ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by Afiya Shehrbano ZiaSubscribe to Afiya Shehrbano Zia

No Coups and No-Confidence

The Shakespearean events leading to the constitutional removal of Pakistan’s populist Prime Minister Imran Khan have entered the fi nal act, but the question remains: Is any of this good for democracy?

Who Is Afraid of Pakistan’s Aurat March?

Pakistan’s women are marching against patriarchy, but what is their destination and who is standing in their way? The Aurat March of 2019 faced severe backlash from both conservative as well as like-minded quarters, on account of some hard-hitting slogans and jabs raised against prevalent masculinist social norms. These have brought to the fore some paradoxes within feminist politics, which merit resolution for the sake of the emergence of stronger feminist politics in Pakistan.

New Tweets, Blind Likes

Thanks to social media, home-based analysts in Pakistan can now serve as public intellectuals.

Freedoms and Bans in the Politics of Contemporary Pakistan

YouTube has been banned in Pakistan over a controversial blasphemous fi lm since September 2012. Young Pakistani musicians and advocates have been protesting against the ban claiming it to be political censorship and a human rights violation. However, unless activists climb out of virtual space and challenge the rightwing opposition to reforming the blasphemy law itself, the broader fight for freedom of expression and political liberties will be in vain.

A State of Suspended Disbelief

Being thankful that the debate about whether Pakistan would be a "free sex zone" is not high on the list of the powers that be and presuming that sexual freedom enables the death of patriarchy and the consequent empowerment of women, this note raises a number of issues concerning the women's movement in Pakistan and its relationship with the state.

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