Dissent Today

11/07/2024

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the country’s telecommunication regulator, has released a public statement urging users to report “blasphemous” content shared by “atheists and miscreants” that they come across on social media. Human rights activists have criticized the notification, which comes weeks after a man in the northwestern district of Swat was lynched by a mob on allegations of blasphemy.

Read: https://dissenttoday.net/featured/pakistan-telecommunication-authority-encourages-social-media-users-to-report-blasphemous-content-singles-out-atheists/

23/06/2024

Will Donald Trump become the next president of the US despite his conviction in the hush money case? How are journalists managing coverage of Trump’s harsh statements?

Hear from former Reuters editor in chief Stephen Adler in this video:

youtube.com/watch?v=bmgmxV38Ycs&t=302s

In this episode of NWG, host Ailia Zehra sits down with Stephen J. Adler, Former Editor-in-Chief of Reuters. Adler discusses the challenges facing the former...

12/06/2024

“State agencies first abduct citizens and then without accounting for the period of illegal detention, rope them into FIRs. This is process as punishment to suppress dissent.” - writes lawyer Imaan Mazari on poet Ahmad Farhad’s disappearance

Weeks after the recent protests against the rising prices of wheat and electricity in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, several people of Kashmiri origin in various parts of Pakistan have faced intimidation and threats, according to Kashmiri activists. On May 15, at around 1 a.m., Kashmiri poet and jou...

04/02/2024

Afiya S Zia writes: “The recent sentencing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for contracting their marriage during the latter’s post-divorce Iddat period, has triggered political outrage. Khan is reported to have claimed that ‘this marks the first instance in history where a case related to iddat has been initiated’. Populists are not just skilled mythmakers – they’re often seduced by their own myths at the cost of political reasoning.”

Read:

This article is part of Dissent Today’s special series on Pakistan’s general elections. Follow the series here. The recent sentencing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, for contracting their marriage during the latter’s post-divorce Iddat period, has triggered polit...

02/02/2024

Ahmadis are placed on a supplementary “non-Muslim” list and thus subject to state sponsored discrimination. In 2002, when the joint electorate was restored through an executive order, the then military regime, which otherwise portrayed itself as the bastion of enlightened moderation, placed Ahmadis on this separate list, telling Ahmadis that this was a minor concession to the Mullahs. - writes Yasser Latif Hamdani

This article is part of Dissent Today’s special series on Pakistan’s general elections. Follow the series here. In theory, Pakistan is a federal parliamentary democracy, which elects its representatives through universal adult franchise. Joint electorates which were restored in 2002 mean that al...

28/01/2024

Starting today, we will be publishing a series of articles on Pakistan's upcoming elections. The first one is by journalist Marvi Sirmed about the credibility of the elections. Read:

This article is part of Dissent Today’s special series on Pakistan’s general elections. As Pakistan prepares for its general elections, the stage is set not only for a political showdown but also for a test of its democratic resilience. The omnipresent influence of the military establishment in ...

19/01/2024

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s calls to end hateful politics come at a time when the nation is deeply divided along political lines, with workers and supporters of mainstream political parties labeling each other as “traitors” and “anti-state.” In these polarizing times, Bilawal’s emphasis on the need to bring civility back to politics is a welcome development.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former Foreign Minister, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has reiterated the need for an end to the “politics of hatred and division.” Bilawal made these remarks at two rallies held by the PPP as election campaigning intensifies before the general elections sc...

09/01/2024

On Monday, the Senate Secretariat claimed that the bill seeking to criminalize enforced disappearances was not lost but rather sent back to the National Assembly after being approved by the Senate.

On Monday, the Senate Secretariat claimed that the bill seeking to criminalize enforced disappearances was not lost but rather sent back to the National Assembly after being approved by the Senate. This bill, known as the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021, was passed by the National Assembly on Nov...

06/01/2024

As Pakistan gears up for the general elections scheduled for February 8th, a sense of disillusionment and skepticism about the future prevails in the province of Balochistan. The people of Balochistan seem to have lost faith in the parliamentary system and the very representatives who are supposed to champion their cause. The province is grappling with the need for substantial change as its people lose trust in the political institutions of the country.

As Pakistan gears up for the general elections scheduled for February 8th, a sense of disillusionment and skepticism about the future prevails in the province of Balochistan. The people of Balochistan seem to have lost faith in the parliamentary system and the very representatives who are supposed t...

03/01/2024

Former MNA Mohsin Dawar’s vehicle was attacked by unknown gunmen while he was campaigning for the upcoming elections in the Tappi area of North Waziristan. Former Senator Afrasiab Khattak termed the attack an instance of "political engineering".

Read: https://dissenttoday.net/featured/former-lawmaker-mohsin-dawars-car-attacked-by-gunmen-during-election-campaign/

30/12/2023

Watch: Aasia Bibi, who fled to Canada in 2018 after spending 8 years in prison in Pakistan in a false blasphemy case, is seeking help as she faces financial challenges in exile. To donate, use this GoFundMe link created by journalist Ailia Zehra: https://gofund.me/158ec56a

30/12/2023

"The Baloch women and children have suffered unbearably from injustices, and the Pakistani State decided to inflict more pain on them in Islamabad, where they came in hope of redemption from their woes." - writes Mir Mohammad Talpur

Read: dissenttoday.net/opinion/the-la…

29/12/2023

Leaders from various civil society organizations, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, cautioned the government about the serious consequences that may arise from using excessive state force against activists.

Read more: tinyurl.com/dyy4ks2j

28/12/2023

Ramzan Mengal, an anti-Shia extremist figure and leader of sectarian outfit Ahle-Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat (ASWJ), is contesting for a National Assembly seat from Quetta in the upcoming general elections.

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/497ct2by

25/12/2023

Read:
https://dissenttoday.net/featured/unfazed-by-police-violence-mahrang-baloch-continues-to-lead-islamabad-protest-against-enforced-disappearances/

05/12/2023

According to PTM activists, the police opened fire at the vehicle carrying and his supporters in before arresting him.

Read: https://shorturl.at/jJQT3

03/12/2023

بلوچ وائس فار جسٹس نے تربت میں بالاچ بلوچ سمیت چار نوجوانوں کو جعلی مقابلے میں ماورائے عدالت قتل کرنے سمیت حالیہ واقعات کے حوالے سے اقوام متحدہ کے خصوصی نمائندے، ایمنسٹی انٹرنیشنل اور یورپی پارلیمنٹ کو خطوط لکھ کر جعلی مقابلے جیسے انسانیت سوز واقعات کی تدارک کے لئے اقدامات اٹھانے کی اپیل کی ہے۔

بلوچ وائس فار جسٹس نے تربت میں بالاچ بلوچ سمیت چار نوجوانوں کو جعلی مقابلے میں ماورائے عدالت قتل کرنے سمیت حالیہ واقعات کے حوالے سے اقوام متحدہ کے خصوصی نمائندے، ایم....

01/12/2023

While hearing a petition against the caretaker government’s decision to deport Afghan nationals from the country, Supreme Court judge Justice Ayesha A. Malik noted that Pakistan is signatory to the United Nations conventions protecting the rights of refugees. Read: https://dissenttoday.net/featured/supreme-court-finally-hears-petition-against-pakistans-forced-deportation-of-refugees/

21/11/2023

Among the clerics who were invited to for a meeting with COAS Munir last week was Ahmadi Ludhianvi, an extremist figure who heads the anti-Shia outfit ASWJ. Ludhianvi is on record inciting violence against ’s Shia community many times.

Read: https://dissenttoday.net/featured/extremist-anti-shia-cleric-attends-meeting-with-army-chief-asim-munir-at-ghq/

11/11/2023

Lawyer Moniza Kakar who is assisting refugees in Karachi, tells Dissent Today that most Afghans who have been kept in detention centers have valid documents and are legally permitted to stay in Pakistan. "Treating them in this manner is a violation of international law."

03/11/2023

Deaths resulting from uncovered manholes have become common in Karachi. At least 68 people were reportedly killed by these manholes in Karachi this year alone.

Read: https://dissenttoday.net/features/in-karachi-deadly-manholes-are-killing-children-as-authorities-shift-blame/

18/10/2023

In 1970, Pakistan’s former military dictator Zia-ul-Haq helped the Jordan king kill “more Palestinians in 11 days than Israel could kill in 20 years.” Zia-ul-Haq, who was then a Brigadier, led offensives alongside the Jordanian army that killed over 3,000 Palestinians in Jordan.

The ongoing bombing of Gaza by the Israeli army is generating strong reactions in Pakistan, but the Pakistan military’s involvement in the killings of Palestinians in 1970, during “Black September,” remains little known. In 1970, Pakistan’s former military dictator Zia-ul-Haq helped the Jord...

17/10/2023

The Gaza Strip’s inhabitants are increasingly desperate as Israeli air raids continue and a ground attack appears imminent. With homes demolished, hospitals struggling, and garbage accumulating, residents are in dire need of help.

The Gaza Strip’s inhabitants are increasingly desperate as Israeli air raids continue and a ground attack appears imminent. With homes demolished, hospitals struggling, and garbage accumulating, residents are in dire need of help. According to a report by Reuters, some individuals were seen diggin...

11/10/2023

"Many refugee families, including women and girls, have access to education in Pakistan. Deporting them to Afghanistan, where education for girls is banned, is not only inhumane but also contradicts Islamic values." - writes Dr Saleem Javed

For decades, Pakistan has been a sanctuary for Afghan refugees, earning international recognition and appreciation for its humanitarian efforts. However, a recent announcement from the interim government has sent shockwaves through the Afghan refugee community, threatening their lives, security, and...

10/10/2023

Former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed have been issued notices by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over their alleged violation of the Official Secrets Act.

Former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and ex-Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed have been issued notices by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over their alleged violation of the Official Secrets Act. The IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq issued the notices while hearing a petition filed by....

02/10/2023

Two graves belonging to members of the Ahmadi community at a graveyard in the Kasur district of Punjab were reportedly desecrated by extremist individuals on Saturday.

Two graves belonging to members of the Ahmadi community at a graveyard in the Kasur district of Punjab were reportedly desecrated by extremist individuals on Saturday. According to the community’s spokesperson, the incident took place at a cemetery in the Bhulair area of Kasur. In the statement, t...

27/09/2023

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has said it is considering withdrawing its petition calling on the Supreme Court to revisit the 2019 judgment against the 20-day sit-in by extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) held in Islamabad in 2017 wherein the court was highly critical of the agency’s role in the protest.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has said it is considering withdrawing its petition calling on the Supreme Court to revisit the 2019 judgment against the 20-day sit-in by extremist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) held in Islamabad in 2017 wherein the court was highly critical of the agency’s r...

21/09/2023

There has been a rise in cases of vandalisation of community's worship places in at the hands of extremist mobs as well as the police. Historian Ali Usman Qasmi contextualises this fresh wave of harassment of the persecuted community and how the law enables it.

17/09/2023

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is known for his bold judgements and clear views about upholding the rule of law, has taken oath as Pakistan’s new Chief Justice. President Alvi, who had in 2019 filed a presidential reference against him, administered the oath.

Read more: https://dissenttoday.net/featured/qazi-faez-isa-strong-proponent-of-rule-of-law-takes-oath-as-pakistans-chief-justice/

17/09/2023

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is known for his bold judgements and clear views about upholding the rule of law, has taken oath as Pakistan’s new Chief Justice. President Arif Alvi, who had in 2019 filed a presidential reference against him before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), administered oath to the new chief justice.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is known for his bold judgements and clear views about upholding the rule of law, has taken oath as Pakistan’s new Chief Justice. President Arif Alvi, who had in 2019 filed a presidential reference against him before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), administered oath ...