Ahmadis expelled from school

By Shamsul Islam

FAISALABAD: At least 10 students, including seven girls, and a female teacher were expelled from Chenab Public School and Muslim Public School, Dharanwali area of Hafizabad, for being Ahmadis.

“It is extremely unfortunate that my daughters are being deprived of the most basic and fundamental human right such as education … all because of religious intolerance,” Khalil Ahmad, whose three daughters were expelled, told The Express Tribune. “I have no alternative to ensure that their education continues,” he added.

What about the constitutional provisions which ensure equal rights for all? What about the rule of law that says no discrimination can be made on the basis of faith, race, cast and creed, he questions. …

Read more » The Express Tribune

Behind ‘Rising India’

Behind ‘Rising India’ lies the surrender of national dignity

From India’s prime minister down, the rotten state of the world’s largest democracy has been exposed for all to see

Even the racketeers of Pakistani military and intelligence appear dignified when compared with the Indians stampeding to plant kisses on US behinds!

by Pankaj Mishra

Food prices become intolerable for the poor. Protests against corruption paralyse the national parliament for weeks on end. Then a series of American diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks exposes a brazenly mendacious and venal ruling class; the head of government adored by foreign business people and journalists loses his moral authority, turning into a lame duck.

This sounds like Tunisia or Egypt before their uprisings, countries long deprived of representative politics and pillaged by the local agents of neoliberal capitalism. But it is India, where in recent days WikiLeaks has highlighted how national democratic institutions are no defence against the rapacity and selfishness of globalised elites.

Most of the cables – being published by the Hindu, the country’s most respected newspaper in English – offer nothing new to those who haven’t drunk the “Rising India” Kool-Aid vended by business people, politicians and their journalist groupies. The evidence of economic liberalisation providing cover for a wholesale plunder of the country’s resources has been steadily mounting over recent months. The loss in particular of a staggering $39bn in the government’s sale of the telecom spectrum has alerted many Indians to the corrupt nexuses between corporate and political power. …

Read more : guardian.co.uk

Disappointing to see the judiciary superseding parliament

Personality instead of institution

By: SHAKEEL NIZAMANI, Calgary, Alberta

IF history is anything to go by, one can say Muslims failed because they always depended on personalities instead of developing a just, equitable system.

This personality cult mentality is ingrained in our culture, and it has deprived our independent thinking individually, as well as collectively.

Pakistan’s political system is a prime example of such one-way thinking, where democracy has taken a back seat. When it comes to internal party politics, leaders are all in all.

It is the leader’s way or highway. Unfortunately, it is true about almost every institution in Pakistan. Going by current developments, one can say the judiciary is no exception.

Most of us who joined the voice against dictatorship in favour of the judiciary fail to understand the judiciary’s erstwhile self-righteous approach. It is very disappointing to see the judiciary superseding parliament or favouring one part of it over the other. This is not a good development and does not bode well for the future.

Monday, 29 Mar, 2010

Courtesy: http://www.dawn.com.pk/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/letters-to-the-editor/personality-instead-of-institution-930

Sindh Government deprived of 70 crore rupees of Production Bonus

By Ali Asghar Laghari
DADU: A media workshop was held at Dadu by the Participatory Development Institute on Thursday at a local hotel. Addressing on the occasion, the speakers including, PID Program Officer, Ishaq Soomro and others said that the province of Sindh has been deprived of the 70 crore rupees of Production Bonus by the petroleum companies and the Federal Government.