Easter Sunday mixed dangerously two events that took place in Pakistan, few time with the recent dramatic terrorist attacks in Brussels. A suicide bombers blew himself up in Lahore in the public gardens of Gulshan Iqbal, killing 63 people and wounding more than a hundred. On the same day about two thousand people poured into the main street of Islamabad, for a sit-in protest in front of parliament. The origin of it was the death sentence, executed in late February, of Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard of the former Punjab Governor Taseer Salmaam, “guilty” of wanting to undo the crime… read more →
Other that sexist propaganda in our regional elections. The women candidates of which I speak have decided not to show their face during the campaign: in place of those husbands, fathers, brothers, who have called on voters to support wives, daughters, sisters. Yet they are candidates and ran a big risk. This is not a joke, this is the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, beauty, alias KP, the most “mangy” province of Pakistan, politically won in 2013 by the former cricketer Imran Khan, who with his party PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) is creating problems the central government. A liberal man, or at least he… read more →
Is it possible to sell a country as a commercial product? Obviously it is. The process applies to consumer goods, people, famous brands, why not for a country? But what happens if that country is called Pakistan? They have spoken recently in Islamabad at a conference organized by Brand Pakistan (http://brandpakistan.pk ). Pakistan is a country of incomparable natural beauty: lakes, mountains, a rich fauna. And of course fascinating archaeological sites (such as the city of Multan, just as an example, and Lahore that winds), and mix different cultures, colorful festivals, hockey matches and bullfights … .So some respects it… read more →
Malala Yousafzai was hit in the face by two Taliban bullets while she was in the bus, back home from school. The event, without doubt dramatic, it has become a case, as was that of Amina, the Nigerian sentenced to stoning for adultery and then pardoned because of the global campaign in his favor, which fortunately saved her life, now almost ten years ago. Malala was taken to UK and rescued and in the meantime media were working on the case. The Taliban as well were “working” on it, because by the time they changed their means of communication… read more →
La versione italiana è disponibile su www.donnealtri.it A western tourist could swap Islamabad of the last month for a seat for a performance at Biennale of Architecture in Venice: 500 containers were in fact placed at key points in the Pakistani capital, used to protect government buildings, luxury hotels where foreigners are staying, embassies and major arteries into the city.