Stories about Pakistan from January, 2013
Pakistan’s Forgotten Hindu Heritage
Shiraz Hassan recently visited dilapidated temples and gurdwaras of Rawalpindi and appeals that these old heritage sites, which depict the secular past of the country, need to be preserved. There are still more than 25,000 Hindus living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Why Death for Distributing Polio Vaccine in Pakistan?
Aid workers administering polio vaccination projects across Pakistan are increasingly coming under attack from Islamist militants. While some Pakistanis accuse humanitarian organizations of spying on behalf of the United States, many employees remain determined to stay in the country.
First International Urdu Bloggers Conference
Mehwish Khan at ProPakistani reports that the first international Urdu bloggers conference was held on January 26, 2013 in Lahore, Pakistan. Over 70 Urdu bloggers from different parts of the country took part in the conference.
PHOTOS: Pakistan's Countrywide Shia Solidarity Protests End Peacefully
After the bombings in Quetta killed more than 100 people of the Hazara Shia community, protests spread like fire across Pakistan. People from all sects and tribes joined hands together to show solidarity with the Hazaras chanting #WeAreAllHazara. Sit-ins were registered in more than 100 cities and towns.
“We Are All Hazara” Protests Across Pakistan
Thousands across Pakistan and worldwide are showing solidarity with the Shia Hazara minority, as their sit-in protest enters its second day in the country's southwestern city, Quetta.
Pakistani Activist Khudi Ali Killed in Bombings Targeting Hazaras
On 10 January, 2013 in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta, 82 people lost their lives in back-to-back bombings that hit an area populated primarily by ethnic Hazara Shia Muslims. Irfan Khudi Ali, a prominent human rights activist who tirelessly highlighted the persecution of the Hazara in Pakistan, passed away in the second attack. His killing has sparked a tribute to his struggle and reignited protests on Shia killings in Pakistan.
Pakistan: CNG Withdrawal Hits Energy Sector
In Pakistan in 2012, the federal government announced plans to gradually phase out CNG due to gas shortages. Last week as supply to many CNG stations remained suspended, people queued in long lines to buy petrol for their vehicles. Teeth Maestro has more.
Taliban Commander Maulvi Nazir Killed As US Drone Strikes
Maulvi Nazir, a leading militant of the Taliban, has been killed by an American drone strike. Pakistanis are apprehensive on social media sites about how ordinary citizens and military forces may react to this news.
