Tahrir in Islamabad

Rocking the boat

A petition has been filed in Lahore High Court to stop Qadri's January 14 rally. The two main national parties, the PML-N and the PPP, otherwise arch rivals, seem united in their opposition to Qadri.

A Pakistan Today report on January 3 explained the current political situation. "MQM chief Altaf Hussain... told interior minister Rehman Malik to stop wasting his energies and time by asking the party to reconsider its alliance with Qadri, and should head to Model Town, Lahore if he wanted to discuss the prevalent political situation. The MQM, however, assured the PPP that it would not part ways with the coalition government. Malik, the PPP's lead troubleshooter, had headed to London on Wednesday to talk Hussain out of his decision of supporting Qadri's planned long march on January 14. The visiting minister was told that news of MQM's separation from the government and derailing the current democratic system were mere rumours... The president... called PM Pervez Ashraf to Karachi to discuss the emerging alliance and talks of revolution, while the... PML-N also called in a meeting in Lahore to discuss the newborn alliance..."

Rewarding Malala

Malala Yousafzai is recovering in Birmingham. Dawn reported on January 3 that her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, has been appointed education attaché at Pakistan's consulate in Birmingham. Another report

stated Malala was conferred the 2012 Tipperary International Peace Award from Ireland for "her courage and determination to speak out in support of equal access to

education for children".

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