H a s a n s h e i k H

AIESEC Lahore is selecting the Leadership 2008-09 right now!

2008-01-05T19:38:00.001+05:00

EB confidencing has been done.. all of the 4 candidates were confidenced!! Wohoo

LCP Speeches are going on, Ali Syed and I myself are thru.. Adeel is inside right now. The voting will take place in another half an hour or so.. And AIESEC Lahore will have its LCP 2008-09 there after :)

My dream to travel..

2008-01-04T01:35:00.000+05:00

I have been thinking of going on world travel since my last globalization class.. for some wierd reason :S

I googled it.. found a sesky video.. have a look at it!

100 Most Beautiful Places Of The World - More amazing videos are a click away!

From Osama - Wall chalking woes and dreams of greater glory

2007-12-07T13:25:00.001+05:00

Dear all.

My sole gripe with the FIR is that surely I should be suspected of, even if
not actually capable of, greater imagination, style, effect and impact. Wall
chalking is rather demeaning an accusation and that too in a passive
capacity where I am merely egging others on. How very embarassing! Please
note that this is nothing but a crude attempt to ruin my hitherto reputation
for greater panache and to diminsh credibility of any future bravado. I
would request you all to not think of me any less due to this calculated
attempt to belittle and trivialize my humble attempts which have been
whittled down to insinuations of mere motivations leading to graffiti. I
promise much more satisfaction for the patient audience in future.

Highly amused and in solidarity
Osama. (With greater potential than wall chalking)
*** This Message Has Been Sent Using BlackBerry Internet Service from
Mobilink ***

-----Original Message-----
From: "Maryam Khan" <maryamk@lums.edu.pk>

Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2007 16:15:53
To:"'faculty'" < faculty@lums.edu.pk>, "'students'" <students@lums.edu.pk>,
"'staff'" < staff@lums.edu.pk>, <ra@lums.edu.pk>, <ta@lums.edu.pk>
Cc:"'Bilal Minto'" < bilalminto@gmail.com>
Subject: Contents of FIR

Dear All:

Attached are the contents of the FIR lodged against 3 current LUMS faculty
members and 2 students.

Best,

Maryam Khan
Department of Law & Policy
LUMS

----------------

From: Bilal Minto [mailto:bilalminto@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 4:14 PM
To: maryamk@lums.edu.pk
Subject:

FYI--- please forward to students council, students, faculty, alumni etc if
you think appropriate.

Roughly, the contents of the FIR against the LUMS people are these:

I (a police person) was present (on 10-11-07) with constable Azhar
Hussain in a car near Mc Donald's Y block for "gasht" when a "mukhbar e
khaas" (special informant) informed that some people were wall chalking on
the wall of the graveyard at Ghorra Chowk writing inappropriate things about
the government. When I reached Ghorra Chowk Mssrs Saad, and Flt Lt Umar with
others drove away in a car after wall chalking, whereas the country is under
emergency and wall chalking, banners, processions, public meetings are
banned. These accused namely Umar and Saad (and three unknown) did this on
the abetment of Professors: Rasul Bakhsh Raees, Osama Siddiq, Asim Sajjad
Akhtar and Farhat ul Haq and committed the offence of violating Section 144
(punishable by Section 188 Penal Code) and MPO 16 (Maintainence of Public
Order Ordinance). Case be registered and investigation be conducted.

Bilal Hasan Minto

Another voice that supports Judiciary

2007-11-18T03:00:00.001+05:00

Got this one from Emad's blog... loved it.

By Salman Ahmad

As the world watches, Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons, descends into political chaos, much attention has been given to two leaders competing for power – the current dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, and the media-savvy Benazir Bhutto. The White House, for the moment, appears to be backing Musharraf as its best bet in the so-called "war on terror," while the world media and the western liberal elite see Bhutto as a democratic savior for a country mired in Islamic fundamentalism.

Both fail to recognize the core of the problem that plagues Pakistani politics and society.l believe that without a strong and independent judiciary,Pakistan will be forever at the mercy of power grabbing dictators and politicians.Its the lack of oversight and institutional accountability which leads to the coups and counter coups and helps perpetuate a constant state of instability in the country.

As an artist and a social activist I have worked extensively with both Musharraf and Bhutto's governments on peace initiatives and social uplift themes before, and have been disillusioned by their lack of commitment and political will to get any real work done while spending most of their time in consolidating their power bases.

On several occasions after September 11th, I was invited to General Musharraf's house in Islamabad, and was surprised to see him even join me onstage in concert to help support a united national anti-extremist front. I,like many others of my generation,initially believed and supported his commitment to introduce a new era of "enlightened moderation" in Pakistan, a nation that was hijacked by religious fanatics during the American-backed military dictatorship of General Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s.

Unfortunately General Musharraf forgot that artists like myself are not seduced by presidential palaces or official praise. We had supported him for his promise of fighting extremism,bringing accountability into politics,opening up a free and independent media and reducing the immoral gap between Pakistan's rich and poor communities.No amount of political song and dance or governmental fear-mongering can make us look the other way while he imposes emergency rule,intimidates the media, dismantles the judiciary and muzzles any form of dissent against his flawed vision of democracy which is doomed to fail without the respect for civil institutions.

And yet Benazir Bhutto is no savior. The queen of hypocrisy and media manipulation, she has managed to hypnotize Western liberal classes with her false claims to represent progressive elements in the Muslim world. Ms. Bhutto is a charlatan and a false prophet of democracy. How can she insist on being a democrat while selfishly appointing herself life chairperson of the Pakistan people's party? Her years as Pakistan's prime minister witnessed staggering levels of corruption and billion-dollar graft that left even the most cynical Pakistanis speechless. Benazir's own niece and sister in law accuse her of conspiring to murder her own brother,Murtaza,who was becoming a thorn for her government and a real challenge to her power during her second term as prime minister.She continues to see Pakistan as her personal feudal fiefdom to be pillaged and plundered at will and threatens to bring back the rule of the gangster rather than the rule of law.

During the late nineties I recorded a song called "Accountability" along with a music video that satirized Pakistani politicians like Bhutto whose corruption scandals were being reported in international publications like The New York Times and Newsweek. Her government's response was to ban the music video and threaten my life. In the years since Bhutto fled the country to escape investigation of her family's corrupt activities, her greed to regain power has blinded her from the genuine struggle being waged by Pakistanis on behalf of true democracy. One of her own party members,the lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan, who won the case for the restoration of the Chief justice of the supreme court, still languishes in jail along with thousands of others while Benazir attends diplomatic receptions and makes speeches about freedom and liberty. Earlier this year,while lawyers and human rights activists faced injury and death for standing up to Musharraf's authoritarian regime, she was sipping lemonade on the sunny beaches of Dubai waiting for her go ahead from Washington.

So if neither the path of the military strongman nor the path of the feudal democrat serves the needs of Pakistan, what is an alternative model? The answer comes from within the genesis of Pakistan's freedom movement:One needs to only look at Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's struggle and sacrifice as a clear example of legal and political activism.Jinnah ,belonging to the Muslim middle class of India,was a strict constitutional lawyer,and an exellent blend of both Islamic and Western values of social justice.60 years on, the vast majority of Pakistanis still look back at him as being the best role model for Pakistani politics.Although secular in outlook he quoted his inspiration to be Prophet Muhammad,who he recalled as being the greatest law giver in history.Tenacious and uncorruptible to the core,Jinnah, sacrificed his life and property arguing the case for Pakistan and won independance from the British imperialists.The US and its allies need to unequivocally support civil society:the Pakistani supreme court judges, lawyers,journalists and human rights activists who are fighting to protect the rule of law.That in itself is the best weapon against the extremists and will also provide a safeguard against other adventurous leaders.

Shakespeare warned that the first instinct of a dictator is to "kill the lawyers." He was right. It is the lawyers and the Judiciary who are the hope and the future of Pakistan. Let's stand by their side and not surrender to the Pharoahs and the false prophets, whether they are clothed in a military uniform or a stylish Hermes scarf.

Salman Ahmad is the founder of the Pakistani rock band Junoon
and a UN goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS
www.junoon.com

Imran Khan's interview on Capital Talk - Must See

2007-11-18T02:50:00.000+05:00

Text of Emergency Proclamation by Musharaf

2007-11-17T19:05:00.001+05:00

Text of emergency proclamation

ISLAMABAD, Nov 3 (AFP): This is the full text of the proclamation of the emergency:

PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY

Whereas there is visible ascendancy in the activities of extremists and incidents of terrorist

attacks, including suicide bombings, IED explosions, rocket firing and bomb explosions and the

banding together of some militant groups have taken such activities to an unprecedented level of

violent intensity posing a grave threat to the life and property of the citizens of Pakistan.

Whereas there has also been a spate of attacks on state infrastructure and on law enforcement

agencies;

Whereas some members of the judiciary are working at cross purposes with the executive and

legislature in the fight against terrorism and extremism, thereby weakening the government and

the nation's resolve and diluting the efficacy of its actions to control this menace;

Whereas there has been increasing interference by some members of the judiciary in government

policy, adversely affecting economic growth, in particular;

Whereas constant interference in executive function, including but not limited to the control of

terrorist activity, economic policy, price controls, downsizing of corporations and urban planning,

has weakened the writ of the government; the police force has been completely demoralized and

is fast losing its efficacy to fight terrorism and Intelligence Agencies have been thwarted in their

activities and prevented from pursuing terrorists;

Whereas some hard core militants, extremists, terrorists and suicide bombers, who were arrested

and being investigated were ordered to be released.

The persons so released have subsequently been involved in heinous terrorist activities, resulting

in loss of human life an property. Militants across the country have, thus, been encouraged while

law enforcement agencies subdued;

Whereas some judges by overstepping the limits of judicial authority have taken over the

executive and legislative functions;

Whereas the Government is committed to the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law

and holds the superior judiciary in high esteem, it is nonetheless of paramount importance that

the honourable Judges confine the scope of their activity to the judicial function and not assume

charge of administrations;

Whereas an important constitutional institution, the Supreme Judicial Council, has been made

entirely irrelevant and non est by a recent order and judges have, thus, make themselves immune

from inquiry into their conduct and put themselves beyond accountability.

Whereas the humiliating treatment meted to government officials by some members of the

judiciary on a routine basis during court proceedings has demoralized the civil bureaucracy and

senior government functionaries, to avoid being harassed, prefer inaction;

Whereas the law and order situation in the country as well as the economy have been adversely

affected and trichotomy of powers eroded;

Whereas a situation has thus arisen where the government of the country cannot be carried on it

Accordance with the constitution and as the constitution provides no solution for this situation,

there is no way out except through emergent and extraordinary measures;

And whereas the situation has been reviewed in meetings with the Prime Minister, governors of

all Provinces, and with chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, chiefs of the armed forces, vicechief of army Staff and corps commanders of the Pakistan army;Now, therefore, in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings, I, General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the

Army Staff, proclaim emergency throughout Pakistan.

I hereby order and proclaim that the constitution of the Islamic republic of Pakistan shall remain in

abeyance.

This Proclamation shall come into force at once.

The biggest hope for Pakistan is now behind the bars!

2007-11-17T18:47:00.001+05:00

Imran Khan arrested...

Thanks to the members of IJT (Jamiat), the so called students, or the student wing of Jamaat e Islami... Or... the paid gangsters...

Imran Khan indeed got clean bowled this time around, but it doesn't mean he has lost the match... Even if he did lost this one, didn't he lose several before he eventually did win the world cup for Pakistan?

*Hope*

Geo ko Jeenay Do

2007-11-17T17:41:00.001+05:00

Andrew's Experience on BBC

2007-11-16T18:29:00.001+05:00

Andrew, a fellow AIESECer originally from the UK, currently interning in Karachi shares his experience on BBC...

People Like You

You are in: Cambridgeshire > Features > People Like You > Pakistan - the reality behind the State of Emergency

Andrew Webster

Pakistan - the reality behind the State of Emergency

By contributor Andrew Webster

Andrew, from St Neots, is living in Pakistan - a country officially in a State of Emergency. Writing from Karachi, he tells us what it's really like and says that the West's perception of the situation is very different to the reality...

If there is one thing I would say about living in Pakistan, it is 'expect the unexpected' and this was never more true than the moment I was told that General Musharraf had just placed Pakistan under a 'state of emergency'.

Situations like this are accompanied with great uncertainty. What does this mean? How is this possible? What is going to happen next? No answers seemed apparent to me, at least not in that moment. Such uncertainty is followed by panic, especially if you are a 23 year old British citizen newly settled in Pakistan. Am I in danger? Will I have to leave? What must my family be thinking?

President Musharraf

Looking for answers you check the news. However more panic sets in when you find that nearly all news channels have been suspended. This is a world alien to me, a world I had only ever read about in the newspaper, a world of social uncertainty and political rights abuse that is to be condemned and avoided at all costs. Many have asked what it is like to be in a country like Pakistan at such a time using words such as 'terrifying', 'unimaginable' and 'crazy'.

This is the reality...

Well I am sorry to have to tell you that this is the point at which I shatter your illusions. In the moments following my anxiety and initial panic I was immediately reassured by the Pakistani students with me.

Watch: Pakistan - the path to emergency (BBC News) >

Help playing audio/video

Although surprised by the decision of their president and uncertain of the future, they shared none of my anxiety, none of my fear and none of my panic. For them, this situation was bad especially for Pakistan's image, but it would resolve itself regardless of what they did and no matter what happened life would go on… and it has.

This is the reality of the situation and the reality I want to share. In a context where Pakistan is seen as a place to be feared, a place overrun by extremism and a place rife with corruption and political instability I hope to be able carve a slightly different picture, a picture which shows that front page news does not define a country or its people. But first I should explain who I am and why I am here...

Why choose Karachi?

I was brought up in St. Neots, Cambridgeshire where I attended Longsands College before moving on to study Political Science at the University of Birmingham. While at university I got involved with the world's largest student run organization AIESEC. AIESEC runs a leadership development programme in which students across 1400 universities based in 100 countries arrange internships for international graduates to gain work experience.

"Karachi is this random assortment of mess that seems to work"
Andrew Webster

While in Birmingham I helped organize internships for graduates from Kenya, Taiwan, China, USA and Poland and by the time I graduated the opportunity was available for me to do the same. So I chose a 12 month communications internship in a Karachi based financial services company. A strange choice for many, but it didn't feel so strange to me.

As someone who had studied politics and spent some time travelling I wanted to live in a country completely different to my own, a country that would challenge my opinions and beliefs every day and a country that was politically exciting. It has to be said that Pakistan ticked all the boxes and since arriving 3 months ago I have had the most eye opening experience of my life.

The culture shock...

For a start there was the initial shock, the shock of being in a country so diverse and so different to the UK. Everything is so structured in the UK, but Karachi is this random assortment of mess that seems to work. Although not charming to look at (or smell) it's character is dynamic, diverse and exciting. Cars drive wildly along the roads, beggars and hawkers aimlessly wander the streets, there are dirty cafes next to posh office blocks, and rickety old roads being driven on by fast Mercedes Benz.

The first thing I saw stepping out of the airport was a McDonalds, the western world's symbol of capitalism, the second thing I saw was a rickshaw - the Asian world's answer to inner city transport.

Karachi is a modern mix of commerce, culture and wealth. On the one hand you have multi-million pound businesses, rocking house parties complete with alcohol and more wealth than I could ever have imagined. On the other you have street children selling flowers, conservative Muslim households and poverty driven desperation shown by servants in the office and beggars on the street.

Karachi is a weird and wonderful mix, a place to be embraced rather than feared and a place I feel completely comfortable and safe to be in. My average day consists of a mixture of home comforts such as music, movies and fast food and foreign customs such as Islamic culture, electricity blackouts and scorching heat.

This isn't the Pakistan I imagined, the Pakistan I read about before I came. It is far more cosmopolitan, far more progressive and far friendlier than I could have ever imagined.

Suicide bomber

However, to say that the social situation has no effect on life here would be wrong. Three weeks ago a suicide bomb in Karachi killed 140 people and something like that can't be ignored. For the two days that followed there was this eerie feeling of fear and uncertainty on the streets.

But this was an example of the political situation being thrust onto the everyday man. In general people feel detached from the political games being played out in front of their eyes. It is not the general public that is protesting against the state of emergency, they see little point in comparison to the risk, but it is the lawyers, the party leaders and the journalists that are out on the streets.

I imagined the country splitting at the seams and a mass uprising when emergency was declared but this simply has not been the case despite how it may look on the television. And although this makes for a safer Pakistan, it is also a shame for Pakistan. Living in a country where people feel powerless against what their political leaders decide is depressing.

Democracy - it's about the people

At the moment the state of emergency is seen as the problem by the UK and USA, but it merely exemplifies a bigger problem, a problem that is not acknowledged by either the media or the UK government. Democracy isn't about an election, democracy is about confidence among the people that their opinion matters, that they have a stake in their country's future and that their rights are protected by something bigger than a president or prime minister. In the context of a state of emergency and a war on terror these basic principles seem to have been missed somewhere.

The development of these new perspectives has become central to my experience in Pakistan. I am very aware that the experiences I am having within the country are very different to the perception currently held in the UK which I think makes my opinion all the more important to share.

But as a general request I would say to you, try and look past the front page news and keep an open mind towards a country and culture that is not quite as alien to our own as we first might think. Because in all honesty as strange as it may sound, I can't think of a place I would rather be than Pakistan at the moment.

Andrew Webster, Karachi, 14th November 2007

Original Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/content/articles/2007/11/14/karachi_cambs_feature.shtml

Boston Protest Against Pakistan's Martial Law

2007-11-13T15:27:00.001+05:00

Feels great to hear names of some of the people I know from back in school who took part in this protest from Boston. I wonder how strong the power of speech is.. Keep it up!!

BOSTON NOV 10TH 2007
(BOSTON IS CONSIDERED THE CENTER OF EDUCATION)

Pakistani students from local universities and colleges held a very successful protest
rally at the Boston Commons. The rally was attended by about 200 people. The students had
the full support of Boston's Pakistani expatriate community. Boston area
Academicians,Lawyers and Physicians attended and spoke at the rally.

Students at Harvard, MIT and Bunker Hill Community College were among the key organizers
of the rally to protest the attack against the judiciary, curbs against the media and the
violance against lawyers, human right activists and students exercising their right of
peaceful protest.

Students from the Berklee college of music provided the percussion drums and synchronized
the chants of AZAADI( freedom) in a show of solidarity with the Students, Judiciary,
Journalists,Human Rights activists and Media in Pakistan.

Emerson college students were in full force with video footage and interviewing of the
crowd documenting the protest and the right for free speech and expression.

Wellesley college girls were in the forefront holding banners and led the "march of the
chain" in a symbolic message for the people of Pakistan who have been arrested and
brutalized for speaking out.

Brandies University students were accompanied by their Professor and program Director.
She spoke in support of the students who were at the rally and encouraged them to
exercise their rights of free speech and thought.

Also in attendance was a group of students from the university of Massachusetts and
Hamshire college at Amherst.

The chants and slogans on the posters included Azaadi (the Urdu word for freedom), free
our judiciary, lawyers, students, media and human rights activists, in addition to
"support the people not the dictator" and "help democracy end hypocrisy," which were
mainly aimed at the US government for its continued support of General Musharraf.

The event was addressed by students as well as professionals and activists in the Boston
area.

Saad Mustafa, a student at Bunker Hill Community college, made announcements during the
protest.

Aqil Sajjad, a Pakistani student at Harvard, highlighted the importance of an independent
judiciary for the people of Pakistan and also stressed that the war against terror can
not be won unless the country has a properly functioning judiciary commanding the respect
of the masses. He criticised the US policy of supporting dictators in the country and
said that the US had to decide whether it was with the people of Pakistan or with the
dictator.

Arooj Aftab, a Pakistani student at the Berklee college of music, spoke about how an
environment of state oppression was extremely detrimental to creativity and made it
difficult for artists like herself to operate.

Rabeel Warraich, a Pakistani student at MIT, discussed the impact of the present crisis
on the economy and how it was going to make life for the majority of Pakistanis living in
poverty even tougher.

Adaner Usmani, a Harvard student from Pakistan, linked the struggle of the Pakistani
people with similar causes in the rest of the world.

Physicians from Tufts University and Massachusetts General Hospital such as Dr. Fauzia
Afridi and Dr. Kimat Khattak addressed the students and highlighted the fact that most
of their generation had grown up in Pakistan, knowing only totalitarian regimes and

dictatorship in one form or another. They encouraged the youth of Pakistan to revive the

Student Movements of their country and to work for a change to wards democracy.

Dr. Khoso,son of Justice Khoso shared his family's ordeal and the hardship his father
had recently undergone along with the arrest of his two brothers.

Friends of South Asia were represented among others, by lawyers like Lubna Mahmood and
Supreme court Judge Dr. Aslam Khaki, who shared personal accounts of the brutalities
their colleagues are facing.

Poetry from Faiz, a prominent Pakistani poet, was elloquently sung by Mustafa Kamal Ahmed.

Representatives from the International Action Center and other Human Rights Activists
also addressed the crowd. Mr. Gabriel Camado spoke very eloquently and shared the
struggles of his people in South America.

Mary Najimi highlighted the support of the Arab American coalition for a US policy change
in South Asia and the middle east and promised to spread the message of solidarity
amongst the local communities.

Hassan Abbas was present and spoke to the media in favour of the Boston Students'
initiative and their message of support for the students in Pakistan.

The event was also attended by local groups like the Alliance for a Secular and
Democratic South Asia and officially endorsed by the Massachusetts chapter of the
National Lawyers Guild, which is also planning to hold a demonstration on Tuesday, Nov 14
at the state house in Boston.

A silent plea...

2007-11-13T15:16:00.001+05:00

An email i received couple of days back..

The past two days have been depressing, both here and around the
country. The air is beset with despondency, frustration, uncertainty and
doubt. With information sources in disarray, no one knows what to believe,
who to trust, what to think. It was to be expected and I will not lie; my
mind too has been overwhelmed with confusion. For that is exactly how the
oppressors want us to think. They want us to sink ever deeper into
cynicism, apathy and self-doubt. They want us to turn away while the
country bleeds, to lie listless while the fire consumes the heart and soul
of this abused nation.

It is in this frustration, in this dejection, that we must find our
strength. The strength to stand up and reclaim this nation from those who
have purged it of all that was whole and good. For, my friends, I fear we
may not have another chance; this country may not have another chance.

For decades, generations have stood by as this nation was exploited,
subverted, pillaged by its own leaders; Leaders who told us to sit quietly
while they bled the very soil of this land. We yearned for justice, for
peace, for development, for honesty and accountability, but received
little. Over the years, many of us lost faith in our own identity we
were no longer 'proud of being Pakistani'. Skepticism and cynicism became
inherent Pakistani traits. Our culture, our
traditions, we slowly lost touch with. Successive 14th August's passed
without a whimper; Pakistan, we felt, no longer belonged to any of us.

Today, at the most critical juncture that this country has seen in its
turbulent history for decades, we have an opportunity maybe our last
to change all of that. Today, we have the chance to salvage our
country's future, to save it from destruction, to save it from the very
apathy that threatens to devour it whole.

Why are we protesting, people ask me? To usher in another corrupt
politician? To open the doors for another dynastic arrangement that
exploits whatever's left of this tattered nation? What are we fighting
for?

To them, I extend one simple answer; we are fighting for Pakistan.

We are fighting because soon, there might not be anything left to
quarrel over. We are fighting for the country's future, a future where
people are socially and politically conscious, where injustice is not
complacently tolerated, where the masses are empowered and equal.
Where the most destitute denizens of society can seek the same justice as
its rulers. Where corrupt politicians do not dare steal from the nations
coffers. We are fighting for institutions that can ensure
this, for institutions that prevent the abuse of despotic and
political power, institutions that protect our rights. And unless that is
ensured, none of Pakistan's myriad of problems will be solved,
however much our Messianic General wishes us to think so. And yes, make no
mistake about it; we are fighting savage, unrestrained
oppression.

Yes, the fight will be long and hard. Along the way, it will be beset with
disappointment, with frustration and restlessness.

But, for once, I want being Pakistani to mean more for me than
cheering a cricket match victory, or mindlessly waving a green flag on the
14th of August. I want to 'be' this country, to feel one with it, to be
proud of it in all respects, to heal the wounds that decades of turmoil
have wrought upon its crumbling visage. And, in these darkest of times, I
pledge, as Allah is my witness, to do my utmost to make that happen.

And no, this fight does not end with the end of the martial law. This
fight continues until we can truly claim to have made a difference. Until
we have purged this country of all the anathemas that threaten its
survival; from military rule, to corruption, to inequality, to
intolerance, to terrorism, to socio-political apathy. Already, the social
consciousness of our countrymen is stirring. We have commenced on our
journey.

I am making a humble plea now, to anyone listening or reading, my
colleagues at LUMS, students, teachers, parents, Pakistanis. Please join
us. Please wake up and save this country. It is not the
responsibility of one individual; all of us have a part to play. If we let
this one opportunity slip us by, history and more importantly, God, may
not ever absolve us. We must act with the faith that courses through our
veins, with conviction in our beliefs and in the values that we are
fighting for. And we must move quickly, for our nation cannot sustain much
more. Collectively and substantively, we must
speak out and come out.

In Complete Unity.

May Allah bless us all.

Fatima Bhutto's Correspondence with LUMS

2007-11-12T18:39:00.001+05:00

Dear Students,

Please find below an email from Miss Fatima Bhutto (granddaughter of Zulfikar ALi
Bhutto, and Chairman of PPP (s) )for the students of LUMS.

Regards,

The Executive Council

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your email. Having read that the police surrounded LUMS this
past week on blogs online, I am very pleased to receive your
email - our thoughts have been with you and your fellow students at this
horrific time. Your bravery, in pursuing action against this
injustice, is very noble and inspires all the rest of us Pakistanis
watching this circus unfold at a distance.

I have always believed that the first step to enacting change, positive
change, is to raise our voices. Only by speaking out, by writing,
demonstrating, signing petitions, organizing can we truly speak truth to
power. The current situation poses a great danger to this country and to
our future. But of certain things we must be clear - demanding a return to
the Constitution is not enough. We must call for the restoration of the
1973 constitution. The time for short term solutions is over, they have
always betrayed us at the end. We need to restore the 1973 Constitution
because its amended versions only propagate the powers of the state over
the people. Power must not rest with the President, it must not be handed
to the Prime Minister - they have the same interests at the end. It must
be handed back to the rightful rulers of this country - the people.
Secondly, we know today that elections have been called. The time frame,
being extremely short, is intended to benefit the government and their
allies - they are after all the only forces with enough funds (and a
distinct lack of moral grounding) to manipulate the time table to their
own ends. They will bus people in to vote for their corrupt and
disingenuous candidates because they can afford to, they will bribe
polling agents and presiding officers with political favours, they will
use illegal and invalid ID cards to push the vote to their favour.

This we must fight. We do that by voting. By using our votes we deprive
this government and their cronies of stealing the election. We do fight by
volunteering, by organizing students to campaign or to work as polling
agents or to keep records or to write and tell the world what we are
facing. This is crucial. We cannot give them this election, they do not
deserve our complacency any longer.

Lastly, please let me know what I can do to help you - this is my
request. If there is any information you'd like to get out please
forward it on to me. I will forward you now an account from a lawyer in
Karachi who has written about living under this emergency,
information is key to our survival.

Keep your morale high, the fight is going to be a long one. We've got to
get rid of the old guard and they'll be stubborn about
surrendering. But time is on our side. We're the youth of this
country, our future is in our hands, not theirs.

In solidarity,

Fatima Bhutto

Updates from UK - 12th Nov

2007-11-12T18:34:00.001+05:00

Dear all,
Saturday's protest in front of Downing Street was the biggest so far
abroad, with 1,000 to 1,500 people present. Of these, about 200 were
Pakistani students from all the main institutions in England out of which
a considerable (and louder) part were LUMS alumni.
Apart from us, there were human rights activists, a strong contingent of
the Pakistani Diaspora, political parties (PPP, PML-N, PTI, MMA), and
British citizens (including lawyers and students).
We made it into the headlines of every single TV station, not only in the
UK, but also around Europe, North America, plus the international
channels.
I've met several LUMS alumni (all the way till MBA class of 93) that kept
on expressing that they have never been so proud of being linked with LUMS
as today and that is thanks to you!
Apart from this protest, the several events have happened since the 3rd of
November abroad were:

Seminars, talks, and demonstrations:
George Washington University, Harvard, IDS/Sussex, LSE, NYU, SOAS,
Stanford, Tufts, UPenn

Main protests abroad:
Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Den Hague, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles,
Manchester, New York, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and
Washington DC

I leave you with what we sang at the end of the protest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIsLhMIaqgg

Enjoy, keep the movement alive, don't get arrested, study hard for the
exams, and ask your colleagues to start cleaning their mailboxes.

Miguel

We will protest..

2007-11-11T12:05:00.001+05:00

Published front page NYTIMES

"Proud of you" - by Miguel

2007-11-10T11:58:00.001+05:00

Dear all,
You cannot imagine how proud we (the LUMS overseas community) are of you.
All the Pakistani newspapers are now talking about the reawakening of
students in Pakistan, the student movement, the end of student
depoliticisation.
Media across the UK and US are also mentioning students' protests.
And LUMS is at the forefront!
Yesterday Brasilian MP Fernando Gabeira called me to ask news of Pakistan.
He latter addressed the Brasilian parliament and mentioned the student
movement in Pakistan has now allied to the lawyers. LUMS has been
mentioned in Brasil!
A few senators have seconded Gabeira's views and they are going next week
to visit the Pakistani embassy in Brasilia.
Gabeira (especially for the CRD students) was one of the founding members
of PT and is now the head of the Green Party in Brasil. He is one of the
most respected politicians in Brasil. Senator Eduardo Suplicy (another
"big" political figure) is the one that together with Senator Heraclito
Fortes (president of the senate's foreign affairs) proposed to meet with
the Pakistani embassador and demand the end of emergency rule.
These Brasilian MPs and senators have asked me to send their regards and
solidarity to all students of LUMS.

Tomorrow we're staging a protest in front of Downing Street at 2 p.m
Hina Jilani, Jemima Khan, the "LUMS alumni network", students from all the
unis in the UK, Pakistani diaspora, the anti-War on Terror coalition, and
many others will join their voices to yours.

Keep the good work and don't get arrested!

In Portuguese:

"Caro Miguel;
Já estava preocupado com a situação do país. recebi uma comissnao de
deputados paquistaneses, logo após aquela invasão da mesquita. Falamos
inclusive sobre a possibilidade de enviarmos uma comissão para conhecer o
país. Isto foi antes da volta da Bhutto e também antes do estado de
emergencia. Fiz um discurso na reunião do Congresso,ontem, expressando
minha preocupação e pedindo que o Brasil também se manifeste na mesma
linha do secretário-geral da ONU. Junto com o presidente da Comissão de
Relações Exteriores do Senado, pretendo visitar a embaixada do Paquistão
esta semana.
Vamos continuar em contato. Desejo boa sorte a todos e contem com nossa
solidariedade, apesar do tema aqui soar muito distante, em função do
tamanho e dos problemas do país e também das crises na Venezuela, Bolivia
e Equador.
abraços
Fernando Gabeira"

LUMS Protest Video

2007-11-10T01:48:00.001+05:00

Message from Imran Khan for students

2007-11-10T01:36:00.000+05:00

Na Mera Pakistan Hai... Na tera Pakistan Hai...

2007-11-10T01:31:00.000+05:00

Yeh Uska Pakistan hai jo Sadr-e-Pakistan hai....

Tribute to Our Nation

2007-11-10T01:06:00.000+05:00

Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote this poem ages ago when our country was going through a similar turmoil as it is going through today...

Yale School of Law issues official statement on Paksitan's current situation

2007-11-08T22:01:00.001+05:00

http://www.law.yale.edu/news/5866.htm

HighCourt Protest Photos

2007-11-08T15:55:00.001+05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rizwan_quraishi/

American Law Teachers' Word on Emergency in Pakistan

2007-11-08T15:41:00.001+05:00

Society of American Law Teachers Statement Regarding the State of
Emergency in Pakistan
November 6, 2007

Contact: Eileen Kaufman, Touro Law Center , 631 761-7125

Tayyab Mahmud, Seattle University School of Law, 206 398-4148

The Society of American Law Teachers, the largest membership organization
of law professors in the United States , deplores and condemns the
abrogation of the Rule of Law in Pakistan . General Musharraf, in a
brazen attempt to perpetuate his own rule, has used his state apparatus to
disband the highest courts of the country. Thousands of lawyers,
journalists, judges, and human rights activists have been jailed. In many
cases families have no idea of the whereabouts of the detainees.

Among those detained is Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan, recipient of the 1999 Human Rights Award from
Human Rights First, and United Nations Special Rapporteur. She has been
placed under house arrest based on "credible information that [she] will
deliver inflammatory speeches for instigating the general public." A
detention order has also been issued for Hina Jilani, Jahangir's sister
who serves as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary
General for Human Rights Defenders.

Also arrested is Muneer Malik, a graduate of Santa Clara University School
of Law and the Immediate Past President of the Pakistani Supreme Court Bar
Association, known to be a conscientious, industrious lawyer dedicated to
the welfare of his country, and not in the least a threat to law and
order.

Aitzaz Ahsan, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, was
among hundreds of lawyers associated with the movement supporting judicial
independence to be arrested on November 4th. Some of these lawyers are in
police custody; others have reportedly been turned over to the military's
Inter Services Intelligence agency, which has a long history of employing
torture on political opponents.

The Supreme and High Court judges have been locked in their own homes.
Police have stormed into bar association gatherings and have manhandled
lawyers, some of them septuagenarian. TV stations have been blacked out
and police vans are carting off telecommunication equipment from private
TV stations.

The US must use all its influence and in no uncertain terms demand the
restoration of the Supreme Court status quo ante November 2, 2007. It
must demand the immediate release of and accounting for all persons who
have been jailed after the promulgation of the so-called emergency. It
should be recalled that President Musharraf removed the Chief Justice once
before and was forced to rescind his order because of the pressure of
lawyers within Pakistan as well as world opinion.

The Society of American Law Teachers joins with other human rights
organizations to call for President Musharraf to:

. immediately revoke Provisional Constitution Order # 1 of 2007;

. immediately release from detention and house arrest all those
detained after the declaration of a "state of emergency";

. immediately reinstate the Supreme Court and Provincial High Courts;

. hold fair and free general elections monitored by international
observers.

Eileen Kaufman

Tayyab Mahmud

SALT Co-Presidents

Hazel Weiser, Executive Director

Society of American Law Teachers -- SALT

Public Advocacy Center, Room 223

Touro Law Center

225 Eastview Drive

Central Islip, NY 11722

631.650.2310

www.saltlaw.org

Message from Student Action Committee @ LUMS

2007-11-08T15:39:00.001+05:00

Dear All,

Please send in all the pictures and writeups you have on what happened
today. Email all that you have at " theemergencytimes@gmail.com". If you
have any friends at FAST who can give any details regarding the protest
their, please email it to us.

Regarding the pictures, please do not distribute the pictures which have
close ups of people. If you have any close ups of people, please blur
them. This is for the safety and security of everyone at LUMS.

Regards,

The Student Action Committee

2007-11-08T15:14:00.000+05:00

Updates from Miguel (LUMS Instructor) from UK

2007-11-08T15:12:00.001+05:00

Tuesday, 6th Nov 1 a.m.

It's 1 a.m. in Brighton, just arrived from London. The demonstration in
front of the high commission had about 200 people, with more than 10% LUMS
alumni from all the main universities in the UK.
All the main media was there. Gave them the news about what was happening
at LUMS and other places in Pakistan. I've told them to go inside the
universities to hear the voices.
Someone from CNN (he asked me not to be mentioned) told me to tell you to
(in his words) "flood our website with pictures, videos and reports of
what is happening there". Send them to I-Report at:
http://edition.cnn.com/exchange/ireports/toolkit/index.html
He said that CNN loves this "people reporting" and also that it's been
very difficult to get their reports out of Pakistan (BBC and NDTV also
said the same).
Send your videos and pics ad reports to them.
On another front we (in the UK) decided to ask all Pakistani political
parties why aren't they coming to the street - we are going to tell them
that we aren't going to the streets unless they set the example.
Next demonstration Wednesday in Birmingham, and we're planning to hold
demonstrations in front of No. 10 every Saturday.
Apparently the demonstration in New York was also quite good.
Keep the fight there, but don't go out and get arrested.
Miguel

LUMS Students' interview on CNN

2007-11-08T12:55:00.001+05:00

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/11/06/pakistan.irpt/index.html

Updates on the Current Situation from Lahore

2007-11-06T15:53:00.000+05:00

LUMS Faculty being arrested, something that ANY law in Pakistan fails to answer.. not even the PCO.

http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/.

Live video feed from GEO TV:

www.geo.tv

CNN covers protests at LUMS:

"CNN World News just broadcast a piece about the protest at LUMS complete
with photo coverage of the demonstration outside pdc and I think some
video clips of the protest march also. An interview about the protests by
LUMS students on and off campus was also broadcast.

We have made the international news. That's good - we have the attention
now and the role of the students is now also being noticed, along with the
lawyers and human rights activists. This should hopefully result in added
pressure on the administration. The Action Committee continues its efforts
to establish links with international TV stations."

Luminites PROTEST against the Imposition of Emergency/ Martial Law

2007-11-06T15:32:00.001+05:00

An account of LUMS students who staged a very well organized and peaceful protest but were met with brutality of our government!

Yesterday around 35 students and a couple of faculty members of this
university, on their own decision, went to the Lahore High Court(LHC) to
register their protest against the suspension of civil and political
liberties. For those who dont yet know about the proceedings here is a
synopsis.

After raising slogans against the current regime, more than a thousand
lawyers tried to move on to the mall road to protest. The police outside
the main gate baton charged the lawyers and tear gased them. Some lawyers
hurled back stones in retaliation. In response, a major tear gas-baton
charge operation took place which forced everyone to take refuge inside
buildings such as the cafeteria, bar hall, medical centre, and the
library.

The police, breaking all rules and laws, proceeded inside the LHC premises
and in a brutal assult broke into each and every building one by one,
breaking doors and windows, and beat up anyone they say including ladies
and elderly lawyers. Two of our students were kicked, slapped, and roughed
up during this operation. Despite Dr. Pervaiz Hassans insistance that the
police cannot enter into a medical facility no matter what, abusive
plainclothes and baton weilding police broke down the door and entered. Dr
Pervaiz Hassan was dragged out. The brave man was arrested defending the
seriously injured people inside.

Meanwhile most of the lums groups was inside a tiny room in the medical
centre after barely escaping baton charging fanatics by mere feets in the
bar hall. After arresting Dr. Pervaiz Hassan, the policemen broke down the
door to our room. After long protests, we were finally let out, forced to
raise our hands as if we were prisoners of war and led out while policemen
standing around threw verbal abuses at us. However, once the media got
hold of the fact that we were students, it created a weird buzz that
resulted in us standing on one side of the main gate. This happened
momments before all of us were loaded into vans with the lawyers.

The concessions given to us did not change the fact that many already
injured and bleading lawyers were being dragged and beaten brutaly infont
of our eyes even after being arrested. The police also hit an ex lady
judge of the high court on the head with a baton and then later did not
even let her treat it in the medical centre. According to conservatice
estimates more than half of the lawyers present were arrested.

It was a sad and shameful day for the country!

Heaven for AIESEC Videos

2007-10-26T01:51:00.001+05:00

What ay link...

www.aiesecvideos.com

After seeing some of these videos, my AIESEC blood sort of started to rush faster... I felt i still have soo much to do in AIESEC right when i was thinking of the last two years i've spent in this organization n was thinking how long this journey had been... There is a lot still left.

One thing, THE one thing, for which i'd become part of this organization is STILL unaccomplished.. :) to experience what the god damn ic05 promo video showed.. to taste that environment.. LoL

Anyways, i'm looking forward to post some crazy videos i've made in the last two years on this website.. Hopefully it'll be a good way people can know more abt @lhr and @pk.

Pink Ribbon and AIESEC Lahore...

2007-10-24T18:49:00.001+05:00

Pink Ribbon and AIESEC Lahore today have arranged a panel discussion for a noble social cause, awareness on the issue of Breast Cancel and how we as socially aware citizens can create a difference!?

"AIESEC in collaboration with Pink Ribbon is running a panel discussion on
breast cancer during the PINK RIBBON WEEK. The discussion will include
four panelists from different fields of work and will revolve around the
theme that why is raising awareness about the issue is so difficult in our
society.

Panel will include:
A Psychologist
An Anthropologist or a Sociologist
A Medical Expert ( Dr. Zeba Aziz)
National Coordinator - Pink Ribbon"

We may think we know a lot, but at times... we are badly mistaken.

Why do i plan to start blogging again?

2007-10-23T21:35:00.001+05:00

Thanks to Mr Emad, i was convinced to start blogging..

Why: Firstly because, as adeel hasan mentions on his blog that firstly, this is the "in" thing!
Secondly, one does stay connected with one's network! n yes, there are ppl around us
who'd like to know what's happening with us in our lives..

More coming up soon..

After hibernation..

2007-10-05T06:05:00.001+05:00

Another attempt to step back in the world of blogging...

A lot of to say and write.. cant put it all in words...

thinking...

finals

2007-02-21T04:43:00.000+05:00