War in FATA - The Marxist View

Let us begin from the first premise: What is the class character of the various forces that are in combat with each other? What are their aims? The position of the party of the proletariat must be clear; it can not consist of half-baked slogans, semi-support for one group and semi-support for the other—no it [...]

Celebrating Jalib: Main Nay Kaha

“Main Nay Kaha” is a satirical poem by the famous leftist poet Habib Jalib called “Musheer” (Advisor). Jalib wrote it in response to a conversation he had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship. It remains just as fresh and valid today.
This poem has been put to music by Laal (Shahram Azhar [...]

CMKP Condemns Bhutto’s Assassination

Karachi, Dec 29: Heinous horrified assassination of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, a most popular leader and former prime minister, has once against testified the magnitude of the tyrant savage system controlled by military establishment. What she fell prey to the suicide bombing and so-called Islamic militancy were the culmination of the politics of Islamisation and [...]

So will our fist strike again!

What horror the face of fascism creates!
They carry out their plans with knife-like precision.
Nothing matters to them.
To them, blood equals medals,
Slaughter is an act of heroism…
How hard it is to sing when I must sing of horror.
Horror which I am living,
Horror which I am dying.
So wrote Victor Jara in his immortal poem Estadio Chile, [...]

Who Assassinated Bhutto?

While there is no doubt that this question can only be dealt speculatively at present and a fair and thorough investigation is very necessary - something that the present regime is not capable to offer - I will only try to discuss what is already on the table.
Shortly after the assassination of the former Prime [...]

The Lost Leader

by Robert Browning (1812-1889)
[ This poem is a criticism of Wordsworth's sympathy for conservative ideals that he developed later in his life.
The following verses also encapsulate what the people of Pakistan may have for some of the political leaders - the likes of Benazir Bhutto - who, while ranting continuously about principles of sovereignty and [...]

Combating Religious Extremism II

In view of the criticisms that I received for my previous post with the same subject, I will try to elaborate on my meaning. It is difficult for me to reproduce the criticisms in this weblog due to their sizes, but they can be found here: from Hassan Nasir; and from Usman Ahsan. I have [...]

Combating Religious Extremism

The recent bombing in Karachi on October 19th, one the deadliest terrorist attacks which killed around 136 and injured 290, has led many young Pakistanis to think about the future of their country, and, more importantly, their responsibility in shaping the future of their people. Such questions being raised are all the more expected after [...]