A singing Romanian gypsy falls in love with Lahore

European artist fears terrorism will shatter her dreams

* Jina Rubik says Pakistan cultural heart of subcontinent, suffering because of insecurity

By Afnan Khan

LAHORE: A European artist has found herself trapped between her passion to learn and promote music and performing arts of the subcontinent, and the current downfall of arts and culture due to terrorism in Pakistan.

What’s Not in This Portrait

By MELIK KAYLAN

The overriding question you will likely take into the Asia Society’s show of Pakistani artists is, “What do they think of what’s happening to their country?” How do artists address the Islamist violence in their midst—and if they don’t address it, why not? How freely can they treat such issues without fear of reprisal? What kind of art flourishes in such surroundings?

Pakistan police targeted as attacks kill 15

By Mubasher Bukhari

LAHORE, Pakistan (Reuters) – Gunmen attacked police offices in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Thursday and a car bomb exploded outside another in the northwest, killing at least 15 people after a week of violence in which more than 100 people died.

Pakistan: The lost voices of the middle class

By Tom Hussein

In early June, four of Lahore’s leading medical professionals congregated at the Punjab Club, a recreational retreat for the city’s educated elite, to discuss the future with a former colleague visiting from Australia.

The discussion, held over tea and sandwiches served by waiters in turbans and colonial-style white uniforms, centred on the visitor’s experience of his transition from being one of Lahore’s most fêted doctors, to a respected, but otherwise ordinary member of the Melbourne medical community.

Officers describe deadly Pakistan attack

The assault on security force buildings in Lahore that left 27 people dead and more than 250 hurt was carried out by gunmen who fired at police before their explosives-laden van detonated.

By Alex Rodriguez

Reporting from Lahore, Pakistan — Officers guarding Pakistani police and intelligence agencies saw the gunmen jump out of the white van that had stopped at their gate.

Third attack in Lahore – terror regime continues unabated

It was the third attack in three months in or near Lahore, the capital of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. The bomb left a crater eight feet deep and a vista of flattened concrete and destruction. Dozens of vehicles were crumpled like paper and broken glass filled the street. The dark pink brick building of the Rescue 15 ambulance service collapsed and emergency workers dug through the debris to try to find survivors.

Lahore’s schools hiring private security consultants

Government’s security guidelines not enough?

By Afnan Khan writing for the Daily Times, Pakistan

LAHORE: In the wake of reported terrorist threats for schools providing Western educational facilities, the city’s elite educational institutions are hiring private security consultants to provide foolproof security to students and faculty.

The schools have decided not to rely solely on the security instructions issued by the government.

Taliban spotted in Lahore??

I was wondering if this news item sent to me by Google’s numerous and fascinating services was true. If yes, very scary for us Lahoris. Raza Rumi

Lahore: The Swat Taliban continues to tighten its grip over new areas of Lahore after Shangla and Buner.

According to the sources, Taliban were seen walking towards Lahore railway station.

Earlier, Taliban commander Jawed declared that couples seen in city parks would be killed on the spot. He also called for closuer of English medium schools in the city.

Taliban commander Muslim Khan said, ‘We would go and operate everywhere people call us.’

These Taliban walking on the roads of the city have ‘Taliban Of North Waziristan’ written on themselves.

Security was beefed up in city parks and schools following the warning from the trouble makers.

Lahori civil society speaks

Zinda dilaan-e-Lahore say no to Talibanisation, reports Raza Rumi

Never before have we citizens been traumatised with an uncertain future and the knocks of destruction at our door as is the case in the year 2009. The celebrated twenty first century has, if nothing else, blown the contradictions of Pakistani society and state right into our faces. One hundred and eighty million people cannot be spectators to the imperial great games and a callous state that gropes in the dark trying to locate the ‘enemy’ outside, instead of looking into its own crevices and cracks.

Not that Lahore has been a haven of peace in recent years – the inequities, the crime levels have been on the rise. However, March 2009 witnessed two

Lahore is burning

Raza Rumi

[reportedly] 27 dead and dozens injured – no respite for us.

Once again, in less than a month Lahore has been ravaged by terrorists. Who said that Pakistan was a hub of terrorism – we are now the greatest victim of terror and militancy. The residents of Lahore are scared and the vibrant city seems to be enveloped in a mist of uncertainty and fear.

The Mumbai and later Lahore 3/3 model seems to be in vogue now. Extremely well trained commandos, with sophisticated weapons  and not afraid of death are let loose on the society. The media is hysterical as well and following the Indian media’s cue[s] is now a participant and embedded in the so-called operation.

Another sensational article on Lahore

I am posting this piece not because it has anything new to offer but as yet another specimen of exaggerated reporting on Pakistan. Comments are welcome. Raza Rumi

With each act of terrorism, cultural life in Pakistan suffers another deadly blow.

By Shahan Mufti – GlobalPost

Published: March 23, 2009 06:57 ET

LAHORE — Pakistan’s second city, widely considered to be the country’s cultural capital, is undergoing gradual but unsettling change.

For hundreds if not thousands of years a bastion of social and cultural life for not only the region but the world, the city has become a soft target for those who disagree with the Pakistani government and its policies, or with society at large.

Tragedy in Lahore

By Yasser Latif Hamdani

The Sri Lankan Cricket Team was attacked by unknown gun men earlier today.  According to reports,  up to 8 Sri Lankan cricketers are injured.   One is seriously injured and might not make it. Several of the policemen guarding the cricket team have also been martyred.

Whoever it is is killing off Pakistan slowly but surely.  For all of our bold claims that “cricketers and sportsmen have nothing to fear”,   from today onwards no cricket team or any other sports team will ever visit this country.

Sri Lankans won the World Cup in Gaddafi stadium in 1996.  That was a different era.  Lahore and Pakistan in general was a safe place to be.   Lahore was buzzing with foreigners and no one thought for a minute that they could be attacked.    Now even Pakistanis are scared of going out. Is there any turning back?   Is Pakistan going to unravel in face of forces of extremism, terrorism and fascism?

We don’t know who did it.  We don’t know which “foreign” hand was behind it.  What we know is that no one can manipulate a people who are not ready to be manipulated.   We must take stock of this situation, before we lose our homeland for ever.

Today we stand yet again with our heads bowed down.  We apologize to Sri Lanka and its cricketers who came to Pakistan when no one else dared to.    We apologize for being a nation of cowards and freaks who haven’t been able to put our house in order.

Lahore remembers October 18th tragedy

Civil society activists light candles at Faisal Chowk in memory of people who lost their lives in blasts at the welcome rally of Benazir Bhutto on October 18, 2007 in Karsaz, Karachi. President Zardari paid tributes to those killed and said it was due to their sacrifices that democracy had been restored in the country..

Courtesy Daily Times