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Sunday, October 25, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
ENVIRONMENT-PAKISTAN: Relief for Flood Victims – Too Little, Too Late
''Our stuff is already packed and we’re ready to evacuate," said Allah Rakha,50, at a mobile medical camp set up on the Main Nara Valley (MNV) embankment which is, miraculously, still standing up to rainy weeather and pressure from flood waters.PAKISTAN: After Red Mosque Raid Gov't Confronts Taliban
Pro-Taliban rebels operating close to the Afghan border have, through a series of suicide bomber attacks on security forces over the weekend causing some 80 deaths, signalled the end of a peace deal with the government and determination to avenge the Jul. 10-11 army raid on the radical Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) in Islamabad.PAKISTAN: Troops Storm Red Mosque, Musharraf Tightens Grip
Pakistan's security forces stormed the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) Tuesday in Islamabad to flush out armed militants barricaded within the complex, a move that will likely help President Gen. Pervez Musharraf deflect international criticism that he has not been doing enough to contain the Taliban on this side of the Afghan border.DEVELOPMENT: NGOs Demand Human Rights Approach to Poverty
A major civil society meet here was clear on what has been missing so far in the development dialogue - a ‘human rights approach’ to poverty and hunger.DEVELOPMENT: Can Growth Ever Be Pro-Poor?
‘Pro-poor Growth’ sounded impressive as the title for a plenary at a major civil society meet here, but after the idea was explored, toyed with, taken apart and viewed from every possible angle it seemed as distant as ever from addressing poverty in the world.DEVELOPMENT: Civil Society – Window Dressing For the UN?
Is global governance the sole domain of governments or are they willing to share what has traditionally been their preserve? Has civil society finally inched its way into the United Nations system and made its presence felt?ENVIRONMENT-SOUTH ASIA: Clearing World’s Highest Battlefield – No Easy Job
''It's not going to be easy, but cleaning up the Siachen glacier is not an impossible task. But, for a start, both (Indian and Pakistani) militaries have to make up their minds to do so," says Aisha Khan, a mountain trekker and environmentalist.PAKISTAN: Cleric Turns Heat on NGOs
''These foreign agents are against our religion. How can we allow them to work here when we know they come with an American agenda and support Israel?" asked Maulana Fazalullah, the pro-Taliban cleric, referring to non-governmental organisations (NGOs).PAKISTAN: Despite Odds Village Girls Get an Education
Shumaila is sitting for her school certificate exam this month. But that does not relieve her from daily chores that include tending to dozen or so head of cattle.PAKISTAN: Karachi Allowed to Burn, Say Residents
"Pervez Musharraf should apologise to the nation for what happened in Karachi," says a fragile, 81-year-old Yusufali, angrily referring to a rash of ethnic violence which left 45 people dead and more than 150 others injured over the weekend.DEATH PENALTY: Freed Briton Urges Pakistan to End Executions
"Many think I escaped the noose because of my nationality. That may be so, but if you ask me, I got a new lease of life because God meant me to live."DEVELOPMENT-PAKISTAN: Expressway to Concrete Paradise
City mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal believes that the answer to this port city's many woes lies in constructing a 24 km elevated expressway at a cost of 225 million US dollars.PAKISTAN: Military Ruler ‘Floored’ by Burqa Brigade
For a tough military ruler, who in recent weeks removed the chief justice from office and allowed police raids on leading newspapers, Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf appears curiously paralysed by roving bands of the ‘burqa brigade' - veiled female religious scholars armed with sticks and ready to enforce Shariah (Islamic law).WORLD HEALTH DAY-PAKISTAN: Anti-Polio Drive Hits Resistance
''After climbing up several flights of stairs, sometimes seven or even more, our teams may be told brusquely, that the child is asleep and they should come later," says Seemi Fatema, one many health workers in this city charged with administering polio vaccine drops to under-five children.PAKISTAN: Media in General’s Crosshairs
After enjoying relative freedom under the eight-year-old regime of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, independent media groups are suddenly finding themselves in a hostile environment marked by raids and denial of government advertisements.PAKISTAN: Media in General’s Crosshairs
After enjoying relative freedom under the eight-year-old regime of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, independent media groups are suddenly finding themselves in a hostile environment marked by raids and denial of government advertisements.DEATH PENALTY-PAKISTAN: A Jail Superintendent’s Aversion
Superintendent Nusrat Hussain Mangan of the central jail in the southern port city of Karachi considers himself fortunate that he has never had to witness a man being hanged.PAKISTAN: Deserted Women’s Help Centres Speak of Apathy
Climbing up the flight of rickety wooden stairs leading to the two-room government women's centre in this southern port city can be frustrating. The deserted look reveals a lack of interest in women's issues, even among the people's representatives.PAKISTAN: NGOs Balk at Gov’t Prescribed Code of Conduct
Non-government organisations (NGOs) are bristling at a government proposal to impose a ‘code of conduct' on them that will put their activities under close scrutiny and, if found wanting, allow their funds to be frozen.HEALTH-PAKISTAN: Porous Afghan Border Thwarts Anti-Polio Drive
Pakistan has intensified efforts to eradicate the polio virus with a new vaccination drive that targets 12 high-risk districts in southern Sindh province where three new cases were reported recently, bringing the total number of polio incidents countrywide to four since the start of the year.DEATH PENALTY-PAKISTAN: Too Many Dubious Convictions Say Activists
The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights have called for an immediate moratorium on death penalties in Pakistan - or many innocent people may be executed.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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