Edwardes College Peshawar Not Satisfied with the Court Decision

Whereas conflict is plaguing many institutions in the country, education is not an exception. The race for career building has brought parents and guardians face to face with the challenge of getting their kids admitted to reputed institutes; sometimes leading to predicaments. The Edwardes College Peshawar stands as an example. Recently, the college dropped a student from its list of eligible candidates after the guy failed to appear before the college's admission committee. The student took offense and went to the court of law. After a while the court decided in favor of the student. But the decision was reckoned 'unfair' by the college authorities. Here is the story of the case: http://freebird.instablogs.com/entry/edwardes-college-peshawar-reckons-court-decision-as-incorrect/

Terror In Hangu - People Leaving the Town

That Hangu is not worth living anymore has been decided after two most brutal incidents shook the once peaceful town down to its core. In one incident, a former school teacher – later a lawyer by profession – named Nisar-ul-Haq was abducted and killed while in the other incident; firing was opened on children while they were being driven to their school in a vehicle in the morning (read the post at instablogs for the news).

People in Hangu have been confined to their houses out of terror; shops and schools remain closed, and the whole town is a dreary example of what terrorism can do to the lives of civilians. Many people, who had formerly decided not to leave the town, despite the continual sectarian violence, are now wrapping up their stuff and moving to the nearest big cities – Kohat and Peshawar. The act of inflicting terror by targeting children is the extreme example of irrationality, cruelty, and treachery that any living species on this earth ever exhibited. I can't help asking here: do humans really deserve to be called 'sapiens'?

Islamic Regulations Implemented in Malakand

At length, the war-torn valley of Swat has witnessed the first successful peace deal as Nizam-e-Adl, a form of the Islamic law called Shariat, has been implemented in the Malakand Division. The Nizam-e-Adl regulations were approved and officially implemented by the consent of the provincial government and the Islamic militants fighting in Swat for several years. The deal has elicited a mixed response from the people, political leaderships, and the internationally community. Read the complete story here: http://freebird.instablogs.com/entry/islamic-regulations-implemented-in-malakand-for-bringing-peace/

The general response of instablogs members to the news has been a disappointment over/caution against the newly implemented Nizam-e-Adl. But local people in Swat still hope that the deal will start the door of neotiating the conflict away. A feature video on the topic can be viewed here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh5l_mXypPs.

Veiling Eve: Imposing a Veil on Females

Stretched between western education and culture and fundamental Islamic circles, Pakistan is witnessing the tug-of-war between western temptation and fanatic fear. There is a war for the resources and one for shaping the abstract culture of the country. The latest episode of fundamentalism’s rise in the form of terrorist violence in Pakistan’s NWFP province and FATA has started to influence government officials including those of educational institutes of higher learning. My latest post Veiling Eve on instablogs created a buzz on the issue and comments came from diverse viewpoints of the site members. To read the post, follow the link http://freebird.instablogs.com/entry/veiling-eve-malakand-university-s-decision-to-impose-veil-on-female-students/.

On the other hand, the medical community recently went on a strike and refused to see hundreds of patients at three major hospitals in Peshawar. Our Global Report of January 05, 2008 is presented below, covering this and more stories.

Pak-Afghan Trade Agreement

Coming this month is a trade agreement between pakistan and Afghanistan that would lead to some duty-free (but still legal) trade between the two countries. However, the security situation along the border demands for effective measures on behalf of the government in order to prevent abuse and/or targetting of trade transactions by vicious elements. Here is the post on instablogs and the video on the issue follows.

Winter Rain Shows Up in Peshawar

Winter rain is the only means of clearing the air of a polluted Peshawar city and letting its citizens see scenes and things without the clouds of dust and smoke. At the same time, of course, it helps allergics and other people sensitive to dust, smoke, and other emanations. Here is my latest post on instablogs about the first rainfall of this winter. And do enjoy the video below on rainfall in Peshawar.

Eid Devoid of Joy

Another Eid ul Azha has passed without bringing much joy due to the security situatiions in Hangu. Many families have already moved out of the town on account of continual sectarian violnec and, mor eercently, terrorist attacks. Those who still inhabit the town, as mine, are more concerned about spending a safe day instaed of making the day a joyful adventure.

But some fun, albeit tragic, was brought to this Eid with the news of sacrifical animals teaching a lesson to thier human slaughterers. Here is my brief news post on Instablogs that mentions a few unusual vindictive events taking place this Eid: http://freebird.instablogs.com/entry/sacrificial-animal-fights-back/