Baithak - A place where Pakistani Bloggers get United.
From The Nation:The officials of US consulate in Karachi visited beaches of Hawks Bay and Sandspit, and participated in the ongoing Turtle Protection Project, runs under the administration of Sindh Wildlife Department, sources informed The Nation on Monday. The officials of American consulate release the hatchlings of green turtles in the sea and visited the […]
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From Dawn: Phone packages irk govtKARACHI, Nov 14: The Sindh government has approached the federal ministry of information technology to seek its help in discouraging cellular companies from launching “talk packages”, maintaining that such things promoted immoral activities among the youth.In his letter, Sports and Youth Affairs Secretary Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui quoted some reports suggesting […]
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From The News:He (Ansar Abbasi) said when any party done a wrong, he would say it did wrong, but if it done anything good, he would say it good.Read the article here
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I want, more than ever, my Frere Hall back. I do not want to be denied access to the place, I do not want to argue with policemen and wonder what the U.S embassy’s security cameras are recording across the road. I want to gaze at the Sadequain masterpiece and not care how long I’m […]
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Op-Ed: A fairytale cabinet by Cyril Almeida.
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By Baithak.Net
I’ve started a new blog, called Overheard in Karachi - check it out here. Details are on the blog.
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Despite all the predictions, the speeches, the debates, and the feeling that it was over for McCain way before the first vote was cast, I cannot, cannot believe this has happened. I don’t care what the future holds, this election has proven that change is actually possible, despite the state of affairs in the world we […]
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oh what a weird, weird year this has been.
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By Baithak.Net
From The Guardian:The atheist bus campaign launches today thanks to Comment is free readers. Because of your enthusiastic response to the idea of a reassuring God-free advert being used to counter religious advertising, the slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” could now become an ad campaign on London buses […]
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Although I pretend to be above all award shaward nonsense, I am quite tickled that Khizzy and Mina decided to nominate this blog [even though it has changed muchly from its origin as my ranting home]. After all, I’m the one who never won anything at competitions [except Musical Chairs once as a kid. And […]
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From Washington PostThe Defense Department will pay private U.S. contractors in Iraq up to $300 million over the next three years to produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements for the Iraqi media in an effort to “engage and inspire” the local population to support U.S. objectives and the Iraqi government.I think I […]
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On trying to access Blogger, I’m getting this error message:ERRORThe requested URL could not be retrievedWhile trying to retrieve the URL: http://crazedinsomniac.blogspot.com/The following error was encountered:Access Denied. Dear Valued Customer: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (www.pta.gov.pk) has directed all service providers of the country to block access to some blasphemous web content/movies. This content would remain blocked […]
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By Baithak.Net
From CNN:On entering a room filled with several Pakistani officials Wednesday, Palin was immediately greeted by Sherry Rehman, the country’s information minister.“And how does one keep looking that good when one is that busy?” Rehman asked Palin, drawing friendly laughter from the room.“Oh, thank you,” Palin said.Pakistan’s new president, Asif Ali Zardari, entered the room […]
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So following what has to be one of the best moments in Pakistani TV [am so glad I saw it unfold live :D] i.e. watching Zardari struggling to say ‘pai-e-takmeel’, the Ministry of Information has been asked to investigate just what on earth happened. Looks like Shahid Masood has a new hobby: screwing up PPP head honchos’ […]
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Over 50 dead. Over 200 injured. The Marriott destroyed. One more consequence of being a frontline state in the War on Terror.Whose war is this anyway?
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Mohammad Hanif [hai, how I love the man] writes about Zardari, Karachi and Aunty Park. My favorite part of the article is as below:Every pundit in Pakistan has made a long to-do list for President Zardari: security, economy, electricity, flour prices, fuel prices and more security. No doubt the Americans – who made his presidency […]
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Pakistan’s Bleakest Moment-Ahmed RashidJust when Pakistanis thought they had a new democracy, ushering in a new civilian government, a new president and the end of eight years of military rule, they are faced with the bleakest moment in the country’s history.Proverbially listed as a failing state, this precariously poised country could now be in a […]
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My sister occassionally posts funny search engine terms that lead people to her blog, and since I’m clearly bored and have nothing to do at work, I might as well post some of the misguided directions that lead people here. Voila!1. what keeps the world spinningDidn’t pay attention in Geography classes I see.2. has honesty […]
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Seeing Asif Zardari on the cover of next week’s issue of Time magazine is not the best way to start one’s morning. You can read the cover story hereP.S: My apologies for the small size of the image, can’t find the larger image on the magazine’s website.
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Pakistan’s COAS Kayani has warned US troops to stay out of the country saying “There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border”, but lo and behold, according to a NYT report, US President George Bush has allowed American […]
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Daniyal Mueenuddin has outdone himself again with a beautiful piece of fiction titled A Spoiled Man, published in The New Yorker. Must read.FYI: His previous work was Nawabdeen Electrician, which you can read here
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Soon-to-be-President [my soul dies a little every time I think of that] Asif Zardari has written an op-ed in Washington Post titled [I kid you not] ‘Democracy Within Our Reach.‘ I want to know if any major leader, whether it was Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif or Pervez Musharraf ever wrote an op-ed for a local paper, especially for a Urdu […]
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Here the Birds’ Journey Endsby Mahmoud DarwishHere the birds’ journey ends, our journey, the journey of words,and after us there will be a horizon for the new birds.We are the ones who forge the sky’s copper, the sky that will carve roadsafter us and make amends with our names above the distant cloud slopes.Soon we […]
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So almost 24 hours later, much has been said about Musharraf’s legacy, where he’s going to go next [London baby!] and what lies next for Pakistan.Some commentors on this blog have expressed their unhappiness, saying that Musharraf’s departure will lead to doom and darkness. I personally, don’t believe so, which was reaffirmed by his farewell […]
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After nine really, really long years, Musharraf has finally decided to resign. Text messages I received during the one hour that musharraf made the snore-inducing [till the last fifteen minutes, those were glorious] speech [hopefully his last] will give the reader an idea of what some of us went through.Musharraf: ‘Pakistan mera ishq hai’Friend#1: That’s […]
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This morning I dreamt that Swat had been levelled to the ground by a nuclear bomb.An apt dream to have on the country’s independence day, no?
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From The News:A legacy of nothingness-Masood HasanSomething I learnt from Aunty Sonnu Rehman – something that hopefully many other people learnt because she is Aunt to so many, was to spend as much time as possible with the young. She has done so for many long years and the result is a sparkling personality, a […]
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The PPP - PML (N) relationship reminds me, more often than not, of a bad relationship with one’s significant other. There is drama [NS walking out of Zardari House last night!], there is romance [Murree Declaration], there is passion [Yusuf Raza Gilani getting the vote of confidence] and then there is that biatch who wants […]
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By Baithak.Net
From Daily TimesTerrorists develop ‘suicide underwear’By Imran AsgharRAWALPINDI: Would-be suicide bombers could be using explosives “underwear briefs” rather than explosives jackets to evade “conservative” body searches, sources said on Wednesday.Sihala Police College forensic lab sources told Daily Times that the study of recent suicide attacks showed that suicide bombers used “explosives-laden” under-garments, briefs in particular, […]
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From today’s Daily Times:Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday asked all public departments to take the VIP culture as a thing of the pastFrom today’s The News:The diversion of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilaniís plane from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai, instead of landing at Islamabad after attending the D-8 Summit, cost the […]
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From The Nation:The newly-appointed Chairman of PTV, Dr Shahid Masood, has adopted anti-PPP approach that has stunned the party leaders, sources told The Nation.They said Dr Shahid has directed the senior PTV officials, including the directors, anchorpersons and resource persons, in a meeting that he had been appointed with clear mandate therefore not answerable to […]
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From Washington Post:When Osama Bin Laden wants to deliver a speech, a trusted video cameraman is summoned to a safe house somewhere in Pakistan, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials and analysts. The video file is then edited, stored on a tiny computer memory stick and given to a human courier. The memory stick usually passes […]
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Ahmed Rashid’s new book is aptly titled Descent into Chaos. It is a scathing indictment of the inaction, decisions and powerplays by various quarters that have led Pakistan and Afghanistan into their current state of chaos. A must-read for those who have an interest in the War on Terror, the Taliban and Pakistan. A word […]
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Dear UFO/God/Rational Thinking/KarmaWe, the Pakistani people, urgently require our political leaders to gain some perspective and, if you can manage it, some amount of sanity. We want them to stop making empty promises, we need them to make a decision about the deposed judges and stick to it, we want them to do whatever they […]
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From today’s Dawn:Shahbaz wants to know his powersLAHORE, June 16: Believe it, Mian Shahbaz Sharif has asked the relevant officials to let him know his powers as the province’s chief minister.The officials are studying the necessary books before writing a report for the boss. It’s not immediately known why the PML-N president had to ask […]
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A Letter-Anthony HechtI have been wonderingWhat you are thinking about, and by now supposeIt is certainly not me.But the crocus is up, and the lark, and the blunderingBlood knows what it knows.It talks to itself all night, like a sliding moonlit sea.Of course, it is talking of you.At dawn, where the ocean has netted its […]
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Please observe a moment of silence in the memory of MNA MP Bhandara, who has passed away. Thank you Mr. Bhandara, for many a lovely op-ed, speeches in the National Assembly that made the faces of the NA members turn red, for ensuring the gift of Murree Brewery continued, and most important of all, passing […]
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I’ve been meaning to write about this book earlier, considered I skipped out of the office early to buy this book and proceeded to read it at record speed, but there would have to be electricity in order for me to use my beloved desktop computer.Nevertheless, A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammad Hanif [who […]
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Is it only me, or is the President of Pakistan’s website redirecting surfers to the ISPR website?
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By Baithak.Net
I think the cafe down the road knows we’re under a lot of stress, as this is the paratha he served me and two other colleagues this morning. Or maybe this was a hidden message from the powers that be. Maybe they are all ISI agents, who are waiting for the right moment to drug […]
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WANTEDA President for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.Requirement: Must not have the power to dissolve anything, not even aspirins in water.Interested candidates can send in their resumes to Zardari House, Islamabad. Please CC resume to White House, Washington D.C.
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Umar besud katt rahi hai FaizKaash afshaan-e-raaz hojaye-Faiz Ahmed FaizIs it only me, or has everyone else just about had it with the ambiguity and uncertainty in the country? I’d like to think so, because only then would it make perfect sense for my doctor to be A-okay with prescribing me a heavy dose of […]
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Every time I try to write something here, I find myself at a loss for words. I am tired, and beyond despondent. It is perhaps the weariness I feel every time I watch a press conference, or read the newspapers. I laugh at the cliches, and the conspiracy theories. I have no words left to […]
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I’ve been meaning to post this for a week now, never got around to it.The End of Another Fairytale-Ayaz AmirWhat a nation, born amidst one fairytale — that this was going to be a country dedicated to the greater glory of Islam — and thriving forever on other fairytales.One of the most beguiling fairytales of […]
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Good evening ladies and gentlemen, you’re watching your computer screen, and these are the headlines.*Play instantly addictive theme music*The leaders of two major Pakistani political parties cannot come to a decision regarding the restoration of the judiciary, hence further negotiations have been suspended. The decision will now be made by the political leader who wins […]
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I met Shahnaz today. She’s 30 years old, has 5 children, and has been married for nearly 15 years now. Her husband, her husband’s uncle and her brother-in-law, beat her, fractured her leg, shaved off her hair and her eyebrows. They then locked her up in the house for 10 days, allowing only a doctor […]
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I find it hilarious, and simultaneously quite insulting, that Pakistan will be paid a democracy dividend upto 1 billion dollars in a new U.S aid plan, labelled ‘a reward for holding peaceful elections and forming a coalition government’. Sigh, Uncle Sam now needs to reward us for barely doing a job right, and that too […]
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I know I already have the Timeline 2007 page up, but for an appalling reminder of what 2007 was like, here are some facts and figures from the HRCP annual report: State of Human Rights in 2007:In March, 6,000 out of Karachi’s total 29,000 police were guarding the city’s ‘elite’.At least 927 people were killed […]
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From Ayaz Amir’s column in The News today:Charged times give birth to desperate actions. The roughing up of Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Dr Sher Afgan Niazi are pointers to the public mood. Anyone associated with the Musharraf regime becomes a legitimate target of public wrath. And public wrath, almost by definition, carries within it the […]
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By Baithak.Net
Karachi BurningView from I.I. Chundrigar after riots break out at M.A. Jinnah Road, KarachiOriginally uploaded by atrophying
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