M WAQAR.....
"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary.Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."
--Albert Einstein !!!
NEWS,ARTICLES,EDITORIALS,MUSIC... Ze chi pe mayeen yum da agha pukhtunistan de.....(Liberal,Progressive,Secular World.)''Secularism is not against religion; it is the message of humanity.''
تل ده وی پثتونستآن
No, she wouldn't. I've never doubted & always known I was the most important part of her life. Now as a mom I'm even more grateful to my mom
Chelsea Clinton fired back at a Fox News host on Saturday who said that her mom, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, would “literally sell her daughter” to be president.
On Fox News’ “The Five,” contributor Lisa Boothe called Hillary Clinton “the most soulless woman on the planet.”
“[She] would literally sell her daughter to be president, literally sell her only child to be president,” she said.
Chelsea Clinton fired back at Boothe in a tweet Saturday, saying she’s “never doubted” she was the most important part of her mom’s life.
“No, she wouldn't. I've never doubted & always known I was the most important part of her life,” Chelsea Clinton said. “Now as a mom I'm even more grateful to my mom.”
Chelsea Clinton has frequently used her Twitter account in recent months to defend her mother, criticize President Trump and quash rumors that she’s running for public office.
The leader of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's Afghanistan affiliate has been killed in a US drone strike, the Pentagon said, marking the third time a year that the group has had its top leader killed.
US aircraft struck the headquarters of the group, known as Isil Khorasan or Isil-K, in the northeastern province of Kunar on Tuesday, the US military said.
The attack reportedly killed Abu Sayed, the group’s leader, and several other jihadists.
Both of Abu Sayed’s predecessors were killed in the last year. Hafiz Sayed Khan was blown up in drone strike in late July 2016, while Abdul Hasib was killed in by a joint US-Afghan special forces raid in April of this year.
"You kill a leader of one of these groups and it sets them back," said Jim Mattis, the US defence secretary. "It's obviously a victory on our side in terms of setting them back. It's the right direction."
Isil-K has claimed responsibility for a series of high-profile attacks in Afghanistan in the last two years. At least 49 people were killed when gunmen disguised as doctors attacked a military hospital in Kabul in March.
The group is believed to have only around 1,000 members but it has drawn the attention of the US, which is desperate not to allow the jihadists a firm foothold in Afghanistan.
In April, the US dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb, known sometimes as the Mother Of All Bombs (MOAB) on a tunnel complex allegedly used by the group. It is not clear the attack had much impact on the group’s operations.
“There is no sanctuary for their fighters in Afghanistan,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
The US is military is completing a review of US strategy in Afghanistan and is expected to publish its findings later this month.
Around 10,000 US troops are still in Afghanistan and Donald Trump has given the military authority to deploy 4,000 more if commanders feel they are necessary.
US generals have admitted in hearings before Congress that the 16-year is at a stalemate, where the US and its Afghan allies are unable to take and hold significant amounts of territory lost to the Taliban and other groups.
Being an atheist in Pakistan can be life-threatening. But behind closed doors, non-believers are getting together to support one another. How do they survive in a nation where blasphemy carries a death sentence?
Omar, named after one of Islam's most revered caliphs, has rejected the faith of his forefathers. He is one of the founding members of an online group - a meeting point for the atheists of Pakistan.
But even there he must stay on his guard. Members use fake identities.
"You have to be careful who you are befriending," he says.
One man contacted Omar to say he had visited his Facebook profile and printed out pictures of him with his family. "You cannot be safe," Omar says.
In Pakistan, posting about atheism online can have serious consequences.
Under a recently passed cyber-crime law, it is now illegal to post content online - even in a private forum - that could be deemed blasphemous.
The government took out adverts in national newspapers asking members of the public to report any content they believe could constitute blasphemy.
And the law is being enforced. In June this year, in the first case of its kind, Taimoor Raza was sentenced to death for posting blasphemous content on Facebook.
A Pakistani atheist's diary
"Zahir" is an online activist who uses social media to express atheist ideas and comment on Pakistani politics
"Dear diary, I've been through four Twitter accounts in one year now. The last one got blocked last night. It doesn't matter how vague my details are or if the pictures I use are generic. It's as if someone is watching me. Every time this happens I feel that I should just give up. They want to silence me."
As a result, atheists feel their ability to publicly question the existence of God is threatened.
Omar believes the government is at war with atheist bloggers. "A good friend of mine used to write against religious fundamentalism," he says.
"We used to run the [online] group together. I came to know he was very severely tortured. Once you are abducted, there is a high chance your body will come in a bag.
"The state is doing it deliberately, so those remaining get a sign that if you go beyond your limits you will also be facing things like this."
This year, six activists have reportedly been abducted after posting on forums that are pro-atheist and anti-government. One of those activists spoke to the BBC but does not want to be identified. He believes that Pakistan's intelligence service wants to stamp out not only criticism of Islam but also criticism of the state.
In his view, the government is trying to enforce the notion that a good citizen must be a good Muslim.
"Hamza" is a blogger and a founding member of an online atheist forum
"Dear diary. Some people have called it an arrest but it was an abduction. I was held for 28 days. They wouldn't identify themselves but I'm sure it was the military. There were eight days of torture and 20 days for healing. My whole body was black. They made me sign a statement that said I regretted what I and done and that I would not engage with political or religious blogging. And that my family could be target if I spoke to the media."
Pakistan is, this year, celebrating its 70th year of independence. Since 1956, it has been an Islamic republic. Many atheists feel the nation is more monolithic than ever before.
In recent years, they say, the Islamic faith has become more visible in public life. Saudi-style dress codes are increasingly enforced. Television evangelists shape pop culture and to be Pakistani is increasingly linked to being a devout Muslim.
Although atheism is not technically illegal in Pakistan, apostasy is deemed to be punishable by death in some interpretations of Islam. As a result, speaking publicly can be life-threatening.
Many Pakistani atheists meet at secret, invitation-only gatherings.
The Atheists of Lahore have monthly get-togethers in guarded buildings or private homes. One of those in attendance explains: "It's like a secret society. It's a bubble where we can talk. It's not all about Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris. We may just talk about how things are going. It's a place where you can let your hair down and truly be yourself."
At these meet-ups, atheists are predominantly affluent, English-speaking city-dwellers. Money does grant a degree of privilege and protection from those who are hostile towards godlessness. But many self-identified atheists also live in Pakistan's villages.
"Suhaib" recently graduated from university in Punjab
"Dear diary, this afternoon at university an acquaintance approached me and said: 'I want to have a debate with you. I heard you're an atheist.' It was an expression of disbelief, as if to ask: 'How do you function?' She wanted to know where I get my morals from. For her, morality comes from religion and without faith you can't be expected to have morals. Later that afternoon I text all my friends. 'Stop telling people I'm an atheist. I don't want to die.' I must learn that discretion is a good thing."
Zafer was once the muezzin, the man who recited the call to prayer at his village mosque. He used to pray five times a day and was a student of Islamic theology. When he got a job in IT and moved out of his family home, he found his views on religion had changed.
"My family noticed a shift. My mother thought someone had cast a spell on me. I was given holy water to drink and blessed food to eat. She thought it would break the spell.
"These days, I will go along to Friday prayers and celebrate Eid just as a social ritual. My family know I'm not a believer but they give me the space to be myself - as long as I'm not too vocal about being an atheist.
"If you're willing to do certain things - have etiquette, respect your parents and be appropriate in public - you can get away with being a disbeliever."
Find out more
Mobeen Azhar's documentary Diary of a Pakistani Atheist will be broadcast on BBC World Service's Heart and Soul on Friday 14 July at 13:32 BST and available to listen afterwards on iPlayer.
The Ministry of Information Technology declined my request for an interview, saying the campaign promoting the cyber-crime laws was "simply about raising awareness". They would not comment on the alleged abduction of online activists.
Kunwar Khuldune Shahid is a journalist who has documented the government's response to atheism in the public domain. He believes online atheist activists are being abducted by the government because challenging religion and challenging the state often go hand-in-hand.
"There are two holy cows in Pakistan," he says. "One is the army, the other is Islam. Any person challenging one of these holy cows would, more often than not, be talking about the other as well. The sites whose administrators were abducted were critical of the army and government policy, so blasphemy became a convenient tool.
"In one go, they simply silenced a wide array of critics."
Some of the names in the article have been changed to protect the identity of contributors.
Pakistani police say a Christian teenager has been detained on blasphemy charges for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Islam’s prophet Muhammad.
Umair Ahmed, a police officer in the town of Kharian in eastern Punjab province, said Saturday that the teenager, 16, was booked a day earlier and relocated for his safety. Ahmed said the youth was working at a local hospital.
Under Pakistan’s harsh blasphemy laws, anyone accused of insulting God, Islam or other religious figures can be sentenced to death.
Rights organizations say the law is often misused to settle personal scores.
Earlier this year, a university student was lynched in northwestern Pakistan for alleged blasphemy. The charges were later found to be baseless.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down in the wake of a damning JIT’s report regarding offshore properties of the ruling family.
In a message on Twitter, Bilawal defended his party’s demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sharif, saying that accountability was part of democracy.
“Accountability is part of democracy. We always supported democracy, not individuals. (we) believe in superiority of parliament & Rule of law,” he tweeted.
Nawaz Sharif must go, he added.
He said that “Go Nawaz Go” rallies in Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan by the PPP are just the beginning and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down before every Pakistani shows him the Red Card.
The PPP Chairman appreciated the PPP leaders and workers from South Punjab for launching the salvo against Nawaz Sharif and his coterie who have caused immense damage to the image of democracy and democratic credentials. “Nawaz and company has proved that politicians grown and groomed in dictator’s laps had joined politics for their ulterior motives instead of serving the nation and the country,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that resignation was the only way-out for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and asked him to stop weighing in other options of confrontations with the institutions to save his financial crimes and mega corruptions. “Is not this shocking that each family member of Nawaz Sharif fattened their assets by an average of 16.6 during a single and his second year 1991/92-1992/93 in the Prime Minister House as per the Panama JIT findings,” he pointed out.
PPP Chairman further said that Nawaz Sharif had himself promised that he would step down if any evidence comes out against him but now he is reluctant to fulfill his own words when a box full of evidences is made available to entire nation.
He said that PPP workers won’t stop Go Nawaz Go sloganeering and rallies across the country until Nawaz Sharif is forced to resign by the people of Pakistan.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appealed his Party and the masses to hold Go Nawaz Go rallies in each district headquarters and tell the outgoing Prime Minister that 200 million Pakistanis are up in protest against him and want him to go home without wasting any further time.
Major opposition parties including PPP, PTI, PML-Q and AML have urged the prime minister to step aside and let someone from his party become the leader of the house and complete his constitutional term.
PML-N has denounced the JIT’s report as a pack of lies, saying it will challenge the findings in the Supreme Court when it resumes the hearing on Monday.
Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that “Go Nawaz Go” rallies in Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan by the PPP are just the beginning and asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to step down before every Pakistani shows him the Red Card.
PPP Chairman appreciated the PPP leaders and workers from South Punjab for launching the salvo against Nawaz Sharif and his coterie who have caused immense damage to the image of democracy and democratic credentials. “Nawaz and company has proved that politicians grown and groomed in dictator’s laps had joined politics for their ulterior motives instead of serving the nation and the country,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that resignation was the only way-out for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and asked him to stop weighing in other options of confrontations with the institutions to save his financial crimes and mega corruptions. “Is not this shocking that each family member of Nawaz Sharif fattened their assets by an average of 16.6 during a single and his second year 1991/92-1992/93 in the Prime Minister House as per the Panama JIT findings,” he pointed out.
PPP Chairman further said that Nawaz Sharif had himself promised that he would step down if any evidence comes out against him but now he is reluctant to fulfill his own words when a box full of evidences is made available to entire nation.
He said that PPP workers won’t stop Go Nawaz Go sloganeering and rallies across the country until Nawaz Sharif is forced to resign by the people of Pakistan.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appealed his Party and the masses to hold Go Nawaz Go rallies in each district headquarters and tell the outgoing Prime Minister that 200 million Pakistanis are up in protest against him and want him to go home without wasting any further time.
Divisions appeared in the opposition’s ranks on Friday over their demand of seeking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation following the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report.
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Awami National Party (ANP) did not agree with their colleagues in the opposition while wishing to wait till the outcome of the Supreme Court’s verdict in this case.
The meeting of the combined opposition was held here at the Parliament House in the Chamber of Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and was attended by PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Opposition Leader in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan, MQM (Pakistan) Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Sirajul Haq, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, QWP leader Aftab Sherpao, ANP’s Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, AML’s Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and other representatives of the opposition parties.
Though all the major opposition parties were on the same page for demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation, but Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Ghulam Bilour did not agree to the demand and were of the opinion that they should wait till the outcome of the Supreme Court verdict on it.
The opposition decided to use the Senate where they are in majority to move a resolution for seeking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation. Talking to newsmen after the meeting of combined opposition, PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah said except the ANP and QWP, all opposition parties are committed to demanding Nawaz Sharif's resignation.
“The JIT has exposed three generations of the Sharif family, and the nation is demanding of the prime minister to resign,” he said. “Democracy should prevail and the PM should resign.” He said all the opposition parties are on the same page for the continuation of the democratic process and that was the reason we are calling for the resignation of the prime minister. He said we will stand by the Supreme Court whatever decision it gives in the case.
PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the opposition has authorised Khursheed Shah to call the NA session whenever he deems fit. He said our bone of contention is not with any party, but anyone against whom evidence is found should be sent home. “Democratic forces are united, and we will support all decisions of the Supreme Court,” he said.
Amir Jammat-e-Islami Senator Sirajul Haw said no one should be above the accountability, and we want accountability for all. “The ultrasound conducted by the JIT calls for the resignation of the prime minister,” he added.
Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that the opposition has shown today that we all want to preserve democracy in the country. MQM (Pakistan)’s Dr Farooq Sattar reiterated the opposition’s decision to support democracy.
Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Sherpao said that the ANP and QWP, however, want to wait the Supreme Court (SC) verdict before deciding on calling for the prime minister’s resignation. “We are agreed with the opposition on the other demands, including unconditional support for the Supreme Court,” he added.
The federal capital is awash with the rumors of rifts among rows of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after the Panama case JIT report was presented to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The rumors got added support after media reports that Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not attend Friday’s crucial meeting of the PML-N’s parliamentary party headed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The analysts said the interior minister’s absence presages further widening gap between him and the party.
However, senior anchorperson Nadeem Malik was of different opinion that Chaudhry Nisar will never part ways with the PML-N.
According to Nadeem Malik, Nisar has fairly good terms with Shehbaz Sharif and he had already thrice tendered resignations over differences with Nawaz Sharif.
However, it was Shehbaz Sharif who brought him round, he added.
Nisar used to toe a different and rather tough line that caused offence to PM Nawaz, he explained, adding, “Chaudhry Nisar will support the party’s stance at every step. However, it would be difficult for him to support PM’s children.”
Analyst Adnan Adil said Nisar Ali Khan is not pleased ever since the JIT report surfaced and the communication between him and the PM has ceased in the meantime.
He was of the view that Nisar’s absence gave rise to several doubts as it is in the air that he will either found his own party or join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
According to Adnan Adil, Chaudhry Nisar belongs to a Rajput family and there are a lot of other MNAs who hail from the same Rajput lineage.
He claimed Nisar may lead certain group of MNAs in the coming future that will deal a heavy blow to the PML-N.
Meantime, in a previous meeting of the federal cabinet, Chaudhry Nisar arrived late and left a little while afterwards before the moot was wrapped up.
The interior minister is on record to declare that he would be the first person to sever ties if the corruption charges against the Sharif family are proved right.
According to the inside story of the cabinet meeting held on Thursday to review the political situation arising after the JIT report, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar told Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that only a miracle can save you now, Dunya News reported on Friday.
Inside sources said that Ch Nisar during his dialogue with the Prime Minister complained that his sincere suggestions were always ignored. “I always gave you sincere suggestions but my suggestions were ignored,” Ch Nisar said to PM.
The Interior Minister who arrived late at the cabinet meeting also said that nobody could doubt his loyalty to the Prime Minister and the party. He also told PM that you and the party are facing difficulties due to bad suggestions and advices from some party members. “Only a miracle can save you now,” Ch Nisar said.
Ch Nisar also expressed his reservations over the way the legal team of the ruling party handled the Panama Papers case. He also criticised the speeches made by some ministers during which they used harsh words against certain institutions. He advised the PM to avoid confrontation with state institutions.
The Prime Minister in his reply to the Interior Minister said that he could have expressed his views in a private meeting. “I ve always encouraged you for your outspokenness and gave you due respect,” PM said.
I will give answers to your complains in a private meeting later, PM Nawaz said to the Interior Minister.
Sources further said that Ch Nisar walked out of the cabinet meeting when Federal Minister Rana Tanveer was delivering his speech.
The recent actions and movements of the powerful Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in the wake of financial scandal Sharif family is facing, has given credence to some widely held beliefs that he does not side with the stance of the ruling PML-N over the report of the joint investigation team (JIT).
Nisar has issued at least three clarifications-cum-rebuttals, during the last three days, against media reports about his movements and interactions with the party following the submission of the JIT report before the Supreme Court.
In the clarifications that Nisar has given he has failed to categorically state that he stands by the prime minister at this time of crisis the PML-N is facing and has failed to endorse the party’s point of view on the JIT report, a PML-N lawmaker said wishing anonymity.
The interior minister, on the other hand, has even rejected the report of a private TV channel about his remarks made in Thursday’s federal cabinet meeting.
The report said Nisar remarked in the cabinet meeting that he paid tributes to the prime minister for presenting himself for accountability.
“The [JIT] report has been submitted but the decision has yet to come. I hope and pray that you [PM] will be victorious [in the Supreme Court]. The credit of upholding transparency goes to our government,” the report said, quoting the minister.
Nisar immediately issued a rebuttal and said contents of the reports were contrary to what he said in the cabinet meeting and deplored over “incorrect reporting”.
A spokesperson of the interior ministry, while talking to The Nation said that he was not sure about the exact wording of the report the minister rebutted.
Though the dust over the remarks of Nisar in the cabinet meeting and his conspicuous behaviour had not settled, yet the political circles in the capital have began speculating over the increasing rifts between the minister and the party leadership when he did not appear in the parliamentary meeting of the party on Friday.
“The presence of all senior leaders of the party in the parliamentary party was a must as PM Nawaz Sharif and the party itself was facing one of the worst crises in its history,” said another PML-N leader.
However, the interior minister again issued a clarification, in a casual manner, about his non-participation in the party meeting.
“The minister did not participate in Friday’s party meeting because of personal commitments. And prior to this, he had not been attending a number of parliamentary party meetings,” said a spokesperson of the interior ministry.
He also said the minister would inform the media about his stance in the coming days.
The spokesperson also denied that neither the interior minister exchanged any hot words with anyone in the cabinet meeting nor staged a protest walkout.
Nisar, who had held a strong-worded press conference in April last year and defended the prime minister and his family when Panama Papers made revelations of their offshore wealth, has also remained absent from the political scene during the past 60 days, when the JIT was holding its investigations.
As a silent spectator, he only drove the cars of his old friend — Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar when both were making their way to appear before the JIT.
While the other senior ministers, including Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khawaja Saad Rafique, stepped out to defend his leader, Nisar remained invisible from the whole scene and did not defend his party leadership for a single moment.
Many within the ruling party are unhappy with the behaviour of the interior minister.
According to some insiders of the cabinet meeting, Nisar in his interaction with the prime minister only focussed on his loyalty with the party and negated the questions being raised in political and journalistic circles over his loyalty.
He said he was with the party since 1980s and no one could raise finger over his political loyalty.
Nisar also stressed the need for consultations to come out of the crisis.
“He [Nisar] had claimed in the cabinet meeting that he was even senior to Raja Zafarul Haq [Leader of the House in the Senate] in the party, and had made it clear that he was not in the race to become PM. But then he [Nisar] did not attend Friday’s meeting, this gives a wrong message to the opposition,” commented a senior PML-N lawmaker close to the Sharif family.
“If you [interior minister] have closed yourself in Punjab House, almost 1,000 yards from PM Office, then the claims of the loyalty have no significance and what is the need to issue clarifications at this critical time,” he added.
PML-N MNA from Sialkot District Syed Iftikharul Hassan avoided to talk about the absence of the interior minister in the parliamentary party’s meeting but added that there was no rift within the party as claimed by dissident leader Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa.
“The presence of PML-N lawmakers, in large number, in the parliamentary party is a proof of the claim that the party stood by Nawaz Sharif,” he said.
Hassan also denied the claims made by disgruntled Khosa that a forward bloc within the PML-N had emerged.
