Women not allowed to shop without male relativesAs reported in Daily Pakistan, the local Taliban threatened women shopping in the very busy Main Khel Bazaar in Kohat. Hand written letters threatened shopkeepers, saying that they shouldnÂ’t let women sit on the sofas in their shops. The letters also commanded women not to roam the bazaars without a mehram (male relative). The local police brushed these threats aside as a joke, not to be taken seriously.
KashmirisÂ’ struggle is for political freedom, not jihad
In an interview with Daily Pakistan magazine, Dr Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Qadri said that fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan was a jihad because Russia forcefully tried to capture Afghanistan. Kashmir can only be solved by the government of Pakistan. People canÂ’t form jihadi organisations and jump into Kashmir. Their acts, which are morally wrong, give India an excuse to oppress Kashmiris. Kashmiris are not waging jihad for Islam, but are struggling for political freedom.
Stock market bullish after presidential election
As reported in daily Express, stock market brokers consider the election of President Musharraf for the next five years a good omen, and expect that the stock market index may cross the psychological barrier of 15,000 points if present economic policies continue for the next five years. The ex-chairman of the Lahore Stock Exchange, Syed Asim Zafar, said that Pakistani stock markets are attractive for foreign investment because of the presence of a large profit margin.
Muslim ummah suffering because of extremism
According to Daily Pakistan, the chairman of Awami Tehreek, Dr Tahir ul Qadri, speaking to journalists in Shehr e Ihtikaf, said that Osama bin Laden has endangered the Muslim ummah, and extremists are spreading atheism. He said that suicide bombing is forbidden in Islam, and it is not serving the Muslim ummah, rather it is causing great difficulties for them. He also said that in the national interest, Musharraf should reconcile with Nawaz Sharif.
Ghazi brothers created fitna
In an interview with Daily Pakistan magazine, Dr Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Qadri said that the Lal Masjid crisis was not jihad, but fitna, which the Ghazi brothers created. The kidnapping of Chinese citizens and other people is not jihad. He said that Muslims should not harm other Muslims or non-Muslims. He said that the ulemaÂ’s obligation is to spread the message of Islam. Forcing Islam on others is not the job of the ulema. Jihad is the obligation of the government, and the government alone.
Aiyla Malik cast her vote in burqa
As reported in daily Express, national assembly members, Shaukat Aziz and others were stunned when a minister, Yar Mohammad Rind, refused to bring his wife Aiyla Malik to cast her vote in the National Assembly in the presence of other members. After all the members left the assembly, Yar Mohammad Rind brought his wife Aiyla, in burqa, to cast her vote. Pakistan TV was prohibited from showing her picture.
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Miandad criticises Mohammad Yousuf
According to daily Express, ex-cricketer Javed Miandad criticised Mohammad YousufÂ’s decision to play for Pakistan while he had a contract with the Indian Cricket League. He said that as a Muslim, Mohammad Yousuf should have honoured his contract, and that even a verbal commitment is binding upon a Muslim. He asked what message we were giving the world by ignoring transparency and principles?
Wife divorced for watching male TV anchor alone
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, a Saudi Arabian national divorced his wife for watching a male anchor on television alone, according to the Saudi newspaper Al Shams. The Saudi national remained unnamed. In Saudi Arabia, men can divorce their wives without approaching the court.
Lashkar e Islam against long moustaches
As reported in daily Express, the organisation of the Afridi tribe, Lashkar e Islam, gave a one week deadline to every male to cut their long moustaches off. The Lashkar warned that if anyone tried to escape the area, his house would be burned down. The Lashkar termed long moustaches against both Islam and tribal traditions.
Buddha sculpture under attack in Swat
As reported in daily Khabrain, a 2,200 year old statue of Buddha was blasted with gunpowder, destroying its head and other parts. According to an Archaeology Department spokesman, this sculpture is the second largest in Asia, after the destruction of the Bamayan sculptures by the Taliban. Swat was the centre of the Gandhara civilisation and has hundreds of Buddhist monuments and sculptures.
Islam doesnÂ’t order women to cover their faces
In an interview with Daily Pakistan magazine, Dr Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Qadri said that according to the Holy Quran, Hadith and the ulema of Fiqa Hanafia, Islam doesnÂ’t order women to cover their faces. He said that he gave his book to Qazi Hussain Ahmad, who changed his views after reading it. Qazi was convinced that women should cover their faces in the light of Maulana MaudoodiÂ’s books.
BenazirÂ’s statement changed judgesÂ’ verdicts
Famous columnist Haroon ur Rashid wrote in daily Express, that famous negotiator Mohammad Faisal disclosed on Tehran TV that Pakistani judges who were hearing the case against President Musharraf for holding two offices changed their decisions after Benazir BhuttoÂ’s statement regarding her willingness to provide access to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. The upper echelons of the government were anxious that if the president was disqualified from running for elections, then anarchy would prevail in Pakistan.
Nawaz SharifÂ’s vendetta against Shahid Nadeem
In daily Express magazine, Ajoka theatre member and writer Shahid Mahmood Nadeem said that in 1997, when Nawaz Sharif became prime minister and came to record his speech at the Lahore PTV station, he was standing to welcome him, as the General Manager of PTV Lahore. Sharif stepped down from his car and asked did you write, “Zard dopahr?” Nadeem said “Yes,” and Sharif stared at him and said that he should prepare to face the consequences. Nadeem thinks he had been briefed by famous journalist Nazir Naji, who was accompanying Sharif.