The author is a software engineer, an ardent blogger and a freelance journalist. He contributes at ET Blogs and tweets @salmanlateef. His personal blog containing his works and rants can be found at ‘Tis My Say.
Latest posts by Salman Latif
Women Barred From Voting in By-elections in Some Parts of Pakistan
An undercover monitor for Pak Votes, an organization that monitors electoral fairness, succeeded in convincing polling officials at one location to not allow any women to vote.
VIDEO: Pakistani TV Host Gives Away Babies on Primetime Ramadan Show
Televangelist Dr. Amir L. Hussain has gifted two babies during the month of Ramadan in an attempt to boost viewership during the Islamic holy month's fierce battle for ratings.
Politically Divided Pakistan Rallies Around Injured Imran Khan
Popular cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, whose hopeful campaign promise of a "New Pakistan" has drawn large crowds of young people and urban voters to his rallies, fractured three vertebrae and a rib after falling off a 15-feet high forklift just before a scheduled speech. The incident has appeared to united the bitterly divided country ahead of elections this week.
Ahmadis Boycott Upcoming Elections in Pakistan
The Ahmadi community in Pakistan, comprising of 200,000 members, has decided to boycott the upcoming elections. The decision has been taken to protest the state's discrimination towards the community.
Blood on the Road to Pakistan's Elections
A suicide bombing, a grenade attack and a remote-controlled explosion - all in one day. Nineteen people were killed in three separate incidents targeting candidates of three different parties. April 16, 2013 was a bloody day for Pakistan's election campaigners.
Rediscovering The Bonds Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
An Afghan-Pak Journalist Exchange Programme 2012 brought together 22 journalists from Pakistan and Afghanistan who worked on join reporting projects and cultural exchange to rediscover the bonds between both the countries.
Pakistan: Government Suspends Mobile Services in Major Cities on Eid
"So whats the guarantee terrorists won't strike tomorrow or the day after? Why not close cell phone services, like forever?" A Pakistani netizen reacts to the temporary cell phone ban, which the government says has been put in place to prevent terrorist attacks.
Pakistan: Attack on Military Base in Kamra
In the early hours of August 16, 2012, gunmen launched an attack on Minhas, a high value air force base located in Kamra, near the capital Islamabad in Pakistan. After a fierce battle that lasted five hours, Pakistan's military was able to regain control of the base.
Pakistan: Fighting Stereotypes and Celebrating with India on Independence Day
Pakistan's mainstream and social media is usually fraught with issues ranging from terrorism and sectarianism to economic and power crisis. However, there comes a day, once every year, when even the most cynical tend to let go of their skepticism and dwell in a rather romantic notion of hope. That day is August 14, the day Pakistan got its independence from British Raj.
Pakistan: Engineer Claims to Invent Water-Fuelled Engine
A Pakistani engineer claims that he can run a car on a water-fuelled engine. Pakistan is currently going through a severe power crisis, so the proud inventor Agha Waqar Ahmad is the talk of the town in mainstream and social media, with some praising the innovation, and others making fun of it.
Pakistan: Supreme Court Disqualifies Prime Minister
The Pakistani Supreme Court ruled that the Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had been disqualified ever since April 26th, when it gave the final ruling on a contempt case imprisoning him for a few seconds. The popular sentiment was divided: some cheered and some termed it as a 'judicial coup'.
Bangladesh: Citizen's Voice, A Citizen Watchdog for Public Services
Citizen’s Voice (Nagorikkontho.org) is an online project to empower Bangladeshi citizens by having their voices heard regarding feedback on public services.
Pakistan: The ‘Captain’ Makes His Presence Known
Imran Khan, the cricket-star-turned-politician has sent ripples through Pakistan’s political arena with his mega-rally at Lahore sporting a crowd of well over 100,000 people. The former captain of Pakistan cricket team has infused a new spirit into Pakistan’s politics by stirring the urban youth.
Pakistan: Neglected Millions of Sindh Floods
After the devastating 2010 floods in Pakistan the government took no practical steps to tackle the possibility of future floods. The consequence of this gross negligence is that floods are yet again causing havoc. The eye of the storm this year is Sindh where flood waters have razed numerous villages and displaced millions.
Pakistan: Speaking Out the Unspoken – Gawaahi
Information and communications technology (ICT) has long been hailed as a harbinger of a global change. Gawaahi is one such venture that aims to bring to fore underrepresented voices of Pakistani society by coupling ICT with social activism.
Pakistan: Empowering Youth for a Better Tomorrow
Institute of Peace and Secular Studies is a humble, community youth organization in Lahore, Pakistan which aims to empower Pakistani youth and encourage them to face up to today’s challenges so they can shape a better future for tomorrow.
Pakistan: Islamic Televangelist Caught Out by Behind-the-Scenes Video
Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain, a Pakistani Islamic televangelist and host of numerous religious shows, has been criticized after a behind-the-scenes video was released. The video depicted Dr. Amir, a notable religious scholar who otherwise poses as a humble, moral man, uttering abuse and profanities as well as religious blasphemy.
Pakistan: Celebrating Independence Day
This year, on August 14, Pakistan's Independence Day was celebrated with jubilation not only in the streets but also in the blogosphere. Netizens posted about Pakistan, praying for its prosperity and success.
Pakistan: Netizens Protest Moral Policing On Art Curator
A few days ago police stormed into Nairang Art Gallery in Lahore. The raid was carried out on the pretext that the female curator of the gallery was wearing a sleeveless shirt and was intermingling with other men, something quite contrary to the views held by the conservatives here and thus fringing upon obscenity.
Pakistan: The Blasphemous Use Of Blasphemy Law
The interpretation of Blasphemy law in Pakistan has, for long, aroused controversy and has been criticized and questioned by the human rights activists. It has been used as a tool to spread violence and incite fear specifically among the minorities. Neitzens call for amendment of the law.
Pakistan: Relief Efforts – Report From The Ground
Some times it requires a real experience to truly feel the magnanimity of a situation. In this post we share some reports from Global Voices author Salman Latif in Multan who recently went to the Muzaffargarh and Mehmood Kot region in Pakistan to distribute relief to the flood victims.
