Muatasim Qazi

Muatasim Qazi is a Pakistani journalist now living in exile in the US. He is assistant editor for The Baloch Hal, an online newspaper which reports human rights violations and religious extremism in Balochistan and has been banned by Pakistani authorities. He can be reached at muatasimqazi@gmail.com.
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Relief supplies are delivered to earthquake victims in Awaran. Pakistan's military is coordinating relief efforts but international funding drives have been lacking. (Photo courtesy Hina Baloch)

Powerful earthquake in Pakistan hits home for Seattle man

by Muatasim Qazi
Crucial earthquake relief efforts in a long-neglected region of Pakistan have been hampered by internal politics and a lack of international media interest.
Oct 3, 2013

The 6 big myths that turned us against drone strikes

by Muatasim Qazi
The political tide in the US is turning away from drone strikes, as it did long ago in Pakistan. But are we giving up our best tool for fighting terror?
Jun 3, 2013

Tigers, tumbles and Taliban: Making sense of Pakistan’s election

by Muatasim Qazi
Pakistan beat the odds last week and held relatively peaceful elections. But was the Taliban the real winner? 
May 19, 2013

Why it’s harder to find a date in Seattle than in Pakistan

by Muatasim Qazi
The Seattle freeze makes for a chilly Valentine’s Day for new arrivals from other cultures.
Feb 14, 2013

Will attack on child activist end Pakistani apathy about civil rights?

by Muatasim Qazi
The name Malala Yousufzai was new to me until recently. But the power of her words wasn’t. Back in 2009, when her hometown in Swat Valley was virtually under Taliban control, Malala, using the pen name Gul Makai, wrote a diary that was published and broadcast on BBC’s Urdu language radio service. In it she […]
Oct 15, 2012

Global women’s rights supporters buzz off hair in Bald Solidarity

by Muatasim Qazi
She saw it all roll down on the floor of her office building with a mere stroke of a roaring electric shaver. With her head peaking out of a draped trash bag that worked as a hair-cutting cape, Hannah Perls saw her long, brown hair all gone in less than five minutes. Perls shaved her […]
Aug 20, 2012

For Pakistani journalist, Seattle news scene is a breath of fresh air

by Muatasim Qazi
Late last month, a bomb ripped through a train station in a small town near Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province in southwestern Pakistan where I started my journalism career. The loss was colossal: the blast killed eight people while maiming more than 25 others. But it was no big news for Pakistani media. Instead, […]
Jul 24, 2012