Mustafa Qadri

The brutal murder of a senior politician in Pakistan apparently for his opposition to a religious blasphemy law proves no one is safe from the intolerance sweeping the country. It also suggests that the battle against militant Islamists must be fought with ideas, not just guns. On the face of it the assassination of Salman [...]

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Calls for Asia Bibi to be executed under draconian blasphemy laws show religious leaders have no answer to Pakistan’s crises Mustafa Qadri guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 December 2010 15.00 GMT While the country reels from flood devastation, an increasing gap between rich and poor, and a ceaseless energy recession, Pakistan’s religious lobby has lined up to [...]

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Zardari’s decision to visit Europe as Pakistan is ravaged by floods reflects the elite’s flagrant indifference to human suffering Mustafa Qadri, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 August 2010 10.00 BST Contempt for human life is at the heart of Pakistan’s miseries. Although the relationship between rich and poor is complex and far from monolithically asymmetrical, fundamental inequalities make [...]

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ALTHOUGH the war in Afghanistan has come to prominence over the past decade, the neighbouring conflict in Kashmir has almost totally dropped off the radar. Despite the omission, Kashmir has more to do with the battle against the Taliban than most would suspect.

According to one report, failed New York bomber Faisal Shahzad was trained by Lashkar-e-Toiba, the Pakistan-based militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, to fight in Kashmir before deciding to target the US instead. The veracity of that claim is unknown. But it is clear that events in Afghanistan and Pakistan are inextricably linked to Indian-controlled Kashmir.

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Ethnic and religious identity politics must not be allowed to sabotage Pakistan’s continued survival

Mustafa Qadri
The Guardian, Monday 26 April 2010 12:09 BST

Many an observer has written Pakistan’s obituary. Whether or not it was ever a good idea, Pakistan has managed to survive the past six decades. Although ethnic and religious identity politics has routinely threatened its dismemberment, there remains no credible option but to make Pakistan work.

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Now that an amnesty providing immunity to thousands has expired, Pakistan’s supreme court has the chance to showcase its merits

· Mustafa Qadri
· guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 December 2009 18.00 GMT

It may be more a matter of wits than weapons, but the battle for control of Pakistan’s executive branch of government is as significant for the country as the war against the Taliban. Resolving this latest crisis, the fiercest tussle over the stewardship of the country since Pervez Musharraf was ousted from the presidency in August 2008, will determine the future of Pakistan’s parliamentary democracy for many years to come.

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Last month’s attack on a Pakistani Christian community by a mob of Sunni Muslims is a worrying development in a country that purports to fight extremism, writes Mustafa Qadri

“Make mincemeat of the Christians” blared the mosque loudspeakers.

This was not the Taliban speaking, nor was it in the frontier of Pakistan along the Afghan border. The setting was the Christian Colony of Gojra in rural Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous and powerful province.

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Communal stability is at risk as the rollout of Zia ul-Haq’s Islamisation continues unabated

Mustafa Qadri
guardian.co.uk, Monday 24 August 2009 10:00 BST

In decades past, the town mullahs decried the use of megaphones during the call to prayer. Now they have embraced the technology in Pakistan. In every city the loud blare of the muezzin echoes throughout the streets, although they rarely call out in unison. For centuries Muslims have bickered over prayer times, and much else.

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The Supreme Court ordered on Wednesday that the Punjab government regularise 97 ad hoc lecturers within three day…

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Mustafa Qadri: History Repeats Itself In Pakistan

Guardian: Comment Is Free

By invoking a Raj-era law against public protest, the government demonstrates its inability to handle the country’s real problems…

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