Pakistan Unveiled
Pakistan is a country of contradictions - full of promise for growth, modernity and progress, yet shrouded by political, social and cultural issues that undermine its quest for identity and integrity. My bimonthly column "Pakistan Unveiled" presents stories that showcase the Pakistani struggle for freedom of expression, an end to censorship, and a more open and balanced society.
Bina Shah is a Karachi-based journalist and fiction writer and has taught writing at the university level. She is the author of four novels and two collections of short stories. She is a columnist for two major English-language newspapers in Pakistan, The Dawn and The Express Tribune, and she has contributed to international newspapers including The Independent, The Guardian, and The International Herald Tribune. She is an alumnus of the International Writers Workshop (IWP 2011).
  • Shahbaz Bhatti, murdered minority leader
    Denialistan: Part Two

    In this week’s Pakistan Unveiled Bina Shah continues discussing reactions to her novel Slum Child, which criticizes the treatment of minorities in Pakistan.

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  • Aasia Bibi and Salmaan Taseer
    Denialistan, Part One

    Pakistani author Bina Shah discusses the reactions to her novel Slum Child including the views of the “Denialistanis,” individuals who deny accountability and refuse to accept any criticism about Pakistan and its citizens.

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  • Firewalling a Nation

    On April 17, the Sindh High Court issued a stay order against the blocking of web sites by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, a temporary victory in the fight against arbitrary Internet censorship. But the threat remains.

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