Unending woes: The naked truth about fishing
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE ISLAMABAD: World Fisheries Day is celebrated across the planet on the 21st of November, and is marked by celebration and solidarity of all fisherfolk. In most countries, the key issues revolve around over-harvesting, marking international water boundaries and sanctioning countries that refuse to follow international conservation norms. However, our Pakistani fisherfolk are still struggling for basic personal dignity. Extortion by the coast guards is a daily routine for those going...
Obituary: Zubeda died not on Saturday but decades ago
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE Many think that Zubeda Khanum died on Saturday, but considering the enormous talent she possessed, she died the day she was asked not to sing anymore. She was told to live like a ‘good woman’ and a ‘good wife’. She was gradually pressured into staying at home and caring for her children. This came from a husband who was Syed by ‘ethnicity’ and explained to her in many...
Sexual harassment charges: Shameless elite and the daughters of this nation
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE ISLAMABAD: Recently, two universities have let down women students by protecting predator professors from sexual harassment charges. Quaid-e-Azam University, where serious convictions on charges of sexual harassment set a positive tone for the implementation of the anti-sexual harassment law a year ago, has now waivered under the pressure from our shameless elites. One would imagine that after charges of sexual harassment of students have been proven against professors, they...
The words describing ‘rape’: Blaming the victim, shielding the rapist
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE WASHINGTON DC: Pakistani society is still a bit confused about who ought to be punished for a crime of rape. Although everyone agrees that the culprit should be punished, in reality quite the contrary happens. Unknowingly, our society punishes the victim and not the rapist. Like murder, theft and mugging, rape is a crime done by a criminal, but society is quick to stamp the victim as having lost...
It’s time to hear the voice of south Balochistan
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE We have long complained about the feudals and tribal chiefs from Balochistan getting into politics and keeping this an area of dynastic rule. Each province has gone through its own dynamics but the people of Balochistan have suffered the most from the double jeopardy of undemocratic influences from Islamabad and from their own tribal elite. Provincial devolution and autonomy have opened the path for new possibilities for...
Breaking the Silence – By Lubna Khan
A recent survey reveals shocking levels of sexual harassment against women in the workplace In December 1997 eleven women working at the UNDP offices in Islamabad filed a case against a senior member of the management. The charge: sexual harassment. Secure in the trust and support senior management provided him, the accused had been abusing his powerful position by demanding sexual favours from female staff members, knowing they had no choice...
Human rights in 2012: As citizens take law into their own hands, rights lose out
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE The 2012 human rights situation in Pakistan can be assessed in three different ways. One approach is to tabulate the incidents of violations that have been reported. A second view can be obtained from the international assessments of the rights situation in Pakistan. A third perspective can be drawn from evidence indicating whether our government has made progress in addressing the critical rights issues in our country. The world...
A salute to the working women of Pakistan
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE The celebration of National Working Women’s Day, which was yesterday, on December 22, acknowledges women who engage in work of all types in our country. They have entered the workforce in spite of adverse circumstances. Thus, while we express our pride in the women who succeeded in opening doors for other women, we must also reflect on the difficulties they continue to face. When we think of the...
Committing diplomatic suicide?
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE I have listened to many talks on Pakistan in Washington DC recently, with nearly all giving a generally negative impression of our country. Pakistan on the Brink, Pakistan: A Nation at War With Itself, Playing with Fire: Pakistan At War With Itself. These are some books, written this year, about the violence that has engulfed Pakistan’s cities, the economic hardships and the deterioration of our institutions. William Milan, a scholar...
Parliament drags feet over acid crimes bill
At: THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE The delay in getting a comprehensive bill against acid and burn crimes on the agenda of Parliament is of great concern to citizen groups who have been working hard for the last several years to present options to politicians. Recent efforts by MNAs, including Dr Attiya Inayatulla (Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid) who has mobilised the support of other women legislators from all parties, gives us high hope for its...