by Aasim Sajjad Akhtar When Mashal Khan was brutally lynched four years ago, the Tehrik-e-Labbaik-Pakistan (TLP) was still a relatively new and unknown force. As we remember Mashal today, the TLP has dramatically become Pakistan’s most powerful Islamist group, with unmatched mobilizational capacity. TLP activists block roads in various cities of Punjab, Sindh and KP to protest detention of their …

By Asim Sajjad Akhtar BALOCHISTAN bleeds again. Yet another episode of gruesome brutality against Hazaras — coal miners no less — has brought yet another protest movement into existence. Yesterday it was the death of a Baloch daughter of the soil on foreign shores, tomorrow it will be a Pashtun man falling prey to the Taliban or their makers. Khurram …

 by Naveed Toshi The handsome and smart woke up late in the evening to meet the producer of Diriliş: Ertuğrul, the popular Turkish television series on the glory of the Ottoman Empire. IK was reportedly full of praise for the drama because it has depicted how Turkish Muslims made history by creating an empire fighting Mongols, Christian Byzantines and the …

Leaders of AWP, other parties have condemned the brutal murder of Professor Naeemuddin Khattak, a progressive academic in broad daylight in Peshawar and expressed solidarity with his family. AWP deputy secretary Ismat Shahjehan, Usman Gujjar, Sher Rehman, Sayed Alam offer condolences to Shahab Khattak on the tragic death of his elder brother Prof Naeemuddin Khattak. The noted teacher was shot …

Civil society organisations condemn video incitement to murder Herald Report Islamabad: Pakistan’s top judge on Thursday took notice of a video clip containing derogatory, and scandalous language against Justice Qazi Faez Isa and politicians. In the viral video, a man identified as Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza can be seen giving threats to the Supreme Court judge. “The [CJP] has taken notice …

The main hospital in Gilgit ransacked, medical staff manhandled by relatives of a corona patient who died at the hospital    Bureau Report GILGIT: The doctors and paramedical staff have demanded stern action against the persons who attacked the of Provincial Headquarter Hospital in the capital city of GB, ransacked the main health facility and damaged ambulance and other vehicles …

The suspects are said to be members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group   News Desk Germany has detained five suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group alleged to be planning an attack on US military facilities and an unidentified individual. Prosecutors said four of the suspects — all from Tajikistan — were arrested early on April …

by Aurangzaib Khan   https://twitter.com/i/status/1249731834294030339 Days before Mashal Khan’s death, his mother Syeda Bibi had a nightmare. She saw him standing by a tower about to collapse. It crashed, burying him alive. But this being a mother’s nightmare, the son rose up from beneath the concrete rubble, unscathed. She held him close and said, unbelievingly, “You’re alive?” seeking his confirmation …

Ismat Shahjehan, president Women Democratic Front holding Mashal Khan’s portrait and other activists at the Student Solidarity March at Islamabad on Friday.–Photo by PrSF by Waseem Altaf   Mashal Khan was my friend on Facebook and would often ask me to recommend him books for reading. He was lynched to death by a group of religious fanatics on this day …

Afghanistan has descended into a full-blown political crisis after the two main contenders in a bitterly disputed presidential election — each claiming victory — were sworn in as president in rival ceremonies. President Ashraf Ghani, the officially declared winner of the vote, was sworn in for a second term by the country’s chief justice in Kabul on March 9. Abdullah Abdullah, …

The peace deal was signed after 18 months of talks in Doha Sorin Furcoi Al Jazeera] Peace deal signed in Qatari capital, Doha, will pave the way for the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan within 14 months   Doha, Qatar: The US and the Taliban have signed a landmark peace agreement after nearly 20 years of war that could …

  RFE/RL   Four Islamic State (IS) extremists that Dushanbe is trying to extradite from Syria include Tajik militants linked to dozens of terrorist attacks and a notorious online propaganda campaign aimed at recruiting fighters to the IS. The Prosecutor-General’s Office in Dushanbe says Tajik authorities “have established” that Parviz Saidrahmonov and Tojiddin Nazarov are currently being held at “prisons …

The criticism of Western policy by the so-called free press within narrow bounds has subtle effect of imposing the hegemonic doctrine of imperialism, serves the western dominant intellectual culture and its institutions, says Prof Noam Chomsky

Dr Tetsu Nakamora was widely respected for his humanitarian work, who devoted his career to improving the lives of the poor Afghans

One may disagree with another’s point of view, but threatening violence or restricting the movement of anyone is criminal act unacceptable in a civilised society, says Umer Farooq while commenting on the attack and besieging of Dawn’s offices in Islamabad and Karachi.