NY Times Documentary on Swat: “The War is Far from Over”

Yesterday, the NY Times posted a documentary by journalist Adam Ellick that chronicled the journey of a family who were displaced from their home in Mingora following the military offensive in Swat Valley, [click here to see Part I of the film, "Class Dismissed," released back in February]. The short film, entitled, “A Schoolgirl’s Odyssey,” [...]

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Redefining Success

There were a series of notable arrests this past weekend in Pakistan. On Sunday, media outlets reported that Shah Abdul Aziz, a former MP with the MMA, was detained in connection with the murder of Piotr Stanczak, a Polish engineer decapitated by Taliban militants in February. The AFP reported, “On July 16, Pakistani police arrested [...]

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The Question of Return

This past Thursday, Prime Minister Gilani announced that a “phased return home” for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Malakand Province will begin today, July 13. According to Dawn,

Speaking at a news conference at the PM house (his third in as many days) Mr. Gilani said the government had achieved the targets of military operation [...]

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New Poll Finds that Most Pakistanis View Taliban as Critical Threat

On Wednesday, the LA Times reported the most ridiculously absurd story about the Pakistani Taliban. According to the news agency, juice bars in Lahore have been bombed after claims by militants that they are “dens of immorality” because men and women can meet and talk to one another (oh my!). The LA Times wrote, “Attacks [...]

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Pakistan’s Military Offensive: What’s in a Name?

On Tuesday, news agencies cited a militant spokesman from Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s group in North Waziristan, who said they were “scrapping” their peace deal with the government because of U.S. drone strikes in the region. The Taliban faction had initially agreed to stay on the sidelines during the offensive against Baitullah Mehsud in neighboring South [...]

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Pakistan’s Rising Tide Against the Taliban

Despite news of violence continuing in Karachi, there was still a stream of positive news from Pakistan, particularly among Western media outlets. According to news agencies, hundreds of tribesmen got involved in the operation against the Taliban. The three-day offensive followed the bombing of a mosque Friday that killed 38 people in Upper Dir district. [...]

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Politicizing a Humanitarian Issue

According to UNHCR, the number of displaced people formally registered by local authorities since May 2 following the military’s offensive in Lower Dir, Buner, and Swat, has surpassed 1.7 million.  About 200,000 of this number are in camps, while the rest are staying with their families and friends or in schools and other [...]

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Lashkars Fight Against Taliban Expansion

On Friday, Dawn reported that tribesmen near Swat Valley are forming militias, or lashkars, to prevent the Taliban from expanding their influence in the region. Maj. Gen. Sajjad Ghani, who is leading the offensive in the upper part of Swat valley, told the news agency, “They are resolutely defending against the advance of the Taliban. [...]

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Text Your Donations for Pakistan’s Displaced

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the U.S. will provide $100 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Pakistan. Clinton, in the White House press briefing Tuesday, told reporters, “We face a common threat, a common challenge, and now a common task. We have seen an [...]

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The Realities of Pakistan’s Displaced – An Interview with Abdul Basit, HRF

As the military offensive in Pakistan continues, an increasing number of people from the country’s northwest are left displaced, a topic I have consistently covered on this blog, [see this past CHUP post]. According to the BBC News last Friday, “The total number of people internally displaced within Pakistan over the past 12 months has [...]

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