Brilliant article by Mohsin Hamid!

[Pakistani tigers]

What a well written and balanced article. In times of gloom, we need to maintain our pride as we are a nation that has strived and overcome alot in the past.

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/editorial/room-for-optimism-940

[KB]

Mohsin Hamid wrote something a couple of years ago that certainly resonated with me:

As my wife and I board our flight from London to Lahore, evident all around us is a longing for home -- for the friends and family who are central to Pakistani culture in a way that many foreigners find so remarkable. (As an admiring American roommate of mine once said, "All you guys do is hang out.") This duality of Pakistan as a place both troubled and normal, a place capable of producing a large diaspora while also affectionately tugging at those who have left, is often lost on the world's media. International news outlets tend to cast Pakistan as the one-dimensional villain of a horror film, a kind of Jason or Freddie whose only role is to frighten. Scant attention is paid to the hospitality, the love for music and dance, or the simple ordinariness of 164 million people going about their daily lives.

[MIG]

As I said somewhere, Pakistanis dont give themselves enough credit for good things - we like to focus on negatives. There is a lot to be learnt from India in that respect

[Pakistani tigers]

As I said somewhere, Pakistanis dont give themselves enough credit for good things - we like to focus on negatives. There is a lot to be learnt from India in that respect

Very true Mig.

Mohsin is a true patriot and everything he writes comes from his heart. I love his two novels. :14:

[KB]

One thing worth saying is that Pakistan has I think the largest refugee population in the world.

Some in Western countries complain about immigration in their lands, without knowing that generally it is not the rich countries that take most of the refugees.

Whilst its Afghan policy may be subject to criticism, it cannot be overlooked that Pakistanis have displayed a generousity in spirit towards the Afghan refugees.

[MIG]

One thing worth saying is that Pakistan has I think the largest refugee population in the world.

Some in Western countries complain about immigration in their lands, without knowing that generally it is not the rich countries that take most of the refugees.

Whilst its Afghan policy may be subject to criticism, it cannot be overlooked that Pakistanis have displayed a generousity in spirit towards the Afghan refugees.

Wow - another important point overlooked. What other country will open its doors to the plight of its bretheren? Those who talk about Pakistan NOT being a haven for Muslims will do well to look at the amounts of people we have GLADLY hosted in our country.

[kingkash786]

true said and just to let everyone know all these tragedies are nothing more than growing pains so that we see our weakness and build on them so as to develop into a true islamic fortress for islam we have one part down the military aspect but now we need a proper islamic political and economical ideology hence our problems now are all economical and political not military problems. Truly its Alah guiding us and preparing the way for a new independant islamic progressive and confident Pakistan inshallah

[kingkash786]

PS
We need to make a political movement to ensure all girls schools destroyed are rebuilt fit for the modern age in secular education and equally as fit to provide a proper islamic school remember to educating a boy makes him a man, educating a women builds a nation.

[Darkhunter]

Wow - another important point overlooked. What other country will open its doors to the plight of its bretheren? Those who talk about Pakistan NOT being a haven for Muslims will do well to look at the amounts of people we have GLADLY hosted in our country.
Could you have stopped these refugees? To me it looks like these are illegal immigrants and Pakistan had no choice but to accept them. Its not like you willingly opened your doors to accept these poor refugees.

Also, ISI and Pakistan government's policy towards Afghanistan and support of Taliban is the main reason for creating these refugees in the first place. The same way they created refugees out of Kashmiri Pandits.

[MIG]

Could you have stopped these refugees? To me it looks like these are illegal immigrants and Pakistan had no choice but to accept them. Its not like you willingly opened your doors to accept these poor refugees.

Also, ISI and Pakistan government's policy towards Afghanistan and support of Taliban is the main reason for creating these refugees in the first place. The same way they created refugees out of Kashmiri Pandits.

Could we have stopped these refugees? YES - did we stop them? NO

The Afghan refugees became refugees from their own homeland due to USSRs invasion of Afghanistan. Guess who else supported that invasion?

[Darkhunter]

Could we have stopped these refugees? YES - did we stop them? NO

The Afghan refugees became refugees from their own homeland due to USSRs invasion of Afghanistan. Guess who else supported that invasion?
When USSR left, why did not they go back?

[MIG]

When USSR left, why did not they go back?

The mess that was created by USSR and its mysterious friends was such that it wasnt possible.

And to somehow answer your question, Pak and US Govts (note the I consider ISI as part of the govt unlike the Indian media propoganda ) did collude with the Taliban - the Taliban then went their own way.

You know what, I have a lot of patience for people arguing about policies etc but when you bring in all this to undermine the spirit of brotherhood amongst Muslims, I feel that you are here for some other reason.

Best say it loud and be done with it - on a different thread.

[KB]

Could you have stopped these refugees? To me it looks like these are illegal immigrants and Pakistan had no choice but to accept them. Its not like you willingly opened your doors to accept these poor refugees

The refugees to Pakistan did not start in 2001 when the so called US led "war on terrorism" commenced.

Pakistan has been host to Afghan refugees for three decades.

In this time it could have forced repatriation or attempted to stem the flow. Even recently it made the decision to allow Afghan refugees to remain in the country for a further 3 years. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8588405.stm

On generosity, there is also an interesting quote from the UNHCR Refugees magazine in 1997:

Deputy High Commissioner Gerald Walzer was Chief of Mission in Islamabad in 1982-84 and recalls: "As many as 150,000 people were arriving each month at that time. Providing even the most basic life-saving and life-sustaining aid was a tremendous challenge." The Pakistan government, in a gesture Walzer has never seen repeated, allowed the World Food Programme to draw down the country's own national food stocks to feed the incoming tide of people.

But it is not the government that I was actually thinking about when I made the original post. I was talking about ordinary Pakistani people. The Afghan refugees were allowed to work, set up business and have contact with Pakistanis.

The ordinary Pakistanis have on the whole rarely complained about refugees and have shown a tremendously generous and hospitable spirit.

This is not something that should be belittled.

[Juggernaut]

The refugees to Pakistan did not start in 2001 when the so called US led "war on terrorism" commenced.

Pakistan has been host to Afghan refugees for three decades.

In this time it could have forced repatriation or attempted to stem the flow. Even recently it made the decision to allow Afghan refugees to remain in the country for a further 3 years. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8588405.stm

On generosity, there is also an interesting quote from the UNHCR Refugees magazine in 1997:



But it is not the government that I was actually thinking about when I made the original post. I was talking about ordinary Pakistani people. The Afghan refugees were allowed to work, set up business and have contact with Pakistanis.

The ordinary Pakistanis have on the whole rarely complained about refugees and have shown a tremendously generous and hospitable spirit.

This is not something that should be belittled.

Not to put a damper on the thread but I had an interesting thought.

Residents of countries such as the UK and the US of A are generally better educated and certainly better informed about the world around them than the average Pakistani.

Now over here in the UK they make a song and dance about immigrants stealing their jobs, lapping up on benefits handed out by the Government etc. etc. I'm not arguing the pros and cons of immigration. What I'm saying is that people in the West are generally better equipped to discuss these issues.

As far as Pakistani's go, do you think the average Pakistani has ever been well enough informed about the political situation surrounding the issue of Afghan refugees to kick up a fuss about it? Do you think the average Pakistani who's main priority is to make enough money to feed his family has the time to go protesting the intake of refugees from Afghanistan? Has the average Pakistani's voice ever been really heard on any issue affecting the country?

Pakistani's are a hospitable people. There is no doubt about that. We've taken in these refugees and generally been good to them. That's the kind of people we are. And fair enough when it comes to helping the Muslim world we've generally been at the forefront. But isn't that more to do with our general religious 'josh' and 'jazba' rather than to put it crudely using our brains to see how such a decision will ultimately effect us?

As for the Pakistani Govt. driving down it's own food stocks to feed the incoming tide of people. Do you think that really made a difference to the fat cats in government positions? If anything wouldn't that effect the common Pakistani?

I don't want to sound like a cynic and I know Pakistani's have some great qualities which because of our general situation we don't get to exhibit more often. I don't want to sound like a xenophobe either. Hopefully I don't come across as anti Muslim either. :P But the above was just a few things that came to mind. All of the above things you've mentioned, can they really be explained by as as simple a statement as 'Pakistani's are a great people'.

By the way I haven't read the article as yet but will do when I get some time. Also, I grew up in Pakistan so I'm aware of it's history. But of course :) if I've missed anything out when it comes to the whole Afghan refugees issue please let me know.

[Mohsin]

One thing worth saying is that Pakistan has I think the largest refugee population in the world.

Some in Western countries complain about immigration in their lands, without knowing that generally it is not the rich countries that take most of the refugees.

Whilst its Afghan policy may be subject to criticism, it cannot be overlooked that Pakistanis have displayed a generousity in spirit towards the Afghan refugees.

And how do the Afghans re-pay us? :poodle

All this towards the same country which firstly opposed the creation of Pakistan in the first place....and then the ONLY country which voted against our inclusion in the UN!

[Darkhunter]

The mess that was created by USSR and its mysterious friends was such that it wasnt possible.

And to somehow answer your question, Pak and US Govts (note the I consider ISI as part of the govt unlike the Indian media propoganda ) did collude with the Taliban - the Taliban then went their own way.

You know what, I have a lot of patience for people arguing about policies etc but when you bring in all this to undermine the spirit of brotherhood amongst Muslims, I feel that you are here for some other reason.

Best say it loud and be done with it - on a different thread.
I don't have any ulterior motive and I am sure there are many positives for Pakistan that they should deservingly take credit for. However, I am still not convinced that Pakistan had any other option but to accept the refugees, unlike some of the other countries that have gone out of their way to accept refugees.
I think these refugees would have entered Pakistan anyways even if you decided against it, where else could they have gone? Its a humane thing that you are welcoming them and accepting them but I don't think there is anything to be proud of there.