tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840Wed, 30 May 2012 20:33:02 +0000Pakistan - TerrorismWatandost in Urdu, Turkish and Farsi means "friend of the country". The blog contains news and views about Pakistan (and its neighbors) that are insightful but are often not part of the headlines. It also covers issues related to "Islam in the West" and the U.S. Relations with the Muslim World.http://watandost.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)Blogger4255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-2275319691289945936Wed, 30 May 2012 20:02:00 +00002012-05-30T16:31:39.049-04:00 US, Pakistan Row Over Border Crossing Reveals 'Outstanding Problems' Alex Ortolani, Asia Society, May 23rd, 2012 For Video, click here While activists clashed with Chicago police to protest the NATO summit in Chicago this week, the U.S. and Pakistan were having their own stand-off inside the meeting. According to reports from the conference, U.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistan http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/hjmC9nBahV0/nato-summit-and-deteriorating-us.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/hjmC9nBahV0" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/nato-summit-and-deteriorating-us.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7342944939381963530Mon, 21 May 2012 02:58:00 +00002012-05-30T16:33:02.635-04:00History 101: Writing a new Pakistani history By Aroosa Shaukat, Express Tribune,  May 17, 2012 LAHORE: Pakistanis must delve into their history with open minds, historian Dr Ayesha Jalal said during a talk on Wednesday. Speaking to over 200 students at the Forman Christian College in a lecture titled Writing Pakistani History: Problems and Challenges, Dr Jalal said that open minds allow http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/8ySQ4aKSJiI/reviewing-pakistani-history.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/8ySQ4aKSJiI" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/reviewing-pakistani-history.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1689577498322966285Tue, 15 May 2012 21:02:00 +00002012-05-15T17:04:57.397-04:00 New Hope for India-Pakistan Relations? Nadia Rasul, Asia Society, May 11, 2012 In recent months Pakistan and India have made unprecedented strides in improving bilateral trade relations. Last year Pakistan decided to grant India "most favored nation" status, and recent reports show that Pakistan will soon be importing petrol and energy from India, while India will allow foreign direct http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/qRrZFOtmALc/new-hope-for-india-pakistan-relations.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/qRrZFOtmALc" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-hope-for-india-pakistan-relations.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-5439554130794502932Mon, 07 May 2012 04:55:00 +00002012-05-07T00:55:46.961-04:00 Newsline Editor’s Note: March 2012 By Rehana Hakim It took a US Congressional hearing and resolution on Balochistan last month to shame those in the portals of power to sit up and take notice of the grave situation prevailing in the province. The media had been crying hoarse on the enforced disappearances and target killings in the region, but to no avail. Now, suddenly, President Gilani http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/_gp0-1rUUuQ/baluchistan-in-shadow-of-gun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/_gp0-1rUUuQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/baluchistan-in-shadow-of-gun.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-476646957705297548Fri, 04 May 2012 08:38:00 +00002012-05-04T04:38:34.831-04:00How to Prevent Afghanistan from Becoming a Narco-StateTransforming Afghanistan's opium farming from heroin to morphine production would thwart the Taliban and stabilize the economyBy Vartan Gregorian, US News, May 2, 2012 Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York and former president and professor emeritus of history at Brown University, is the author of The Emergence of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/akqlIociZIQ/how-to-prevent-afghanistan-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/akqlIociZIQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-prevent-afghanistan-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1694451256218143099Wed, 02 May 2012 16:01:00 +00002012-05-02T12:01:50.948-04:00 What Post-Osama Pakistan Really Needs: Police Reform by Hassan Abbas, Asia Society, May 2, 2012 A year has passed since the May 2, 2011 operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and we still do not understand why the raid was needed in the first place — or why it took 10 years to put together. What is clear is that it was the United States that had to go after Bin Laden, given the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/KZX6d6FRvjU/pakistan-needs-police-reforms-now.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/KZX6d6FRvjU" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/05/pakistan-needs-police-reforms-now.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1530206328234667205Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:36:00 +00002012-04-27T03:02:34.809-04:00 Aid to Pakistan: $2.6 billion spent, little ability to show it Anti-US sentiments and foreign policy squabbles are thwarting good US public relations from reaching turbulent, poor border regions of Pakistan. By Taha Siddiqui, Contributor / April 25, 2012 Khalil Afridi recently survived a fatal attack by militants when a hand grenade was hurled at him. “They want me to quit development work, http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/ObYf615m-Ok/usaid-in-pakistan-successes-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/ObYf615m-Ok" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/usaid-in-pakistan-successes-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1794969414386832444Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:52:00 +00002012-04-27T03:02:49.385-04:00Which Khan Can Save Pakistan? by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed Le Monde diplomatic, April 20, 2012 To say that Pakistan is at a crossroads is something of a truism. Over the last decade, the country has jumped from one political, constitutional and economic crisis to the next, with little sign of stability on the horizon. With parliament having issued its ultimatum to the US last week with a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/4OKnbmYkJC8/which-khan-can-save-pakistan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/4OKnbmYkJC8" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/which-khan-can-save-pakistan.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8113965828253539693Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:28:00 +00002012-04-16T02:29:21.430-04:00Pakistan Spring Emerging From Winter of DiscontentBy Vali Nasr , Bloomberg, Apr 15, 2012 The snarling between the U.S. and Pakistan won’t let up. The battle began, of course, when U.S. forces sneaked into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden last May. Last week, the U.S. upped the ante, announcing a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of notorious terrorist Hafiz Muhammad http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/1SPJZAkg7TM/us-policy-towards-pakistan-needs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/1SPJZAkg7TM" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/us-policy-towards-pakistan-needs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-5991081674224425937Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:43:00 +00002012-04-12T15:43:00.137-04:00 Engaging American Muslims: Political Trends and Attitudes Farid Senzai; Fellow and Director of Research, ISPU April 3, 2012 Executive Summary As the 2012 presidential election season moves into full swing, the American Muslim minority community has become a more important player on the political landscape, especially in key swing states. However, data on its members’ political attitudes http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/mCd5eGbzDo4/political-trends-and-attitudes-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/mCd5eGbzDo4" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/political-trends-and-attitudes-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4519975788331813623Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +00002012-04-11T14:02:56.420-04:00 Thought Control Ayesha Haroon, The News, April 11, 2012 A student was thrown out of a university for emailing a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and for insisting on doing his research paper on politicisation of religion in Pakistan.  He is now on the streets protesting his removal from the university. He not only has a right to protest, he has a right to every possible legal remedy that is available tohttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/PMcu42VX0Zs/is-conducting-research-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/PMcu42VX0Zs" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/is-conducting-research-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8066823962686690804Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:39:00 +00002012-04-10T17:39:48.899-04:00 HRCP slams violence in Gilgit-Baltistan * Commission urges promotion of sectarian harmonyStaff Report, Daily Times, April 6, 2012LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious alarm at the continuing loss of life in sectarian strife in Gilgit-Baltistan and demanded that the government, political parties and civil society organisations join hands to bring peace to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/dZ_Q7YFGSgA/what-is-happening-in-gilgit-baltistan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/dZ_Q7YFGSgA" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-is-happening-in-gilgit-baltistan.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7277330557148316559Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:24:00 +00002012-04-03T15:41:53.489-04:00 Set a menu that goes beyond the lunch Humayun Khan and Salman Haidar, The Hindu, April 3, 2012; Dawn, April 3, 2012 Asif Ali Zardari's visit to India on April 8 — including a luncheon meeting with Manmohan Singh — may be an essentially private trip, yet the detour brings hope of a new phase in India-Pakistan relations. The expectation is that President Zardari will renew his invitation to http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/hHA8rFeliHg/prospects-of-india-pakistan-peace.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/hHA8rFeliHg" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/prospects-of-india-pakistan-peace.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-285139279958058716Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:55:00 +00002012-04-02T01:56:44.245-04:00In Defense of Blood MoneyWhy the United States was right to give $50,000 each to the families of villagers massacred in Afghanistan.By Will Oremus, Slate, March 29, 2012 There’s no price you can pay to make up for the loss of a loved one. That’s as true in Afghanistan as it is in the United States. It’s understandable, then, that some people in both countries found it insulting that the U.S. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/vuiQ1usIsqc/in-defense-of-blood-money.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/vuiQ1usIsqc" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/in-defense-of-blood-money.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-2884667808297018755Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:47:00 +00002012-04-03T13:27:29.152-04:00Ex-Pakistani soldier searches for the truth of Osama bin Laden's death By Shaukat Qadir, The National, March 16, 2012 A note from the author: I started my efforts to discover the truth behind Osama bin Laden's execution in July 2011. Eight months have now passed since I commenced that work and I am still not finished. My adventures could easily fill a book, but I do not have the patience to writehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/21eQANfF2rE/bin-laden-mystery.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/21eQANfF2rE" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/04/bin-laden-mystery.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1597060408154895219Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:25:00 +00002012-03-22T17:01:22.374-04:00 Pakistan-U.S. Relations: Commission Calls For End To Drone Attacks, Demands Apology For Deadly Airstrikes By Zarar Khan, Huffington Post, March 20, 2012 ISLAMABAD — A Pakistani parliamentary commission demanded Tuesday an end to American drone attacks inside the country and an apology for deadly U.S. airstrikes in November as part of a review of its near-severed relations with the United http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/citfqQLIIU0/pakistans-overdue-review-of-its.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/citfqQLIIU0" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/03/pakistans-overdue-review-of-its.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8664376538363488972Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:17:00 +00002012-03-12T17:20:40.941-04:00Afghanistan Civilian Murders Give Taliban 'Forum' to Align With Afghan Public By Alex Ortolani, Asia Society, March 12, 2012 The slaying of 16 civilians in Afghanistan by a U.S. sergeant Sunday could not only stall U.S. efforts to negotiate with the Taliban, but give the group more public support even as the U.S. attempts to strengthen the government of President Hamid Karzai ahead of combat http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/Gt-dKlQFprg/tragedy-in-afghanistan-and-its.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/Gt-dKlQFprg" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/03/tragedy-in-afghanistan-and-its.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-1741094241801188777Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:52:00 +00002012-03-06T23:52:49.269-05:00The Holy Teaching Power of Laughter Homaira Zaid, Huffington Post, March 2, 2012 When I was young, a teacher came regularly to my home to teach me Quranic Arabic. Almost every kid in my community had a religious teacher or went to a Muslim Sunday school -- and frankly, most of my friends couldn't wait to "age out." Sunday school was a drag, a miserable waste of a gorgeous weekend. But oddly http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/K2XGjJQ3d-8/laughter-in-islamic-tradition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/K2XGjJQ3d-8" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/03/laughter-in-islamic-tradition.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-809966067454836886Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:38:00 +00002012-02-27T17:47:10.492-05:00 Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy wins Pakistan's first Oscar By Amna Nawaz, NBC News Pakistan correspondent, Feb 27, 2012 It's being called "Pakistan's Oscar," but 33-year-old filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will be the one bringing the award home. The Karachi native's latest film, "Saving Face," which chronicles the lives of acid attacks victims in Pakistan and the doctor working to help http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/CuW6m62WcqI/pakistans-first-oscar-cheers-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/CuW6m62WcqI" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/pakistans-first-oscar-cheers-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4650618697860109737Fri, 24 Feb 2012 22:19:00 +00002012-02-24T17:22:08.131-05:00 Source: http://hasanayesha.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/info-graph-political-parties-pakistan/http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/5c3ktCU4GgA/understanding-political-parties-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/5c3ktCU4GgA" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/understanding-political-parties-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-8878530622136149347Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:59:00 +00002012-02-21T20:59:27.010-05:00Global Human Rights Group Aims to Bridge Gap Between Islam and WestIsmira Lutfia | February 21, 2012, Jakarta Globe Jakarta played host on Monday to the inaugural meeting of the human rights commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, an event that the commission said carried “profound historical significance.” Indonesia’s deputy foreign minister, Wardana, said the Independent http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/zysh3yUTg8E/muslim-states-and-human-rights-issues.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/zysh3yUTg8E" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/muslim-states-and-human-rights-issues.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-7687393549407214726Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:28:00 +00002012-02-14T16:30:09.536-05:00 Pakistan: Its Trials, Tribulations and its Beauty As Pakistan's political crisis deepens, Anwar Akhtar, an expert in south Asian politics and culture, looks at everyday life in the tumultous country - and picks his top ten observations. Channel 4, 14 February 2012 1 - Pakistan is not poor, despite the best efforts of some of the people running this country to make it so. It takes five hours http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/c_C4AkQJwL4/pakistan-its-trials-tribulations-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/c_C4AkQJwL4" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/pakistan-its-trials-tribulations-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-2306177900115202400Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:40:00 +00002012-02-21T21:10:02.299-05:00 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/1uEIrLsH1NA/book-launch-in-new-york-aboard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/1uEIrLsH1NA" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/book-launch-in-new-york-aboard.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-4786934945995454128Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:46:00 +00002012-02-12T18:17:48.869-05:00 Pakistani Meltdown: Choosing Between Democracy and Dictatorship CNP discussion with Hassan Abbas, Shuja Nawaz and Moeed Yusuf Centre for National Policy, Washington DC,  February 7, 2012 The high stakes struggle for power between the civilian, military and intelligence institutions in Pakistan has significant implications for the future of US-Pakistani relations. CNP President Scott Bates http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/HMbP0al3RCM/pakistan-choosing-between-democracy-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/HMbP0al3RCM" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/pakistan-choosing-between-democracy-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11547840.post-5710098448285953647Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:32:00 +00002012-02-06T16:44:30.578-05:00 Excerpts US Congressional hearing may spell trouble for Pakistan Malik Siraj Akbar, Dawn, February 6, 2012 The writer is a freelance journalist based in Washington DC and the author of The Redefined Dimensions of the Baloch Nationalist Movement The United States (US) Committee on Foreign Affairs is set to convene a congressional hearing on Wednesday (February 8), for an exclusive discussion onhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~3/Ys1_rR197jE/crisis-in-baluchistan-and-us-pakistan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Hassan Abbas)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/blogspot/FJUH/~4/Ys1_rR197jE" height="1" width="1"/>http://watandost.blogspot.com/2012/02/crisis-in-baluchistan-and-us-pakistan.html