So, Are You Pakistan?

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I am writing this reply so late that I seriously doubt that anyone would read it. But just for the record, the war was fought in 1965 and never won it. Though as usual for all Pakistani who are mis informed all through their life. The war ended when i seize fire was brokered by the world super powers. All we did was stop the indians getting inside our homeland, a brave effort undoubtly, but for the record we didnt won. Yes we did loose in 1971.

Great article.Thanks for reminding.

Saulat

BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. WITH YOUR AGE AND EXPERIENCE, PERHAPS YOU CAN WRITE SOMETHING ON ``RELIGIOUS HARMONY IN PAKISTAN`` OR THE LIKE.

Re: Najam

About helping Pakistan through putting foreign exchange at home. Guess what? I did that. It got forzen, then unfrozen ,then frozen again and the govt proposed a rate of conversion which was a ripoff. Now I am just waiting for the accoutns to be unfrozen and away from Pakistan. Infact people from pakistan are now opening accouts abroad not because they have black money. but because they dont trust the govt not to cheat them again.

The govts of Pakistan sad to say have managed to kill off a lot of patriotic sentiments that a lot of people had about thier homeland.

Next time we will think twice before putting something in the kashkols of these wretched beggars. So much for HELP pakistan! Stop the govt from raping it, first!

First off I will like to comment on the quality of this site which is unbelievably good. Keep up the good work people.

Secondly, Mr. Ardeshir Minwalla talks about an era of Pakistan before destructive forces of Shia/sunni riots, factionalism, and discrimination had swept over the country.

Yes, everybody who criticizes Pakistan is absolutely right, it is a country where corruption rules and women are treated like 3rd grade citizens.

But lets take into consideration one more point, the country has been independent for just 51 years (as opposed to more than 150 for most of the western countries). We are still trying to learn how to walk on our two feet, we might have failed many times, but we have succeeded in some places too.

Apart from being the 7th nuclear power in this world, a poor third world country like Pakistan is also a place where nobody dies from hunger or famine. In Pakistan people complain about the heat, lack of basic utilities, and safety. Yet! we have bigger houses, cars, and our bellies are bigger then they were a month ago.

My grand father tells me that at the time of Independence (only 5 decades ago) the foreign office consisted of one desk and couple of chairs, that were all the resources Pakistan could muster to face the whole world . He had to literally beg for pens, paper, etc. Now he tells me that he cannot believe the size of the building in Islamabad which consists the foreign office, with a desk for each major country in this world.

The point that I am trying to make is that, don`t loose heart, one day we will arise from these shambles return to the glory Mr. Minwalla refers too. Pakistan might look like the worst country in the world right now, but the `majority` of us will lay down our lives for it in a heartbeat.

As my Parsi school principal Mrs. Mistri told me before I left Pakistan for higher education in U.S., ``Aray Dikraa, Pakistan will not go anywhere, remember you are tied to it, for good or for bad, so you better come back``......

I just did!

Anwar

YES I AM PAKISTAN TOO!

to SHUBHARAM:

we had no wars in 67 os 72....they were in 65 and then 71.

to NIKKI: we live in pakistan too and we love it more evryday. think about what u have done for the country.pakistan has not given much to us either but that does not mean i leave it. my bros are jobless.one of them got addicted to drugs.once my dad was attacked.once my bro got kidnapped....and much more.but i love it and i love it again.

about loadshedding......we enjoy that part of the night more when there is no power! playing murder in the dark,,sitting together around candles telling jokes and riddles.. and still thankful to have a home and everything.

to ASIF: main bhi pakistan hu!!!!!!!

PAKISTAN PAINDA BAAD!!!!!

iam visiting my bro in usa but apnay des lotnay ko bai-chain hu.......

may allah be with pakistan and pakistanis

This is in reponse to the question ``what can i do for my country`` . Ofcourse we have obligations to our family but why cant we at the same time do a bit for the country I dont think the two things are mutually exclusive.

There are many ways in which all of us can play a part and it does no matter whether we live in or outside Pakistan, infact in some ways those living abroad earning in foreign exchange can help more.

Sending foreign exchange to our banks is only one way of helping. Overseas Pakistanis can set upschools and hospitals in Pakistan they can set up education funds abroad with which to help needy Pakistanis wisihing to study abroad. Similarly those living within can do a number of small things which dont even cost much. How much does it cost us if while we pray for our families remember to say a small prayer for our country. How much does it cost if each one of us sponsor just one child, we are ready to spend Rs.500 for a dinner in a top restaraunt why cant we set aside a similar amount for one child every month. The fact is we dont have to do something major even small sinccere actions can help our country in a big way thats the beauty of large numbers of people, but the secret again is a genuine love for the country.

THANKS FOR REMINDER.

BUT THE CONDITIONS TODAY IN PAKISTAN ARE SO DETERIORATING THAT EVERYDAY I SAY THAT I WONT READ THE NEWS PAPER ANYMORE BUT AS THE POET SAID:

``ROZ KEHTA HOON BHOOL JAOON USAY

ROZ YEH BAAT BHOOL JATA HOON``.

THE QUESTION ALWAYS COME IN MY MIND WHAT CAN I DO FOR PAKISTAN.CAN SOMEBODY GIVE ME AN ANSWER.KEEPING IN MIND MY OBLIGATION TO MY FAMILY WHICH WERE FULFILED BETTER OVER HERE.WHICH SHOULD BE MY FIRST OBLIGATION,FAMILY OR COUNTRY.

This is the first time I`ve accessed this site and yr article. I`ve lived in England for more years than I care to remember. I do go back to Pak now and then but its all changed so much! I have not had the guts to go to Quetta, to the city I went to school in; I remember the various nationalities eg a German some Americans other religions, my Parsi and Christian friends,. sons of tribal chiefs, the school emphasis on speaking English, the local cinema where we went each Saturday night to watch the ``latest`` ``English`` movie.

I was more ``English`` then but more Pakistani in England!

I think u are grossly misinformed as to some

contents in u`r article. I suggest that u go back

to school and read history more thoroughly.

Pakistan has never and will never be able to

win a war against India. In both the `67 and `72

wars, India had gone very close to eliminating

Pakistan from the world map, but for the

intervention of UN.

Otherwise, u`r article is readable. U`r reflections

of Pakistan seem to be of a time when gods

walked on earth. Today, if u look at Pakistan,

u`ll see nothing but blood and . If u

are a Pakistani, my sympathies are with u for

having been born there.

Dear Mr. Minwalla

Your aticle was pretty impressive though it clearly reflected the notion of ``The Grass is always greener pon the other side of the fence``. I, unlike yo was born in the U.S and when I was 6 my parents decided to go back to Pakistan owing to the fact that they didn`t want their daughter growing u in this western culture. Well for me I ha memories and glimpses of America as you had of Pakistan. Mr. let me tell you something, you were very very lucky. You have no idea how much I`ve sufferred owing to growing up in Karachi, as a girl as a woman, and last but definitely not the least as an engineer earning Rs 4000 a month after working my ass off in school for all those years. Probably you don`t remember the lousy TV programmes we used to get in the seventies when the prime of our life used to be ALF Laila. Probably you don`t remember the Load Shedding justwhen you have a final the next day, and ofcourse you left long before the Shia Sunni Violance, the MQM Violances in the late eightees and early nintees when our Board exams would be indeffinitly postoned, when MQM had torture cells right in the city. And I haven`t even srtarted yet. Well I for one am definitely not proud of my country at its present state, Pakistan gave me nothing but heart ache. Not that I don`t believe in why Pakistan came into being. I greatly respect what Mohammad Ali Jinnah did for us South Asian Muslims, but the people after that certainly didn`t take care of the country. And why would I try to do anything for a place that made me suffer so????

Well but then that`s just my opinion. Nothing personal.

Sincerely

Mrs. Nighat Saud

ARE YOU PAKISTAN? ..... hmm

Well, its in my blood.

Alamgir wrote a song on it.

May bhee Pakistan hoon

Too bhee Pakistan hay.

Too to meri JAAN may. * * * importance on JAAN * *

Pakistan may be in difficult times but all of us have to ask just one question. What have we done for our country?

No one is going to help build our country we have to do it ourselves. It dosent matter whether we live in or outside Pakistan the will to contribute must be there, thats the only way our future will be better than our past or present.

PAKISTAN ZINDABAD!

I have been raised in Pakistan, sandpit, oyster rocks, hawkbay, muree, nathigalee, ayoobia, swat, lahore.....it`s all vivid memories. Have been in US for two years now, and have been asked, WHERE IS PAKISTAN than are you pakistan. With all our problems, and dark aspects, and social problems and taboos and what not, Pakistan is still THE homeland, and will remain... for life. I loved your article.

Ardeshir,

Thanks for taking me for a walk down memory lane. It`s been ages since I have thought about those wonderful times spent growing up in Pakistan. Being from Karachi, I too have very fond memories of the beach, Hawkesbay, Sandspit, etc. Like you, I too spent many summers upcountry in the foothills of Muree, Kaghan, etc. Recalling the past is a very bitter-sweet experience - particularly when the memories are of a wonderful and innocent time. The past indeed is another country.(sigh)

Cheers!