Ovais Khan's Diary

Silence of the Lambs by Samad Khurram

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:04:00 +0000

Someone just forwarded me 'Silence of the Lambs' by Samad Khurram. I am just quoting a para from the post which I liked. Click the link below to read the entire article.

Jinnah’s Pakistan is a dream gone wrong. Perhaps if he knew that the dreamland for living in peace, harmony, religious tolerance and freedom was going to become arena for public flogging where laughs of sadist barbarians and the screams of minors will echo, he would not have decided on creating it. Had he known that there would be more suicide bombs in his country than any other place in the world, where fundos would go around the cities threatening women to become religious, where school children would have to undergo security protocols as if they were in a war zone, would he have even bothered to work for the green and white?

Link: http://teeth.com.pk/blog/2009/04/20/silence-of-the-lambs

Pakistan & state religeon

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:51:00 +0000

I read this nice quote by the Founder of Pakistan regarding the role of state in the religion:

"You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”— Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah (AUGUST 11, 1947, in the constituent assembly of Pakistan at Karachi)

Coke Studio season 2 coming soon ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 03:13:00 +0000

For anyone who is hearing this name for the first time, coke studio is an initiative led by Rohail Hyatt where artists can come and perform live in a studio environment giving them the ability to do experimentation and fusion.

Season one episodes are all available online to view or download: http://www.cokestudio.com.pk/seasonone/

I'm eagerly looking forward to season 2 which will be out this summer - just wanted to spread the word around for a nice initiative.

Laga Reh by Shehzad Roy

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:14:00 +0000

I wanted to post this for a long. Remembered when I saw Shehzad Roy's new video :)

Enjoy and think ...

U.S. Tweaks Internet Privacy Guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Federal regulators tweak recommendations for how Web sites should collect, save, and share information about users, extending them to ISPs and mobile users. A step in the right direction, and I think this needs to be followed by a legislation to safeguard the rights of people.

See this news item for details: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/US-Tweaks-Internet-Privacy-Guidelines/.

Obama's Inauguration Panorama

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 05:09:00 +0000

A friend forwarded me this great panoramic view of Obama's inauguration ceremony:

This is the first time I heard about GigaPan, which is a collaboration between Google, CMU and one of NASA's Robotic Groups. I am embeding a youtube video below for anyone interested in the technology:

Links:
http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?id=15374
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYhwVMB9QYw

Back to blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:15:00 +0000

My last post on this blog was on the same day last year. A lot has happened in the last one year and I am in no mood to discuss that :). But, I would like to continue my blog once more with more focus on general and technical stuff.

I am also open to ideas on what people would like to read about ...

Aaj goes off air for airing Nusrat Javaid's views

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:54:00 +0000

The appearance of Nusrat Javaid of Bolta Pakistan fame disturbed Musharraf so much that he forced Aaj tv to go off air for 12 hours - freedom of to control the media for which he is so proud of !

Read the AP's news story here. Some exceprts:

The satellite transmission of Aaj television was blocked late Wednesday after commentator Nusrat Javed appeared on-screen, said Aslam Dogar, an assignment editor at the station.
Prior to the broadcast, Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Quereshi had advised Aaj that it should not allow Javed to appear on any of its programs, Dogar said.

Update:

Just saw a related blog post from teeth maestro.

Wiredpakistan banned in Pakistan by the PTA

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:06:00 +0000

Just learned that Wiredpakistan.com has been blocked by PTA. This is yet another site being blocked without any valid reason whatsoever (even though not much is being done by Govt. based on reasoning).

For those new to the subject, PTA is very fond of blocking various sites and under the ordinance, it has the right to block any website without even getting an order from a judge - the major highlights of last year was a long blogger ban and intermittent WP bans.

Links:
Wiredpakistan banned in Pakistan by the PTA
Wiredpakistan now blocked in Pakistan

Evolution of judicial activism

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:34:00 +0000

A nice editorial appeared in Dawn on Evolution of Judicial Activism - Read it with reference to Pakistan and the way General Musharraf destroyed it with Emergency and PCO. And now we have to see laws like the NRO (pardoning politicians like Benazir, etc) and no one will be able to question that legislature. Some excerpts:

"IT is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is," says Chief Justice John Marshall of the US. Consequently, the judges necessarily have to exercise their power, irrespective of the posture of the power-hungry executive or the touch-me-not attitude of the legislature.

...

Judicial activism is the role etched out for the judiciary in a democratic society governed by the basic law to keep the horizon of liberty clear and to give substance to the all-pervasive concept of the rule of law. If the judiciary fails in this, nothing can save the democratic policy, as Chief Justice John Marshall concludes: "The constitution itself becomes a solemn mockery."

Read complete editorial at: http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/28/ed.htm#4

Faiz Ahmed Faiz - a documentary

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:14:00 +0000

A good documentary on Faiz:

Habib Jalib - Poetry of Defiance

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:20:00 +0000

I just came across some inspiring poetry by Habib Jalib and wanted to share some of it.

Here is a collection of 10 poems by him (in roman urdu and english translation): http://www.revolutionarydemocracy.org/rdv9n1/jalibpoems.htm

Listen his collection 'Poetry of Defiance' here (with English subtitles):

This is another of his poem in urdu:

And this is the one I liked the most and suits the current situation (translation courtesy of Karachi Metroblog):
Deep jis ka mehlaat hee mein jaley
(A lamp only in palaces lit)
Chand logon kee khushion ko lay kar chaley
(Shed light for a chosen few)
Voh jo savay mein har muslihat kay chaley
(Shade in which one has to fit)
Aisey dastoor ko, subha-e-beynoor ko
(Such rites and lightless dawns)
Main nahin maanta, main nahin jaanta
( I will not accept: I refuse to know.)

And for anyone reading this far, this is a nice article by Adil Najam

Pakistan electoral rigging outsourced to Montreal

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 07:57:00 +0000

From KO's blog: http://ko.offroadpakistan.com/2008/01/pakistan_electoral_rigging_outsourc.html

ECP has outsourced the task of online access of voter's list to a Canadian company (who also run Mehndi.com), and they intend to host it inside Canada - doesn't sound like an ideal situation.

I wonder if they even tried to contact NADRA or some local company. After all, most of the queries would be originating from Pakistan - apart from that of hackers. Does someone knows about relevant laws in Canada and if Canadian government can have someday access to all of this data ....

Related Links:
http://ko.offroadpakistan.com/2008/01/pakistan_electoral_rigging_outsourc.html
http://ko.offroadpakistan.com/2008/01/dating_service_provider_to_match_vo.html
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=2f0ffeb5-44d0-49e6-8d21-7baf9df82148&k=41646

Instant Problem Solver: An Invention By Pakistan President

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 10:50:00 +0000

Another wonderful blog entry from Faraz: Instant Problem Solver: An Invention By Pakistan President

After seven years of struggle, restless nights and extensive research, he has been able to formulate “An Instant Problem Solver for any Problem anywhere, anytime” aka “Emergency”.

Pakistani chief justice to receive Harvard Law School 'Medal of Freedom'

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:21:00 +0000

From http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2007/11/13_pakistan.php

November 13, 2007

Following last week's military crackdown in Pakistan and the detention of hundreds of lawyers, the Harvard Law School Association has decided to award Pakistani Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry its highest honor: The Harvard Law School Medal of Freedom. Chaudhry was detained after he convened the Pakistani Supreme Court to declare the current state of emergency imposed by General Pervez Musharraf to be null and void.
Although Chaudhry has been placed under house arrest and is not free to leave Pakistan, Dean Elena Kagan has reached out to the chief justice regarding the award and hopes that he'll be able to come to the Law School to receive it when the state of
emergency is lifted.
"As lawyers who value freedom and the rule of law, we at Harvard Law School want Chief Justice Chaudhry and all of the courageous lawyers in Pakistan to know that we stand with them in solidarity," said Kagan. "We are proud to be their colleagues in the cause of justice, and we will do all we can to press for the prompt restoration of constitutionalism and legality in Pakistan."
Hundreds of lawyers and other critics of Musharraf have been detained since the emergency rule was established more than a week ago. HLS graduates and practicing lawyers in Pakistan Babar Sattar LL.M. '02 and Tariq Hassan LL.M. '76 S.J.D. '80 have spoken out in protest of the suspension of the constitution.
To raise awareness and further promote discussion about the events in Pakistan, the Harvard South Asia Initiative will be hosting campus-wide events on Friday, November 16.
The Medal of Freedom was established by Harvard Law School to honor the achievements of individuals who have worked to uphold the legal system’s fundamental commitment to freedom, justice, and equality. To symbolize this commitment, the award bears the image of Charles Hamilton Houston, whose leadership of the crusade that culminated in the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education exemplifies the highest ideals of our democracy.
Past recipients of the Medal of Freedom include the members of the Brown v. Board of Education litigation team and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

Army Act being amended to try civilians in military courts

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:53:00 +0000

As reported in a news update on The News. Really alarming development.

ISLAMABAD: New amendments being introduced in the Army Act, after which the
military courts could also hear the cases against civilians, sources said.
According to the sources, under the new amendments in the Army Act, the terror
suspects could be tried in the military courts. The military courts could also
hear the cases against people involved in attacks over the military
installations, sources said. An ordinance to amend the Army Act is likely to be
issued on Friday. The new amendments in the Army Act being made in the context
of missing persons’ cases in the Supreme Court, sources added.

View Point: Pakistan, Prince of Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:27:00 +0000

Ali Eteraz has written a well researched Op-ed published in Guardian - contains many facts and relevant links:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ali_eteraz/2007/11/pakistan_prince_of_denmark.html

The uncritical support of Musharraf is a slowly unfolding tragedy. It shows
the US has not learned the lessons from the Shah in Iran

Woh Waqt jald hi aaiga, Jab Zulm ki ghari ruk jaigi.

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:53:00 +0000

Nice and inspiring poem. (source: http://united4justice.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/woh-waqt-jald-hi-aaiga-jab-zulm-ki-ghari-ruk-jaigi/)

Raat andheri chat jai gi,
jab din ka ujala chaiga,

Zulm kai sahnai walai bhi,
zulm sai jab takrain gai,

Hai AAmriat Ka zor to kia,
Bandooq ki Hai yalghar to kia,

Hum Aik Khuda kai bandai hain,
Hum Bhi Koi Kamzor nahi,

Aaag pani ki jang mei jab,
bhaap hawa ban jaigi,

shur kahin na chup pai ga,
aur badi ki shamat aaigi,

is zulmat kai sannatai mein,
Aazan khair ki gonjai gi,

woh waqt jald hi aaiga,
jab zulm ki ghari ruk jaigi.

Emergency 2007 on Wiki Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 19:59:00 +0000

For latest live, archived electronic media & related news analysis and articles, do visit:
http://pakistan.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_2007

Viewing independent Pakistani news channels online

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:37:00 +0000

After the blackout of all independent news channels in Pakistan, most channels have started live streaming of their transmission on Internet. The following are links to view the Pakistani news channels:

List of all channels (updated regularly): http://pakistan.wikia.com/wiki/Emergency_2007#Live_Online_Streams
Geo News: mms://stream.wmlivesvc.vitalstreamcdn.com/live_stream_geo_tv_geolive (Link also available on http://www.geo.tv)
Geo News Audio: mms://stream.wmlivesvc.vitalstreamcdn.com/live_stream_geo_tv_GeoAud (Link also available on http://www.geo.tv)
Dawn News Audio: mms://dawn.tvpakistan.com/dawnnews (Link also available on http://www.dawnnews.tv/)
Dawn News Audio: mms://dawn.tvpakistan.com/dawn_audio (Link also available on http://www.dawnnews.tv/)
Aaj TV: http://www.jumptv.com/en/channel/aajtv/

Updated: Due to many people landing on this website trying to find Pakistani news stresms, I have updated the links to point to current streams

Pakistan under yet another martial law

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:51:00 +0000

The General has now declared the second emergency of his lifetime (read martial law). The step has clearly been taken to curb the independence of media and judiciary, who were trying to get some independence from establishment and military.

All this is going in the wrong direction. Lets pray for our country.

On a related note, people can read / hear about the latest situation at:
http://pkpolitics.com/
http://www.geo.tv/ (audio stream of geo TV and latest news)
http://www.pakistanvision.com/ (live stream of geo TV)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/allupdates.asp (latest news updates)
http://news.google.com/news?q=pakistan+emergency (latest news updates)
http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?q=pakistan+emergency (latest blog posts)

This compilation by Adil Najam is also worth watching:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIsLhMIaqgg

Chief Justice of Pakistan Case: A Constitutional Deja Vu?

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:21:00 +0000

Just came across this very nicely written article 'Chief Justice of Pakistan Case: A Constitutional Deja Vu?' by Athar Osama of Research Network fame.

MSN Live Messenger contacts blues ...

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 17:29:00 +0000

I have been having some problems in my MSN Live Messenger contacts not being synchronized between machines lately especially when I was organizing the contacts in groups.

I found some solutions at: http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=521258&SiteID=1, which worked sometimes, but didn't work most of the time.

Finally, I was trying to find some option and found an option in MSN which fixed the issue for me. The option is in the 'Security' tab of the options window and says ' This is a shared computer so don't store my address book, ... on it' selecting this option on each machine once fixed the problem for me. This however made the sign in process a bit longer. So, for that i reverted back to the old setting when the contact list was synchronized correctly.

Quote of the day

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:25:00 +0000

(I) have lived most of my life in these eternally restless times of fear and hope, and I have hoped that some time these fears and hopes might cease. But now I must see that they will go on for ever; indeed in moments of depression, I think they will grow worse
- Hegel in a letter, 1819

Found this quote in a Dawn Op-ed - 'Quest for a new synthesis' by Tanvir Ahmad Khan

Online freedom - how much?

noreply@blogger.com (Ovais Khan) — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:04:00 +0000

A nice article on online freedom by Bill Thompson. He talks about the various blocks and censors put in place by various companies as well as repressive regimes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6685253.stm

The real danger in the coming years might not be that governments look at what China has achieved with its 'Great Firewall' and decide to emulate it, but that the companies behind our online gathering places become more conservative, more limiting and more repressive, while we find we have nowhere else to go.

Links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6685253.stm