted by Gallup showing 71% people are in favor of the trial. The survey was conducted among 2926 men and women.

The Frontier Post reports that the survey findings also show that while there are no significant differences in views on punishing General Musharraf across gender and age, there are notable differences across political affiliations.

In an interesting comparison Owais Ehsan at Pro-Pakistan talks about a popular poll on Facebook:

The interesting fact is that more than 11,000 people have voted in just 3 days (if numbers provided by the poll are correct). ..So far the verdict is in favour of a trial by 53% supporting and 45% not supporting. It comes as a big surprise as I had this feeling the whole Pakistan wants to see him in court.

Considering the current state of affairs in Pakistan gaining the interest of majority towards a trial seems difficult. On my own blog I talked about the dodgy politics involved and how the trial appears to be a political revenge rather than a call for justice.

Pakistan is currently fighting terrorism, economic recession, abject poverty and the threat of increasing insurgency. The country is also recovering from the largest exodus after partition, and in process of launching various full fledged operations against the Taliban. In situations such as these putting one’s energy into prosecuting an Ex-President doesn’t seem to be a significant addition to the state’s priority list.

Hamid Abbassi on Chowrangi talks about the celebrations and joy of the internally displaced people of Swat valley region as they are traveling back to their homes:

This 14th August is more special than any other I could remember, as just a few months back we were fighting a war to save our very existence, against an evil enemy which was all out to disrupt our foundations. At the same time there was a flood of IDP’s in the open skies, uncertain about there future and fate. But the sweetest memory came last night from the streets of a valley named Swat, where the locals poured in thousands to celebrate.

Kalsoom Lakhani at Changing Up Pakistan also talked about the spirit of the IDP, narrating her meeting with the IDP families living in Islamabad and their spirit of unity:

One mother told me her daughter couldn’t attend school for nearly two years because of the Talibans. Another said they didn’t have enough money to pay their electricity bill, let alone come up with rent for her and her ten family members living in cramped quarters.(..) Sitting across from those women yesterday, their courage brought tears to my eyes. Their story taught me how important it is to reach outside one’s comfort zone to help fellow citizens in need, regardless of their caste or creed. At the end of the day, we must remember that we are all Pakistan. Hum ek hain, [”We are one.”].

Max Robinson at Teabreak’s campaign blog gives his perspective about the Pakistani People:

Despite all its troubles over the last 62 years, Pakistan is still here. Its people remain the most hospitable I’ve ever known and have made me feel as if I belong. That’s something I cherish and one-day hope to repay in kind.

Saesneg comments:

The resilience of Pakistanis was shown during the IDP crisis, which prompted mass acts of kindness among ordinary people. Although the figures of cash raised may not have been as high as during the 2005 earthquake, many homes, schools and other buildings opened their doors to the displaced during the Swat action.

Many Twitter messages contained informative facts about Pakistan. Some of the most interesting tweets were from Hina, which can be seen compiled on her blog with a post titled “#Pakistan Twitter Treasure Archive”:

hinstance: The oldest evidence of human life (100,000 to 150,000 years ago) in #Pakistan was found in the Soan River valley of Pothohar Plateau.

hinstance: Balochistan has the second largest Juniper forest in the world, which covers an area of about 247,000 acres. #Pakistan

Farhan Masood, an inventor and a futurist initiated the GO Green Campaign was also on the game and tweeting:

@farhanmasood: #Pakistan Go Green made us realize our strengths & weaknesses so we should work upon them and come out as better Pakistanis.

Many twitterers from across the globe also joined in to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day inspired by the Go Green Rally on Twitter. In a friendly gesture Indian and Pakistani tweeps also exchanged wishes on the occasion.

@JoannaV40 Happy Independence Day #Pakistan Zindabad!

@maxrobinson Happy Birthday #Pakistan! May you live on forever.

@Jamash Tweet to keep #Pakistan #India and #IndiaPakPeace in trending topics - let your voice be heard for peace.

@nabiluppal Happy Independence Day to #India and my#Indian friends. May we all live in peace & respect. -From#Pakistan

kaushal Happy Independence Day #India #Pakistan - looking forward to better times for all!

The Go green campaign was also widely covered by the mainstream media. I, along with Faisal Kapadia talked about the Go Green Campaign at Breakfast at Dawn with Naveen Naqvi.

Part 1: Breakfast At Dawn- Go Green

Part 2:

On my own blog I wrote about the journey of Pakistan as a nation, highlighting the recent events in Gojra and the Christian community’s condemnation against Gojra riots by not celebrating the independence day and hoisting a black flag:

These gestures are symbols that many in our society are aware of their rights, and that for them the Independence Day means a lot more than just a celebratory gesture. Celebrating Independence Day is not only hoisting flags, painting green and enchanting slogans; it goes much deeper to the very roots of ‘freedom and right to exist (co-exist) as a society.’ Let us hope we all realize that soon and march forth to a much-needed change.

Pakistan Zindabad ! (Long Live Paksitan)

Adnan Farooqui at The Pakistani Spectator wonders:

The events that have happened over the past few weeks need no explanation. Every child in this beloved country of ours has witnessed the lawyers getting out of hand and literally turning into brutes, frankly this is something one could not expect out of a highly educated and sensible fraternity.

Jazba Blog reports on the incident of Five lawyers beating an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of police for allegedly conducting an inquiry against their client.

On 6th of August, after the hearing of a suo motu case pertaining to the attack on the ASI, some lawyers led by Lahore Bar Association vice-president M.R. Awan attacked and manhandled reporters and cameramen on the premises of the Lahore High Court. The following video was released in YouTube by GEO TV showing the lawyers' attack on policemen and journalists.

Rana Tanveer at Lahore Nama informs of a similar incidents in a post titled “Lawyers go unbridled, breaking rules in routine“:

Last year in April, lawyers beat former federal minister Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi in front of the LHC. The LHCBA office-bearers called lawyers and media saying they had trapped Niazi and would teach him a lesson for supporting former president Pervez Musharraf and giving statements against their movement. [..]

A few days ago, a traffic warden was beaten by a group of lawyers for stopping a lawyer’s motorcycle for a traffic violation on The Mall.

Faisal Kapadia on Deadpan thoughts criticizes the incidents in a post titled “Lawyers gone wild“:

It seems that the lawyers movement has now committed suicide by falling on its own saber. Where lawyers who are supposed to guarantee the law effectively beat up police and press. Where they now seem to think of themselves as some form of terminators roaming the street dispensing vigilante justice according to their own blinkered vision, there can be no hope for this institution.

Mahir Sheikh Nisar at Pakistan First demands immediate action suggesting that the “Cheif Justice of Pakistan Lahore High Court should resign“:

The people of Pakistan and its lawyers must wake up to these ill practices within the judiciary before the common man loses complete confidence in the legal system. The judiciary is dangerously becoming an alter ego to popular opinion and political stances rather than maintaining its impartiality.

Adnan Farooqui puts things in perspective claiming why the media do not call for those policemen to be dismissed from their duties who manhandled the Chief Justice during the Lawyers movement.

He concludes with some questions:

Has that same group of people returned to now tarnish the popular image of lawyers in front of the country? Or is it really that the lawyers are now considering themselves above the law?

Nevertheless the possibility of Baitullah Mehsud being killed triggered a wide range of reactions. The mainstream media kept airing in depth analysis of Mehsud's life. Here's what the Pakistani blogosphere is buzzing about:

Junaid Khan at Pro-Pakistan announced the death with his post “Baitullah Mehsud killed in drone strike” and gave a detailed round up of Mehsud's life:

There are reports coming in that the Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud may be dead after a reported drone attack, a US official said on Thursday. If confirmed, the death of Mehsud would be a coup for Washington, which has placed a five-million-dollar bounty on his head and branded him “a key Al Qaeda facilitator” in Pakistan’s tribal belt.

An YouTube video uploaded by Istreamnews shows him and his possible hideout:

Zaheer Iqbal Naru at Engine Hour expresses his doubts:

I doubt if this will bring an end to the long strain of seemingly desperate unending suicidal attacks in my homeland Pakistan.

What is taking so long to confirm his death?

(I heard it on TV) TTP (Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan) and the Government of Pakistan (unofficial) have confirmed his death already.

Adil Najam at All Things Pakistan questions: “Baitullah Mehsud: Is He Dead? What Now?“

The more important question that should also be asked, one this is confirmed, is: If he is dead, then what?

Baitullah Mahsud had become the visible (without really being visible) name to identify with the Taliban’s war on Pakistan. Even if deaths that he and his organization claim (proudly) to have been responsible for are counted, he has been responsible for killing more Pakistanis (nearly all Pakistani Muslims) than just about any other enemy of Pakistan in recent years. But that does not mean that his departure alone would bring an end to the Taliban war on Pakistan.

Who will rise next? Do we know what the next level of the chain of command is? Do we know where? Do we have a strategy to deal with them before they, too, become larger than life?

It seems that the death of Baitullah Mehsud will undoubtedly be a big blow to the Taliban forces. However once confirmed there is a lot more that needs to be tackled. On my own blog I discussed the varying reactions of Baitullah Mehsud's possible death:

The most interesting fact surrounding Baitullah is his death from a drone attack, and if the incident changes the majorities perspective.  […] Even though the authorities continued to publicly condemn the drone attacks, many analyst disclosed a mutual agreement. The targeting of Baitullah Mehsud highlights the closely knitted intelligence networking between the US and Pakistani authorities.

The post goes on:

We must remember that the Waziristan operation was tagged as a “decisive showdown” by the army, and Baitullah’s death is no doubt the curtain raiser. Now that Baitullah is no more the end seems more realistic and attainable.

Earlier, Jehan Ara at In The Line Of Wire announced the event with relevant information and a little insight on the event's purpose:

The theme of the Tweetup is “From People to Tweeple”.

The Facebook registration page states:

Just like blogging, the hype about micro-blogging has taken over Pakistan. The question always is, how to use Twitter to your advantage? Learn how local Twitter users and Bloggers are being pulled into the mainstream media and millions of voices being heard!

Registration is mandatory. There are limited seats available so the sooner you register, the more likely that you will be able to attend this special meetup (or should that be tweetup)?

Faisal Kapadia of Deadpan Thoughts was there and shares his thoughts with us:

The event was discussion style, and as Badar and Rabia the two hosts prodded and poked the audience into speaking, more and more voices came out to talk about twitter, micro blogging, its good and bad points, how it affects privacy coupled with a few sillies like stalking and terrorists using twitter thrown in. Seriously guys, terrorists? Tis a public forum ya know?

Image courtesy Photoblogger Jamal Ashiqain http://jamash.wordpress.com/

Mansoor Ehsan at Pro-Paksitan launched a cover it live console giving live updates of the event. Overall the event consisted of healthy discussions of the closely knitted Pakistani bloggers community. Meet-ups such as these are sure to give blogging and microblogging a real boost. Furthermore such events also help in educating people on ways to use social media as a tool for activism.

On my own Blog I shared details about the Tweetup, and the way twitter is being used by the Paksitani Blogosphere:

Although Dr.Awab couldn't join us, he was mentioned, his relief drive for IDPs was also through twitter. Sharing experiences and educating other non tweeps about how twitter can be a handy tool was fun. One other person missing and missed was Naveen Naqvi.  She’s actually brought Breakfast at dawn into our lives. Not to forget she is the only (TV) anchor in Pakistan to live tweet on air. We get an insight scoop on the guest to be and hence get to ask (read grill) questions. Its really nice to have such a platform, where we can pose our questions and suggestions directly to the mainstream media.

Towards the end of the event Goggle and CIO announced their partnership with dawn in sponsoring Paksitan's first Bloggers' awards. This will be a major boost of encouragements for bloggers and a big step for the Paksitani Blogosphere.

Gojra, the capital of Gojra Tehsil, is a city of Toba Tek Singh District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Last Saturday riots broke out in the town over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran. Following the riots more than 50 houses, belonging to the Christian community, were set on fire leaving seven people burnt to death and eighteen others severely injured. According to sources, most of the houses were burnt by a group of youths who had their faces covered with veils. They threw petrol bombs and fired indiscriminately. The widespread communal violence has been condemned severely by the Pakistani blogosphere and the media.

Zaheer Kidvai at Windmills of my mind condemns these killings in a post titled “What the hell is wrong with our people?”:

The Gojra killings, in which the Christian minority has been targeted, are not an isolated incident. The fascistic attitude of several religious groups has become a scar on the face of Pakistan and, if not checked, will disfigure it beyond recognition.The Taliban may have suffered defeats at the hands of the Army in the recent skirmishes and battles, but the obnoxious ideas that have been planted in a large number of minds by a range of religious fanatics (and it's rare to see the face on TV of a Mulla who isn't) have to be actively countered.

Samson Simon Sharaf at Pak Tea House calls them the “victims of half law” and states:

The entire trail from Jhang to Gojra, Mian Channu and Shantinagar is littered with similar incidents of religiously fanned hatred spearheaded by banned militant outfits. Time and again such incidents take place with impunity and remarkable alacrity. It is to question why the local administration is caught sleeping and why no preventive measures manifest themselves in pre emptive actions.

He then talks about the failure of the authorities in tackling the crisis:

Reportedly, around 18th of July, intelligence agencies had issued a warning to the Government of Punjab of likely incidents of terrorism in which some enclaves of minority Pakistanis could be targeted. Rather than taking this information seriously, the provincial government deemed it fit to act as it did, allowing free access to militant outfits for arson and murder.

Although sources state that over 200 people were arrested after the incident, the majority are still not satisfied. The condemnation continues and the authorities are repeatedly being accused of their negligence.

Kalsoom Lakhani at CHUP! -Changing up Pakistan suggests that a lot more needs to be done:

It is not enough to bring these perpetrators to justice. The government must also understand and begin to address the root and underlying causes behind such incidents.  Violence against Pakistan’s minorities [According to the CIA Factbook, only 3% of Pakistanis are minorities - mainly Hindus and Christians] is not uncommon; in fact, Minority Rights Group International found that Pakistan had the world’s highest increase of threats against minorities last year and was ranked the seventh most dangerous country for minorities overall.

The communal violence has been fiercely condemned in the mainstream media as well. Naveen Naqvi at dawn questions the incident as “Negligence or complicity?”, she goes on to share details about her ‘Question and Answer session' with religious scholar Khalid Zaheer.

We are talking about an increase in Islamic extremism to which any dissent is not tolerated. Blogger Sana Saleem requested me on Twitter to ask my guest on Breakfast at Dawn, Khalid Zaheer, if he and other liberal Islamic scholars would come together to condemn Gojra as they did against Taliban atrocities. His answer was disappointing but understandable. He said, ‘No. This is the sad part of the story.’ Men of religion who have protested this extreme interpretation of Islam that is consuming Pakistan have been repeatedly targeted. Initially, they contended with threats and later, were killed for their views. The Taliban killed Maulana Hassan Jan, a religious scholar from Peshawar, who issued a fatwa against suicide attacks, calling them ‘un-Islamic.

Moin Ansari at Rupee News talks about  the Gojra riots with reference to Quran and the teachings of Jinnah:

We ask the larger society in Pakistan to get seriously involved in a meaningful and focused dialogue to look at how various laws are being abused in stripping the minorities in Pakistan of their rights. We need to enlighten ourselves and the world on how these crimes are against the principles and spirit of the creation of Pakistan and the core essence and teachings of the Quran.

The Authorities have repeatedly stated that actions will be taken. However it seems that the incident is not isolated and measures need to be taken to prevent future incidents.  In my own blog, in a post titled “Gojra: Flames of Zia's theocracy” I have discussed the ways in which the Blasphemy law is being abused to justify widespread communal violence.

Its been 31 years, since the law was introduced, yet the nation shows no scruples in abiding by the most futile system. A system sought to instill beguiler views and flourishing a conservative society. This involves the suspension of the sensibility of love and reason underlying the religious tradition signified in our culture.

Whether we allow the flames of Gojra to burn down the fanatic ideologies remains a pending decision. So let the victims of Gojra open our eyes to the flaws blatantly engraved in our minds and steer us to a much needed change.

Swat refugees, Image courtesy Dr. Awab Alvi (teeth.com.pk/blog)

The International Displacement Monitoring Center  (IDMC) states that over 3 million people have been displaced during the Swat crisis. After two months of nightmares they will finally be returning to their home. But the question remains: are they feeling hopeful or still in fear of their security?

Faris Karim at Teeth Maestro took an interview with a displaced person to get the insight:

I spoke with Burhan on Saturday July 18, 2009. He was about to leave for his home and was delighted at going back. He did share the fear of what lay in the future but was willing to face any challenge at his own home, with his own efforts rather than living as a refugee.

This is what Sarfaraz narrated, followed by a few questions I asked him: Is it possible for you to go back right now?

It’s really not possible to go back right now but I have another fear. What if we return next month and then those people who are responsible for all this trouble arise again? Then is this crisis going to return again? Are we going to be displaced again? Let me tell you that to move back and forth like this with your family is worst than death! I had put my wife and kids in a car but walked all the way from Saidu Sharif to Malakand on foot, nearly 65 kilometers.

Kalsoom Lakhani at CHUP! – Changing Up Pakistan provides an in depth analysis:

It is not that the millions displaced do not want to return home. In fact, many have expressed their desire to travel back to their towns as soon as possible. Their caution, therefore, seems to be based on a lack of trust in the government to ensure services and security, as well as an overall fatigue from living with host families or in camps.

Saesneg at Rozanama-Bach paints the ordeals these people had to live through on a post titled  'Smile, you are an IDP':

Picture yourself: you’ve been forced out of your home, you’re transported to a camp of tents with no running water or proper sanitation, you have no livelihood and are reliant, whatever your previous occupation, on the handouts of the state or foreign aid agencies.

Living on handouts, image courtesy Dr. Awab Alvi (teeth.com.pk/blog)

He then talks about the fears faced by IDPs along with other issues:

The Daily Times spoke to a number of IDPs saying they would stay back – either because military operations continued, or they had no money at home.

The bus driver and their government escort said it was too dangerous to make the final leg of the journey, with soldiers still in battle with the Taliban.

The Government has finalized the return of these refugees leaving many questions unanswered. Surely a lot more needs to be done to ensure their safety and for their rehabilitation and settlement. In my own blog I have discussed these issues:

Its apparent that the Government needs to lay down a long term strategy for rehabilitation of the displaced people. With the increasing number of protests in the refugee camps and prevailing uncertainties among people, this can no longer be avoided.

Mohsin Segal at Pakistan Spectator talks about Mehsud's terror tactics:

Pakistan's #1 terrorist is Baitullah Mehsud who has rocked Pakistan from Karachi to Khyber with a continuous string of suicide attacks, bomb blasts, kidnapping and then his other evil tactics. He has garnered support from many quarters and is capable of wrecking havoc throughout Pakistan. His power has not all of a sudden emerged from out of the blue. He has cashed in on the opportunity. He is using the wandering and clueless foreign militants and the local militants, in the name of Islam, as a cannon fodder.

Baituallah mehsud is known to avoid public appearance or photographs. A video by Istream.in shows him and his possible hideout:

On 17th June, the Pakistan army has officially started an operation against Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and his allies in South Waziristan.

Jauhar Ismail at All Things Pakistan discusses the reasons for the army offensive:

While the military analysts disagree on the timing for this operation, there is no disagreement that crushing Baitullah and his militant network is a prerequisite for curbing the tsunami of terrorism engulfing Pakistan. In addition to providing sanctuary to top level Al-Qaeda leadership, TTP is also running several suicide training camps in South Waziristan. He has also made successful attempts to fuse together various terrorist groups to fight their “common enemies”.

The operation is termed as ‘Rah-e-Nijat' which means ‘way to good riddance'. In the wake of the operation Rah-e-Nijat several tribe leaders form Baitullah's native tribe have turned against him. Junaid Khan at Pro-Pakistan gives an insight on the alliance:

Now that the army operation is imminent, a division between the Mehsuds are becoming visible. The tribal people of South Waziristan will have to take sides since remaining neutral will be a difficult option.

Another post at Urdu Maza emphasizes on the need of the operation:

Its the best time, we have dispersed more than 3.5 million Pakistani, now Pakistan army should clear every militant in north and South Waziristan, enough is enough, northern areas are the backbone of our culture and society, these areas are symbol of purity and beauty and of course a heaven of tourism, but unless these criminals are not wiped out completely, they can create problem again.

With the local tribesman volunteering to help the army and a Rs. 50 million bounty on Mehsud, it is hoped that the operation will be swift. But Pakistan is facing a growing number of refugees who are fleeing the wars and if this operation continues for long, this will trigger a humanitarian catastrophe.

Hasan Mubarak on Lahore MetBlogs considers it an expected retaliation:

It was not unexpected after the Government launched an all-out military action against the militants in SWAT that they will hit back harder this time. Again, the phenomenon of suicide bombings is not new; we have now been going through this for the last two years while losing thousands of innocent people and a former Prime Minister. What’s new is the scale and sophistication of these blasts.

The increasing number of suicide bombings in various cities have sparked various reactions from people. Much recent attacks targeting mosques have resulted in a backlash from the locals of the area.

A blog Post on Pakistan First elaborates the sentiment of people against the Taliban:

Pakistani tribesman avenging a mosque attack surrounded two militant strongholds and destroyed the homes of some Taliban commanders, an official said Monday as the death toll in the fighting hit 13.

As many as 1,600 tribesmen have joined a citizens' militia in Upper Dir district an indication of rising anti-Taliban sentiment in Pakistan as the military pursues its offensive against the militant group in the nearby Swat Valley.

The targeting of mosques has also brought about reactions from various religious organizations and Clerics. Apart from condemning the attacks the religious factions have also started campaigning against the Talibans.

A post on ApnaLahore details the event:

Addressing the participants at Regal Chowk, Dr Sarfraz Naeemi (President of TRNM) said the military operation must continue till (the) complete eradication of the Taliban.

He said those opposing the operations were not patriotic and secretly supporting the Taliban who had caused irreparable loss to Islam. He lashed out at leaders of the religious leaders who opposed creation of Pakistan. He announced that an all Pakistan Ulema and Mashaikh convention would be held on June 10 at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal to reaffirm the cause of Pakistan.

Mufti Naeemi also released a fatwa declaring the Taliban as ‘non-muslims’ further aggravating the Taliban's stance on Islam. This seem to be a bold initiative that might help in lowering down sympathies for Taliban.

A post at Five rupees illustrates the impact of the Anti-Taliban Movement and Naeemi's Fatwa:

This made his anti-Taliban stance all the more useful. He could reach out to people who might be inclined to follow the Taliban in a way that liberals like us never could. He also served as a symbol, not only of the public's growing revulsion at the Taliban, but also their willingness to support military action to deal with the threat. It is no surprise that Naeemi's support of the current military operation, support he had not given to such previous actions, coincided with greater public support for the army.

The news of the blast that killed the Anti-Taliban cleric sparked these reactions on twitter:

@MaajidNawaz is mourning the assasination of the Sufi religious scholar Safraz Naeemi by extremist bigotted terrorists in Pakistan

@DrAwab: Dr. Sarfaraz Naeemi killed in the blast. The person who had given fatwa in favour of swat operation

@imhassan The bomb blast in lahore was in the mosque where i offered Friday prayers all my childhood. Feel really bad about the incident

@kursed This is the third attack against a mosque in a month, in Pakistan

Apart from the the Paksitani Blogosphere, the mainstream media also chimed in condemning the targeting of mosques.

Paul Alexander at the Associate Press puts the public sentiments into perspective :

But instead of sowing fear and dissension, the attacks appear to be contributing to a growing wave of anti-Taliban sentiment, particularly the bombing at a seminary Friday that killed Sarfraz Naeemi. The cleric had called the militants murderers, condemned suicide attacks as un-Islamic and backed the ongoing operations in the Swat Valley region.

His death sparked a general strike that virtually shut down Karachi, the country's commercial center. About 200 activists of Jamat Ahle Sunnat, a moderate Muslim sect, staged a mock funeral procession for the Taliban, burning one in effigy as they chanted “Down with the Taliban; Taliban, the enemy of Islam; death for the killers of Sarfraz Naeemi.”

Adil Najam at ATP gives an analysis on the Taliban tactic :

It is clear that the Taliban know exactly what they are doing. They are spreading mayhem. They are breeding fear. They are terrorizing Pakistanis. They are doing all this for a reason. The real battle is for the hearts and minds of Pakistanis.

They made the religious argument and that seems to be working less and less for them today. Now they are threatening our daily existence in the attempt to break the will of the public.

The heinous acts of terrorism at mosques speaks volumes about the “Taliban's version” of religion and democracy. It remains to be seen how the Taliban, being a fundamental part of the Afghan and tribal communities of Northern Pakistan, are perceived and tackled by the Pakistanis in the future.

A recent attack targeting ‘Pearl continental', a five star hotel located in a high security zone has triggered panic across Peshawar. Al Jazeera English has details:

Kulsoom Lakhani discusses the attack in Changing Up Pakistan:

US officials said no Americans who had registered with the embassy were staying at the hotel, [this does not mean there were no Americans at the PC, just that none who had registered were there]. I hope the news focuses also on the Pakistani victims of this attack. It seems there were many hotel workers killed, much like the Marriott bombing in Islamabad.

The city is of prime importance at the moment being home to a number of  IDP camps. It also serves as a military base for those deployed to fight with the militants. In such conditions militants are bound to make their presence felt in the City, a much expected reaction to the ongoing battle in Malakand division. The Peshawar valley is bounded on the North and North East by hills, which separate it from the Swat Valley, where the army is currently engaged in a battle with the Taliban.

A blog post on Five Rupees contemplates on the recent mayhem in Peshawar:

A major bomb blast has rocked Peshawar, extensively damaging the Pearl Continental Hotel - one of the city’s few major hotels. The hotel was home to a large number of UN and INGO officials, as well as foreign reporters. Most of the UN officials belonged to the UN Food Program (credit: Dunya News).

It was a suicide blast. The bomb disposal squad reckons that about 500-550 kg of explosives were used which has caused a crate 8 feet deep and 25 feet wide. There were two attackers who first opened fire before driving their car into the hotel gates, which is similar to recent attacks in Lahore and Islamabad.

Faisal Kapadia regrets the unfortunate series of incidents in Peshawar in his blog DeadPan Thoughts:

The people of Pakistan are in shock, this is the third attack in so many weeks, each one brings more carnage and the realization that the war supposed to be fought far away in the mountains is now here in the streets of our cities.

Even now the police of our country are paralyzed having no forensics to trace our enemies and shoddy equipment, with a ratio of 1-500 plus civilians what security can they provide us?

Amid the ongoing war in Swat, the ordinary people are horrified realizing the worsening conditions all over the country. The Taliban retaliation to the army offensives seems to go on and grow fiercely. While the nation is under strain with the massive humanitarian crisis at hand. The killings of UNHCR and INGO officials are a major setback to the relief operations.

Raza Rumi at Pak Tea House shares his insight on the death of development workers in a recent blast:

Pak Tea House mourns the death of a dedicated aid workers in the Pearl Continental. As I am a part of the development ’set’, such incidents are deeply disturbing. After all development workers work in difficult circumstances for a commitment to their professions which in theory at least is based on idealism. We are saddened to see that UN staff have offered their lives along with scores of innocent Pakistani civilians. Why are the extremists killing innocent civilians – in a war surely you choose your targets or is it just a reflection of the mayhem they want to create and make it into another terror-zone.

The series of violence in Peshawar is evidence to the fact that the militants will be using massive force to destroy  ‘peace’ in Pakistan. Their violence crosses all barriers of humanity as they continue to work towards damaging not only the lives of people but also hampering the ongoing relief operations leading to further chaos.

Parachinar is the capital of Kurram Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. The area jutting into the Afghan Province of Paktia once served as the summer residence for the Mughal emperors. However the scenic beauty has been overshadowed by the fears of Taliban insurgency after the long Afghan war during the 80s and 90s. Today the Taliban insurgents have possessed the land with a reign of terror, forcing the locals to evacuate in fear.

The insurgency is not a recent event. Blogger Razz provides a quick peek in the past at Waking Life:

Parachinar and Pakistan's other frontier regions have been the victim of a Taliban insurgency ever since the Americans invaded Afghanistan. The ensuing conflict has literally obliterated the tourism industry of that region, and such beautiful places and others (Swat etc.) have sadly been marred by conflict for months now.

Ali Hassnain takes a deeper look at the history of sectarian clashes in the area:

Parachinar is the main city in the Khurram Agency, the only (slim) Shia majority agency in FATA. Total population of the region is about 500,000, with the Shia-majority city of Parachinar home to 55,000. Parachinar and the agency were predominantly Shia until a large influx of Sunnis started with the US-Russia war in Afghanistan, when the Mujahideen used it to raid Afghanistan. With the rise in Sunni numbers, there was also a rise in sectarian violence, but this it seems was qualitatively and quantitatively at far lower levels than what was to come.

The media in Pakistan has been accused of not providing adequate coverage to the event. According to Press TV:

A recent summit held in Iranian city of Qom under the banner “Holocaust of Shias in Parachinar,” came in the wake of the killings of hundreds of Shia community-members over the past six months in Parachinar and Hangu.

Pro-Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants, who are reportedly behind the killings, have imposed an economic blockade against the Shia-dominated population areas.

Ammar Faheem at Ammar 360 is dismayed at the silence of the media as he terms the event a ‘Holocaust against Shia's':

We all have been receiving pictures of beheaded bodies and acts of barbarianism from both Sunni and Shia friends. We all know that dozens of people are violently subjugated to sectarian hatred everyday in this once beautiful tribal area of Pakistan.

What I fail to understand is that the media is absolutely silent on this issue of enormous importance. Where is the justice we talk about? Where are the voices who stand up for human rights? Or are they busy organizing concerts and fashion shows?

The Blogosphere has resolved to take the matter into their hands and spread the word. The media has so far stood silent on the massacre. Further silence on the issue can lead to worsening of the situation and break out of sectarian clashes. The hollers of the victim’s family shouldn’t go unheard. The Blogging community joins hand in hope that their voices will be heard.

In one of my own articles at Pro-Pakistan, I proposed a petition urging people from other sects to join hands with the humanitarians to drive attention to the crisis at hand:

For decades innocent lives have been taken on account of their beliefs. No one has the right to punish anyone for their beliefs. It is not for us to judge others in matters of religion. For once we should condemn those who act like God in their ways and kill people. The silence of media authorities is condemnable. However this shouldn’t stop us from spreading the word. I urge all those in the Blogosphere to spread the word on the blog. You can repost or link back but keep spreading the word.

Our Shia brothers have equal rights to exist and believe. The Muslim majority respects co-existence. We condemn those who justify their actions in the name of Islam. For Islam teaches us tolerance and Unity.

A campaign blog titled Support Parachinar has been put up to highlight the pleas with suggestions and ways to help:

Educate yourselves and people around you about the situation.

Organize prayers, vigils, and workshops in your localities (school campus, public libraries, Friday prayers, mosques and community centers, embassies and press clubs). Prepare large posters with images and concise information.

Write op-ed columns and letters to your local and national newspapers with an informed perspective. Also write to your governments and local and international human rights groups. Hold poster and letter writing sessions in your communities.

The land dubbed as Pakistan’s heaven by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ex-prime minister of Pakistan and founder of PPP -the party currently in Power) has been transferred into the valley of death. The Global community needs to be aware of the situation and address the pleas of the silent victims of the Taliban brutality.