What Does Pakistan’s Censorship Say About its Blasphemy Laws?
Pakistan has firm and strict regulations against blasphemy, requiring the death sentence in most cases.
Read MorePakistan has firm and strict regulations against blasphemy, requiring the death sentence in most cases.
Read MoreOn January 31,100 people were killed and more than 225 people were wounded in a suicide bombing attack at a mosque in Peshawar, a city located in Northwestern Pakistan.
Read MoreOn October 11, a school van driver was killed, and a student was injured in a shooting by an unidentified assailant in Mingora, a town in Pakistan’s Swat district. This act of violence sparked massive outrage and the largest protests in the district’s history, with more than 15,000 people attending, according to Al Jazeera, marking the sixth protest in almost 2 months.
Read MoreThe Taliban’s quick rise to power sparked “joy” and celebration amongst a variety of militant groups that admired the Taliban’s commitment to their ideological goals. The international community’s concerns that Afghanistan will become a safe haven for terrorist activity, as in the 2000s, remains steadfast.
Read MoreSince mid-June Pakistan has been devastated by floods with an estimated 1,400 dead, and over 30 million people displaced, according to The New York Times. The nation’s Minister of Finance, Miftah Ismail, estimates that there have been around $10 billion in damages caused by the flooding, however, others believe that there could be up to twice that amount and that the damages will only continue to rise, reports Al Jazeera.
Read MoreThroughout Pakistan, millions of people are reeling from the losses caused by historic floods which, according to Al Jazeera, have led to over 1,300 deaths. Additionally, over 33 million people have been left homeless due to the damages, and many are bracing for a lack of food as floods have swept across farmlands and destroyed crops.
Read MoreIn the midst of intense political turmoil, Pakistan’s parliament elected its new Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif on April 11, reports The New York Times. The new Prime Minister was voted in after the previous Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was ousted in a contentious no-confidence vote on April 10.
Read MoreOn February 24, Zahir Jaffer was sentenced to death by hanging for the 2021 high-profile rape and murder of Noor Muqaddam in Pakistan, reports The Guardian. The killing of Muqaddam has been front page news in Pakistan since its occurrence, due to the upper-class status of both individuals. Muqaddam, the daughter of former Pakistan diplomat Shakaut Ali Muqaddam, and Jaffer, the son of one of the wealthiest industrial families in Pakistan, had known each other for most of their lives, as they had grown up in high society with the same circle of friends, reports BBC News.
Read MoreSalami tactics, or conquering an enemy piece-by-piece, is a well-known strategy in international relations used to overcome opposition and weaken enemy states. The People’s Republic of China and India faced tensions earlier this year in what was their second faceoff since 2020. In May 2020, a clash between the troops of both countries along the Sino-Indian border resulted from India’s infrastructure plan in the bordering region near Ladakh. Both the countries engaged in cross-border-firing on September 7, 2020, the first time in 45 years.
Read MoreBoth India and Pakistan have characterized the residents of Kashmir as pawns in their never-ending political and religious games of chess. Kashmiri women, in particular, bear the brunt of the conflict’s consequences. Among other things, they are subjected to sexual violence with little recourse for justice, and the battle for national and religious superiority in the region only worsens the physical impact on women.
Read More