Author Archives: asimrafiqui

“17 And Sentenced To Death” – New Documentary Film

I, with the collaboration of Sohail Yafat and guidance of Rimmel Mohydin, both of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), filmed this earlier this year, and the excellent team at the New Media Advocacy Project (N-MAP) in New York, led by Madeleine

/ No comments

“17 And Sentenced To Death” – New Documentary Film

I, with the collaboration of Sohail Yafat and guidance of Rimmel Mohydin, both of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), filmed this earlier this year, and the excellent team at the New Media Advocacy Project (N-MAP) in New York, led by Madeleine

/ No comments

Short Documentary Film – #2 – Executed Juvenile Death Row Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

  #BringItBack – Shafqat Hussain If you were being tortured, would you say anything to make it stop?Shafqat Hussain was beaten, burnt with cigarettes, electrocuted through his own urine and had his nails pulled out. The police detained him illegally

/ No comments

Short Documentary Film – #2 – Executed Juvenile Death Row Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

  #BringItBack – Shafqat Hussain If you were being tortured, would you say anything to make it stop?Shafqat Hussain was beaten, burnt with cigarettes, electrocuted through his own urine and had his nails pulled out. The police detained him illegally

/ No comments

Sumeira Hussain – Elder Sister of Executed Juvenile Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

We are living in extreme poverty. My brother was killed, but we did everything for him, and sold everything for him. Now there is nothing left. My two remaining brothers work as day labourers, and that too only on days

/ No comments

Sumeira Hussain – Elder Sister of Executed Juvenile Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

We are living in extreme poverty. My brother was killed, but we did everything for him, and sold everything for him. Now there is nothing left. My two remaining brothers work as day labourers, and that too only on days

/ No comments

Manzoor Hussein – Elder Brother of Executed Juvenile Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

They had tortured him brutally. We could see it and he told us so. They had pulled his nails out, used electric wires on him, and his skin showed deep bruises where they had burned him with cigarette butts. I

/ No comments

Manzoor Hussein – Elder Brother of Executed Juvenile Prisoner Shafqat Hussain

They had tortured him brutally. We could see it and he told us so. They had pulled his nails out, used electric wires on him, and his skin showed deep bruises where they had burned him with cigarette butts. I

/ No comments

Iqbal Bano, Mother Of Death Row Prisoner Khizar Hayat

I have no money. I can’t even afford to pay for a rickshaw to go see him. So I collect money from relatives and friends and go see him every two weeks. Every time I go I do not know

/ No comments

Iqbal Bano, Mother Of Death Row Prisoner Khizar Hayat

I have no money. I can’t even afford to pay for a rickshaw to go see him. So I collect money from relatives and friends and go see him every two weeks. Every time I go I do not know

/ No comments

Shehnaz Zaheer, Baldia Town, Karachi

It isn’t atonement he seeks. It is simply financial help for him and his family. It takes me some time to realize this. “Sometimes you speak to the media, and a generous soul can read about our plight.” He tells

/ No comments

Shehnaz Zaheer, Baldia Town, Karachi

It isn’t atonement he seeks. It is simply financial help for him and his family. It takes me some time to realize this. “Sometimes you speak to the media, and a generous soul can read about our plight.” He tells

/ No comments

Mohammed Zaheer, Baldia Town, Karachi

Farhan Zaheer began working at the garment factory at the age of eight. His father, Mohammad Zaheer, confesses this to me, his face torn by shame as his eyes suffer the sight of my shocked reaction. Farhan was paid Rs

/ No comments

Mohammed Zaheer, Baldia Town, Karachi

Farhan Zaheer began working at the garment factory at the age of eight. His father, Mohammad Zaheer, confesses this to me, his face torn by shame as his eyes suffer the sight of my shocked reaction. Farhan was paid Rs

/ No comments

Nasreen Khan, Baldia Town, Karachi

She sees him in her dreams. He is young, but older than the age at which he died. He comes towards her, and asks after her, inquiring about her health, about his sisters and whether they liked the clothes he

/ No comments

Nasreen Khan, Baldia Town, Karachi

She sees him in her dreams. He is young, but older than the age at which he died. He comes towards her, and asks after her, inquiring about her health, about his sisters and whether they liked the clothes he

/ No comments

Abdul Aziz Khan, Baldia Town, Karachi

Abdul Aziz Khan bequeathed poverty – and its daily rituals of survival, to his son Atta-Ullah Nabil. His dismissal from his job five years earlier because of his failing health, robbed Nabil of his childhood. Abdul Aziz Khan had succumbed

/ No comments

Abdul Aziz Khan, Baldia Town, Karachi

Abdul Aziz Khan bequeathed poverty – and its daily rituals of survival, to his son Atta-Ullah Nabil. His dismissal from his job five years earlier because of his failing health, robbed Nabil of his childhood. Abdul Aziz Khan had succumbed

/ No comments

Nasreen Imran, Baldia Town, Karachi

The moment the paternal grandmother refused to acknowledge or bless the grandchildren, Nasreen knew that the life she once knew, and the home she had once considered as her own, was no more. Standing in the foyer of her husband’s

/ No comments

Nasreen Imran, Baldia Town, Karachi

The moment the paternal grandmother refused to acknowledge or bless the grandchildren, Nasreen knew that the life she once knew, and the home she had once considered as her own, was no more. Standing in the foyer of her husband’s

/ No comments

Sharifa Siddeeq, Baldia Town, Karachi

“How did you find his body?” The question hangs in the air. Neither Mohammad Siddeeq or Sharifa answer but simply exchange glances. Outside, I hear the noise of the neighborhood: vegetable sellers, playing children, gossiping neighbors, passing trucks, bleating goats,

/ No comments

Sharifa Siddeeq, Baldia Town, Karachi

“How did you find his body?” The question hangs in the air. Neither Mohammad Siddeeq or Sharifa answer but simply exchange glances. Outside, I hear the noise of the neighborhood: vegetable sellers, playing children, gossiping neighbors, passing trucks, bleating goats,

/ No comments

Mohammed Siddeeq, Baldia Town, Karachi

There are the facts of the night that he died; the greedy flames, the chaotic crowds, the confused and haphazard rescue operation, the desperate attempt to break the walls of the factory, the pleas and screams of those trapped inside,

/ No comments

Mohammed Siddeeq, Baldia Town, Karachi

There are the facts of the night that he died; the greedy flames, the chaotic crowds, the confused and haphazard rescue operation, the desperate attempt to break the walls of the factory, the pleas and screams of those trapped inside,

/ No comments

Ghulam Nabi, Baldia Town, Karachi

What does it means to be a father – to be a caregiver, a worrier, a provider, a protector, a friend, and a sanctuary to a child? This was the question confronting Ghulam Nabi almost every day since the death

/ No comments

Ghulam Nabi, Baldia Town, Karachi

What does it means to be a father – to be a caregiver, a worrier, a provider, a protector, a friend, and a sanctuary to a child? This was the question confronting Ghulam Nabi almost every day since the death

/ No comments

Kanees Fatima, Baldia Town, Karachi

It was the promise of Rs. 6500 ($60), his monthly salary, that took him to the factory that day. It was the pride of the Rs. 500 ($5) raise that he had earned. It was the house bills, his sibling’s

/ Comments Off on Kanees Fatima, Baldia Town, Karachi

Kanees Fatima, Baldia Town, Karachi

It was the promise of Rs. 6500 ($60), his monthly salary, that took him to the factory that day. It was the pride of the Rs. 500 ($5) raise that he had earned. It was the house bills, his sibling’s

/ Comments Off on Kanees Fatima, Baldia Town, Karachi

Khurram Javed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Khurram had been busy since his brother’s death helping other families search for bodies, complete financial compensation paper work, deal with the police, the hospital and morgue formalities and prepare submissions for DNA testing to help identify bodies. Unlike his

/ Comments Off on Khurram Javed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Khurram Javed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Khurram had been busy since his brother’s death helping other families search for bodies, complete financial compensation paper work, deal with the police, the hospital and morgue formalities and prepare submissions for DNA testing to help identify bodies. Unlike his

/ Comments Off on Khurram Javed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Aruba, Bilal & Sanobar Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

As I walk into the room, I see them sitting waiting for me. Sirjeel Ahmed’s mother Kausar Parveen, his sisters Aruba and Sanobar, youngest brother Bilal and a cousin, Imran all greet me politely and sit back down in silence.

/ No comments

Aruba, Bilal & Sanobar Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

As I walk into the room, I see them sitting waiting for me. Sirjeel Ahmed’s mother Kausar Parveen, his sisters Aruba and Sanobar, youngest brother Bilal and a cousin, Imran all greet me politely and sit back down in silence.

/ No comments

Kausar Parveen Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

People in the hundreds gathered outside the burning factory, all desperately trying to figure out how to save those trapped inside. Some are scuffling with the emergency services personnel, other with the police constabulary who are trying to gain control

/ Comments Off on Kausar Parveen Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Kausar Parveen Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

People in the hundreds gathered outside the burning factory, all desperately trying to figure out how to save those trapped inside. Some are scuffling with the emergency services personnel, other with the police constabulary who are trying to gain control

/ Comments Off on Kausar Parveen Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

Hussein Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

He says very little. In contrast to the anger-tinged testimony of his wife when she spoke about their son Sirjeel’s death, and the incompetence of the rescue services that may have led to it, Hussein Ahmed neither revealed any emotions,

/ No comments

Hussein Ahmed, Baldia Town, Karachi

He says very little. In contrast to the anger-tinged testimony of his wife when she spoke about their son Sirjeel’s death, and the incompetence of the rescue services that may have led to it, Hussein Ahmed neither revealed any emotions,

/ No comments

Rashida Bibi, Baldia Town, Karachi

The photograph Rashida Bibi hands me is faded, scratched and frayed. Light leaks streak across a scene that shows four people – Rahima Bibi, her husband Mohammad Nasser, her son Mehrab and her mother Rashida, sitting together, smiling and laughing

/ Comments Off on Rashida Bibi, Baldia Town, Karachi

Rashida Bibi, Baldia Town, Karachi

The photograph Rashida Bibi hands me is faded, scratched and frayed. Light leaks streak across a scene that shows four people – Rahima Bibi, her husband Mohammad Nasser, her son Mehrab and her mother Rashida, sitting together, smiling and laughing

/ Comments Off on Rashida Bibi, Baldia Town, Karachi

Rosina Rehmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

There is a sudden, unexpected turn in the conversation. I hear her voice quiver, and I see her entire body shake. Was it from fear, or from anger? During our conversation she had shown both; the fear that comes from

/ Comments Off on Rosina Rehmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Rosina Rehmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

There is a sudden, unexpected turn in the conversation. I hear her voice quiver, and I see her entire body shake. Was it from fear, or from anger? During our conversation she had shown both; the fear that comes from

/ Comments Off on Rosina Rehmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Mohammad Mehrab, Baldia Town, Karachi

“I need to tell you more about my mother.” Mehrab’s voice sounds irritated. “She isn’t just this corpse you have come to ask about.” I feel the sting of his reprimand. We are walking through the streets of the neighborhood

/ Comments Off on Mohammad Mehrab, Baldia Town, Karachi

Mohammad Mehrab, Baldia Town, Karachi

“I need to tell you more about my mother.” Mehrab’s voice sounds irritated. “She isn’t just this corpse you have come to ask about.” I feel the sting of his reprimand. We are walking through the streets of the neighborhood

/ Comments Off on Mohammad Mehrab, Baldia Town, Karachi

Syed Azmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

As we approach the building, the men accompanying me lower their voices. There is a small crowd standing in the alleyway. They stare at us as we push past, but no one says anything. They know why we have come.

/ Comments Off on Syed Azmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Syed Azmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

As we approach the building, the men accompanying me lower their voices. There is a small crowd standing in the alleyway. They stare at us as we push past, but no one says anything. They know why we have come.

/ Comments Off on Syed Azmat Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Rehana Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

“Where are the bodies?” The words are thrust out of her throat with great effort, and between deep, heaving breaths. Her children’s bodies were never recovered from the site of the accident, nor found at the hospital or the morgue.

/ Comments Off on Rehana Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Rehana Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

“Where are the bodies?” The words are thrust out of her throat with great effort, and between deep, heaving breaths. Her children’s bodies were never recovered from the site of the accident, nor found at the hospital or the morgue.

/ Comments Off on Rehana Ali, Baldia Town, Karachi

Siddiqa, Ayesha ‘Military Inc.’

There is a profound misunderstanding of the role and legacy of the Pakistani military, and its deeply entrenched economic interests in the country. This institution is consistently represented as a purely military arm of the State, when in fact it

/ No comments

Siddiqa, Ayesha ‘Military Inc.’

There is a profound misunderstanding of the role and legacy of the Pakistani military, and its deeply entrenched economic interests in the country. This institution is consistently represented as a purely military arm of the State, when in fact it

/ No comments

Jalal, Ayesha ‘Democracy And Authoritarianism in South Asia’

Ayesha Jalal’s early work Democracy & Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and historical perspective provides an important look at the structural reasons for the emergence of (largely) democratic structures in India, and (largely) authoritarian structures in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

/ No comments

Jalal, Ayesha ‘Democracy And Authoritarianism in South Asia’

Ayesha Jalal’s early work Democracy & Authoritarianism in South Asia: A Comparative and historical perspective provides an important look at the structural reasons for the emergence of (largely) democratic structures in India, and (largely) authoritarian structures in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

/ No comments

The Moral Case For Drones: Part II (Draft)

The moral case for drones are based on one simple idea: that those that we are using them against are terrorists. If you look at any journalist, academic and political discussion about the legality and morality of the use of

/ No comments

The Moral Case For Drones: Part II (Draft)

The moral case for drones are based on one simple idea: that those that we are using them against are terrorists. If you look at any journalist, academic and political discussion about the legality and morality of the use of

/ No comments