The First Night of Torture Cell

  By Malik Siraj Akbar“Sometimes when my uncles got together, they would go into a corner and talk about a mysterious thing called sex. It sounded wonderful. I prayed that it would not go away before I grew up.” [The Other Side of Me, Sidney Sheldon]I was born...

Time for Pakistan to recognize Israel

By Malik Siraj Akbar   Way back in January 1999, the then US Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbot predicted that if Talibanization was to spread any further beyond Afghanistan, the country that stood to lose the most would be Pakistan. Ten years down the line,...

Threat to secular Balochistan?

Threat to secular Balochistan? By Malik Siraj Akbar Monday, 09 Mar, 2009 | 09:04 AM PST | Nothing embarrasses and irks Pakistani spymasters more than the issue of Talibanisation in Quetta. Over the years, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly protested against...

Taliban consolidating grip on Quetta: Sanaullah Baloch

Taliban consolidating grip on Quetta: Sanaullah Baloch * BNP leader says ‘establishment’ wants to pitch Taliban against Baloch nationalists * Says Taliban supporters have captured land worth Rs 2 billion in Quetta * PPP has taken no steps to increase prospects of...

Infighting in Baloch Students' Organization (BSO)

  By Malik Siraj Akbar  The largest and most militant wing of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad) is plagued with worst defection and infighting since its creation in February 2006 over the activists’ dissatisfaction with their Chairman, Bashir Zeb Baloch.   The...

2008 most violent year in a decade for Balochistan

2008 most violent year in a decade for Balochistan * Number of targeted killings rose to 400 * Terrorist activities registered an increase with 120 bomb blasts, 141 landmine explosionsBy Malik Siraj AkbarQUETTA: The outgoing year was the most violent in a decade for the...