Bharat Rakshak

Attacks on women
Sir: I am just an ordinary girl who does not understand the laws and regulations of my country [India] but I need to be heard today. I live away from my house to pursue my education and I do not feel safe. It is not just me but every woman I know that is scared to be a victim of this newly terrorising word ‘rape’. Referring to the gang rape case that occurred on December 16, 2012 in Delhi, which created a hurricane of protests and agitations all around the country, all female citizens had huge expectations from this particular case, hoping that it would create a revolution and lead to women feeling safe and being able to breathe with freedom again. That has clearly not happened. Every day when I open the newspaper, there is at least one piece of news to scare us about how our country is not a safe place to live anymore. These are just those voices that reach the media. There are many that are never heard. It is shameful that we are facing such a situation. All we can do is hope. I am looking forward to some strong steps by the Modi government in this regard.
AREEBA NISAR

Sir: My maid did everything she could to gather dowry for her daughter’s marriage. She wished to make her daughter’s in-laws contented and satisfied, yet after the marriage her daughter was being bad mouthed by her greedy in-laws. This continuous bad mouthing eventually led the young girl to commit suicide. I have shared only one case but I am sure there are scores of such occurrences happening in our society, which highlights a prevailing social disease, i.e. dowry. Not that our poor people are the only victims of this sickness, it is equally common amongst the educated and upper class families of our country. Sadly, if women are unable to produce a massive dowry, many times they are simply rejected no matter how beautiful and well educated they are. It needs to be understood that it is not a matter of rejection only, rather, the consequences of these refusals lead to mental illnesses, trauma and self-loathing, at times strong enough to turn into suicidal cases. Moreover, women are beaten, stoned and are the usual victims of acid throwing in a culture that sees them as commodities. I consider this culture of dowry as a major crime. Strong actions must be taken by the government where laws should be implemented in order to minimise the dowry crisis against families that enforce this burden upon poor and helpless people. For our part, we should raise our voices against such social injustices through social networking sites, print and electronic media. Our personal lives are being modernised so why not our customs too.
ZEE NAZAR
Karachi

The Pakistani Taliban declared allegiance to Islamic State on Saturday and ordered militants across the region to help the Middle Eastern jihadist group in its campaign to set up a global Islamic caliphate.

Islamic State, which controls swathes of land in Syria and Iraq, has been making inroads into South Asia, which has traditionally been dominated by local Taliban insurgencies against both the Pakistan and Afghanistan governments.

The announcement comes after a September move by al-Qaida chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, to name former Taliban commander Asim Umar as the "emir" of a new South Asia branch of the network that masterminded the 2001 attacks on the United States.

Although there is little evidence of a firm alliance yet between IS and al-Qaida-linked Taliban commanders, IS activists have been spotted recently in the Pakistani city of Peshawar distributing pamphlets praising the group.

IS flags have also been seen at street rallies in Indian-administered Kashmir. The trend has been of growing concern to global powers struggling to keep up with the fast-changing nature of the international Islamist insurgency.

In a message marking the Muslim holy festival of Eid al-Adha, the Pakistani Taliban said they fully supported IS goals.

"Oh our brothers, we are proud of you in your victories. We are with you in your happiness and your sorrow," Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said in a statement sent to Reuters by email from an unknown location.

"In these troubled days, we call for your patience and stability, especially now that all your enemies are united against you. Please put all your rivalries behind you ...

"All Muslims in the world have great expectations of you ... We are with you, we will provide you with Mujahideen (fighters) and with every possible support."

The statement, released in Urdu, Pashto and Arabic, was sent after Islamic State militants beheaded British aid worker Alan Henning in a video posted on Friday, triggering condemnation by the British and US governments.

It also came despite recent speculation that the Taliban leadership, whose goal is to topple the government and set up a Sharia state, is actually wary of IS, which is driven by different ambitions that have little to do with South Asia.

The Pakistani Taliban, funded by local as well as foreign charity donations from wealthy supporters in the Gulf and elsewhere, operate separately from the Afghan insurgents of the same name, but are loosely aligned with them.

There are concerns about further turmoil in the region as most US-led foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan this year, with groups like the Haqqani network likely to exploit the security vacuum to strengthen their hold on Afghan regions.

The Haqqani network, despite being based in Pakistan, is narrowly focused on its insurgency in Afghanistan and has not commented on IS-related developments.

The Pakistani Taliban have been beset by bitter internal rivalries over the past year, with the influential Mehsud tribal faction of the group refusing to accept the authority of Mullah Fazlullah, who came to power in late 2013.

IS, in an effort to extend its global reach, could exploit these rivalries to its advantage, wading into a region ripe with fierce anti-western ideology and full of young unemployed men ready to take up guns and fight for Islam.

Meanwhile, an AFP report said that Pakistani authorities stopped the activists in the town of Chakothi near the LoC.
“We stopped them because we did not have any instruction by the ministry of foreign affairs or the government,” senior administration official in Chakothi Tehzeebun Nisa told AFP. “Around 300 people wanted to take relief goods to the LoC for supply to the Indian part. It’s a matter between two countries, so we stopped them,” she said.

sudhan wrote:Musharraf and his verbal diarrhea..

India should stop testing the patience of Paki Army

This fellow is a born liar. I bet this guy could beat every single lie detector and polygraph. An inborn gift for all pure landers. As one American diplomat put it: They are pathological liars. And Mush is their foremost specimen.

Only in Pak can a guy charged with Treason can go about spouting BS and get all sorts pf media coverage.

RCase wrote:^^^If only Indians had a large heart and magnanimously shared their space technology with Pakistan, then there would have been no controversy of sighting the moon for Eid. This only strengthens the hand of the extremists and now there are 3 EIDs in KP and tribal areas.

HONOLULU -- China and India are catapulting to the forefront of astronomy research with their decision to join as partners in a Hawaii telescope that will be the world's largest when it's built later this decade.hina and India will pay a share of the construction cost – expected to top $1 billion – for the Thirty Meter Telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea volcano. They will also have a share of the observation time.It's the first advanced telescope in which either nation has been a partner.he Thirty Meter Telescope's segmented primary mirror, which will be nearly 100 feet – or 30 meters – long, will give it nine times the light-collecting area of the largest optical telescopes in use today. Its images will also be three times sharper.G.C. Anupama, professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, said the largest telescope in India has a 2-meter mirror, though the nation is currently building one that will be 4 meters long."So it's a huge jump for us from the 4-meter to the 30-meter," Anupama said in a telephone interview from the sidelines of the advisory committee's meeting. "It definitely will take Indian astronomy to greater heights."The telescope, known as TMT, will be able to observe planets that orbit stars other than the sun and enable astronomers to watch new planets and stars being formed. It should also help scientists see some 13 billion light years away for a glimpse into the early years of the universe.

arun wrote:While India celebrates an astronomical high of sending the Mangalyaan orbiter to Mars, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan celebrates an astronomical high of thrice finding the same phase of moon within a single lunar cycle :

Moon-sighting controversy: Three Eids in K-P and tribal areas:

Express Tribune

Meanwhile whenever the topic of the scientific backwardness of the large majority of Mohammadden majority countries comes up, one inevitable hears laments by Mohammaddens of a slip back from the scientific highs which was claimed to have existed during that religions infancy.

JE Menon wrote:Don't know if this has been posted here before. Col. Ralph Peters vents on the Pak generals "scum sucking liars" - on mainstream TV believe it or not.

JE Menon wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GACVGxLzzeg

Don't know if this has been posted here before. Col. Ralph Peters vents on the Pak generals "scum sucking liars" - on mainstream TV believe it or not.

partha wrote:How Pakis tried to convert Brian Lara to Islam and failed.

These Pakis are beyond pathetic.

Admission: I did not love the movie (Vishal Bhardwaj's weakest in the trilogy). But I still will not advocate a boycott of the film. Nor subscribe to the vicious hate campaign let loose against the actors over assorted social media platforms.

"Hum hai, ki hum nahin?" sounded a bit too twee... even arrogant, as a take-off on the immortal "To be or not to be..." line. And that did it for me! Mind you, this wasn't even the worst line in the most-talked-about film of the year. But that's not what the protests are about. Their point is this: Bhardwaj has made a lop-sided film that projects the Indian Army in the worst possible light, seems sympathetic towards militants, glorifies terrorists, and ignores the 'other' picture (the pathetic plight and flight of Kashmiri pundits).

SSridhar wrote:

JE Menon wrote:Don't know if this has been posted here before. Col. Ralph Peters vents on the Pak generals "scum sucking liars" - on mainstream TV believe it or not.

Wow. First time I am seeing this. Tks, JEM.

CRamS wrote:AnujanJi, in that youtube video, Fair didi piles it on former amby Blackwill calling him a lunatic for siding with India, basically telling India to go for it. Whats her gripe with Blackwill?

CRamS wrote:Another flawed review (IMO) of Haider by Shobha De

http://www.ndtv.com/article/opinion/on- ... vie-602143

Admission: I did not love the movie (Vishal Bhardwaj's weakest in the trilogy). But I still will not advocate a boycott of the film. Nor subscribe to the vicious hate campaign let loose against the actors over assorted social media platforms.

"Hum hai, ki hum nahin?" sounded a bit too twee... even arrogant, as a take-off on the immortal "To be or not to be..." line. And that did it for me! Mind you, this wasn't even the worst line in the most-talked-about film of the year. But that's not what the protests are about. Their point is this: Bhardwaj has made a lop-sided film that projects the Indian Army in the worst possible light, seems sympathetic towards militants, glorifies terrorists, and ignores the 'other' picture (the pathetic plight and flight of Kashmiri pundits).

Wrong. What any movie about Kashmir ought to depict is the raw hatred, the raw contempt, the raw bigotry Kashmiri Muslims have for their Hindu brethren. I would like the Shoba De types to be as furious, as passionate in pointing out the omission of the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits by KMs, their continued collusion with Paki terrorists etc. And if Shoba Des do this with the same vigor they talk about Gujarat riots or Mumbai riots, then its an honest perspective about Kashmir.

JE Menon wrote: he says it casually, as if he almost takes it for granted. He didn't have to say it at all. The fact that he did, is indicative of something... just not sure what.

A local journalist, Yaqoob Shahzad, has been gunned down when he was sitting in a showroom in Hafizabad.

Unidentified assailants on Sunday afternoon sprayed him several bullets. The journalist received three bullets in his head and succumbed to injuries.

It is pertinent to mention here that just two days ago on Friday another journalist was murdered in the same area.

At least 12 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims sustained injuries during ritually stoning the devil, the last rite of Hajj in Mina, Saudi officials said.

The officials of Department of Saudi City Defence said that 12 Pakistanis were hit and wounded with pebbles from backside while performing Rami. The three pilgrims, who sustained minor injuries, have been discharged after receiving medical cure while nine others are still under treatment.

SSridhar wrote:

JE Menon wrote:Don't know if this has been posted here before. Col. Ralph Peters vents on the Pak generals "scum sucking liars" - on mainstream TV believe it or not.

Wow. First time I am seeing this. Tks, JEM.

Brad Goodman wrote:12 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims injured during Rami

At least 12 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims sustained injuries during ritually stoning the devil, the last rite of Hajj in Mina, Saudi officials said.

The officials of Department of Saudi City Defence said that 12 Pakistanis were hit and wounded with pebbles from backside while performing Rami. The three pilgrims, who sustained minor injuries, have been discharged after receiving medical cure while nine others are still under treatment.

RCase wrote:
Smashallah! Why stone some idol in ritual, when you can stone the real deal! Pakistanis need to check if they are pious enough, as clearly, allah is not insha-ing them.

Brad Goodman wrote:
12 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims injured during Rami
Quote:
At least 12 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims sustained injuries during ritually stoning the devil, the last rite of Hajj in Mina, Saudi officials said.

The officials of Department of Saudi City Defence said that 12 Pakistanis were hit and wounded with pebbles from backside while performing Rami. The three pilgrims, who sustained minor injuries, have been discharged after receiving medical cure while nine others are still under treatment.



Smashallah! Why stone some idol in ritual, when you can stone the real deal! Pakistanis need to check if they are pious enough, as clearly, allah is not insha-ing them.

PESHAWAR: Health officials confirmed eight more polio cases on Friday, pushing the total number of polio cases in Pakistan this year past the 200-mark and breaking the country’s 14-year-old record.

In 2000, Pakistan had reported 199 confirmed polio cases. With the new confirmations, the number of polio cases reported this year now stands at 202.

James B wrote:I'm the Dim's new bulb - her name Reham



Totally Wajib-ul-Qatal.