The flooding in Pakistan this July has created a situation that still perplexes the government and the NGOs engaged in helping millions of displaced people. Eight weeks on, the emergency is far from over and people in Sindh still need to be airlifted to safe places where they can get food and shelter.

The stage is set for another round of confrontation between parliament and the judiciary over the constitutionality of the newly-passed 18th Amendment.

For some, politics may be like a game of chess that requires time, focus and a certain level of devotion.

But in Pakistan it is seen more like theatre, where action, comedy and tragedy are rolled into one for everyone to watch for free – though there are hidden costs.

Karachi’s reputation as a relatively safe city was shattered again as terrorists detonated two bombs and wreaked havoc on the conclusion of Ashura, a religious event observed by the Shias. A little over a month back another Ashura procession was bombed in the same city in an apparent attempt to fan sectarian violence.

The revelation by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates that notorious security firm Blackwater, now known as Xe, is operating in Pakistan did more harm to the sitting government than anything else. The media zeroed in on his admission and beamed across the country the previous statements of US and Pakistani officials denying Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan.
]]> pete@unitedwebdevelopment.co.uk (admin) Pakistan Blog Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0000 http://thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/blogs/pakistan-blog/216-will-obama-talk-to-the-grand-master-jedi.html http://thesamosa.co.uk/index.php/blogs/pakistan-blog/216-will-obama-talk-to-the-grand-master-jedi.html By Asif Akhtar

Slowly, the trend of diplomacy seems to be setting in on this "War on Terror", moving away from the gruesome Bush Doctrine that said so clearly "we don't negotiate with terrorists". Not only has the Obama Administration changed the original mission of eradicating all "Talibanised" elements, it seems to have instructed its Af and Pak counterparts to do the same.

You can easily spot the passenger vans engaged in headlong races on the busy roads of Lahore. The passengers, who aren’t strapped into their seats, swing at every twist and turn of these raucous roller-coaster rides, and must fight continuously to retain their balance and their seats.

The United States’ Transport Service Authority (TSA) has drafted a list of 14 “countries of interest” in the aftermath of the failed “underwear bomber” plot to blow up a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day. It seems airport security personnel around the world are on the lookout for weapons of mass destruction in people’s underwear (which may have its own implications of course).