Human Rights Groups Slam Sharif

thanks for the article and for highlighting the main issues with yet another tragic farce.

does anyone know what the status is of the damned, oops, i mean holy ammendment? is it likely to make it?

by the way, there is an interesting and somewhat related (to `islamic law`) article on www.sangat.org august issue by asghar ali engineer.

Re: Shahbaz

No offense intended, but Qazi Hussain Ahmed is not the founder of the Jamaat-e-Islami. thoguht id get the facts right :)

The Jamaat was founded in 1941 by 75 individuals, Maulana Abul`Ala Maududi was elected the Ameer of the party.. a position he had till 1972. When Mian Tufail Muhammad took over and kept the position till 1987. When Qazi Hussain Ahmed took over.

It would be interesting to note that several founder members of the Jamaat parted ways since Qazi Hussain ahmed took over. The original spirit of the party was buried by this lunatic.

So from a point of view your statement is correct ... Qazi Hussain Ahmed IS the founder of the `New Improved Jamaat-e-Islami .... with wings`

Most discussion following this reprehensible law has somehow completely marginalized local bodies of power in Pakistan. Haven t we learned anything from the likes of Ehrar s in the stream of 1930 s Punjabi politics? It is the stance of the larger group to control or limit the threat created by the many small religious fractions. And reversibly, it is also the composition of local bodies that provides the chemistry for this kind of control. Anyone interested should read David Gillmartin.

And I think it was inevitable. When Nawaz passed his first major bill against shadi-kay-khanay, not many reacted. Those against it gave trivial economic reasons. What about his respect for our private boundaries? This intersection of the public and the private set the grounds for all that has followed. And our dear premier is really not bright enough to plan this all by himself. People like Mushahid Hussain instigated all such directives (whatever happened to the infamous Burqa Directive?).

And skipping the body of all other arguments, I insist Decentralization! Decentralization! Decentralization!

Regards,

Faisal

another reminder of the horrific state of affairs.living here makes everyone either a believer or an atheist..you can never be somewhere between the two. nawaz is just doing this to cover his lily white ass, but come judgement day we`ll all see the handprints where daddy spanks him when he`s bad. forgive me if i sound bitter, i`m just sick of watching this debacle and not being able to do anything about it as such.

thank you for putting all the pieces together and giving a voice to the opposition.

shandana

Thanks for bringing Ms. Sarwar`s works to Chowk. She`s a good journalist and one whose columns are amongst the few that make sense here in Pakistan. Looking forward to more!

Bina

It is absolutely horrific to watch another hoodlum cover his */#$///#@ in the name of Islam.

Mr. Sharif, please do what is necessary i.e. make sure nobody goes hungry before you worry about their morality. To worry about a how to be a good Muslim a Muslim must stay alive and that first requirement is not being taken care of in Pakistan.

Nicely narrated by the way.