Meeting Salma Bhatti
I met the wife of slain Minister Shahbaz Bhatti and discovered tales of woe, marginalisation and hope It has been over three years that Pakistan lost a brave Christian citizen Shahbaz Bhatti for his...
View ArticleMeeting Samiya
I saw Dukhtar with the film’s protagonist, rekindling memories personal and political It was utterly delightful when my friend Samiya Mumtaz – now a celebrated actor – informed me that she was visiting...
View ArticleDon’t expect a miracle to happen
The ignoble massacre of children and teachers in Peshawar has led to unprecedented anger and grief across the country. The state has responded by ending the moratorium on the death penalty and...
View ArticleRaza Rumi: They Tried to Silence Me Once and For All
I spoke with Clarion about fighting for fredom of speech when the price for failure is death. Raza Ahmad Rumi is a Pakistani policy analyst, journalist and an author. He has been a leading voice in...
View ArticleOne size may not fit all
Excerpts from my statement: Raza Rumi, Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, says the government has much to do when it comes to reforming madressahs. “There are three issues of main...
View ArticleCounterterrorism: rhetoric vs reality
Amid the controversy of Pakistan joining the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, the media focus has shifted from the implementation of theNational Action Plan (NAP), the guiding counterterrorism policy...
View ArticleSabeen Mahmud, Martyr for Free Speech
My op-ed for The New York Times The appalling murder in Karachi last week of Sabeen Mahmud is a stark reminder of challenges that human rights defenders face in Pakistan. Ms. Mahmud, 39, had devoted...
View ArticleFarewell, Abdul Sattar Edhi
Raza Rumi on the man who defied a callous state and society, unbowed in his love of humanity The death of Abdul Sattar Edhi after an extraordinarily productive and unreal life stirred emotion in every...
View Article‘Liberal’ Sharif rights history
In the process of rearranging pieces on the politico-ideological chessboard, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has emerged as a crucial figure. In his third tenure, Sharif is finally clear about...
View ArticleMy Utopia Died Three Years Ago
The Parliament has extended the military courts for another two years. Cited as a desperate measure in extraordinary times, there has been a widespread acceptance, almost a fait accompli situation when...
View ArticlePakistani Rights Activist, Khurram Zaki, Is Fatally Shot in Karachi
My quote for New York Times: “Being an activist in Pakistan is highly risky, as the state has yet to eliminate the sectarian militias that kill with impunity,” Read full article here: KARACHI,...
View ArticleMeeting Samiya
I saw Dukhtar with the film’s protagonist, rekindling memories personal and political It was utterly delightful when my friend Samiya Mumtaz – now a celebrated actor – informed me that she was...
View ArticleDon’t expect a miracle to happen
The ignoble massacre of children and teachers in Peshawar has led to unprecedented anger and grief across the country. The state has responded by ending the moratorium on the death penalty and...
View ArticleRaza Rumi: They Tried to Silence Me Once and For All
I spoke with Clarion about fighting for fredom of speech when the price for failure is death. Raza Ahmad Rumi is a Pakistani policy analyst, journalist and an author. He has been a leading voice in...
View ArticleTaseer will live as an icon for a sane, just Pakistan
April 1, 2017: Taseer will live as an icon for a sane, just Pakistan (Huffington Post) Salmaan Taseer, businessman, publisher and Governor of Pakistan’s largest Province, was killed by his bodyguard a...
View ArticleBring Pakistan’s Missing Bloggers Home
Jan 20, 2017: Bring Pakistan’s Missing Bloggers Home (The New York Times) Since Jan. 4, at least five bloggers and activists have disappeared in Pakistan. Perhaps the best known is Salman Haider, a...
View ArticleBlasphemer hunting must stop
April 13, 2017: Blasphemer hunting must stop (Daily Times) The violent passions incited in many sections of Pakistani society by accusations of blasphemy were on display once again – this time in...
View ArticleAnother Pakistani Journalist Threatened. Will the State Protect Him?
June 10, 2017: Another Pakistani Journalist Threatened. Will the State Protect Him? ( Huffington Post) Pakistan is not an easy country for journalists. State agencies, non-state actors and political...
View ArticleThe unbearable cost of advocating peace
December 24, 2017: The unbearable cost of advocating peace(Daily Times) Raza Mahmood Khan, a peace activist and a human rights’ defender from Lahore, is missing since December 2. No one knows where he...
View ArticleEnd this culture of impunity
January 14, 2018: End this culture of impunity (Daily Times) Pakistani journalists and activists continue to face intimidation and violence. Worse, they have to deal with a culture of impunity that...
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