A Visit to Pakistan

Vinod,

You demonstrate a commendable interest in Pakistan and a desire to develop an understanding of the concerns of many Pakistanis. That is good. Incidentally, much as I would like to accept your ``Full marks to Pakistan!`` where the porter in Lahore had no problem not being paid for carrying your luggage, I think you should know that porters in Lahore and Islamabad airports (perhaps Karachi too) get paid in any case by the airport authorities so what that gentleman walked away from was just the tip that the porters normally expect. So let`s deduct a few marks for that. Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed visiting our country.

Vinod:

You`ve summed it up so succinctly, ``...preliminary, impetuous. confused and much more.`` If nothing, one cannot but admire the honesty of your expression.

Wish you had elaborated on Actionaid some.

regards

About Pakistani`s having relatives in India, there is a simple explaination. Fewer Hindu`s were left in Pakistan after the partition than Muslims in India. One reason was that there simply were more Muslims in that part of the sub-continent and all of them couldn`t migrate. Most of the Hindu families that migrated, didn`t leave relatives behind.

Another reason could have been that being in Islamabad you must be mingling mostly with Punjabi Pakistanis or Urdu Speaking (Mohajir) Pakistanis, and they would be more likely to have relatives in India, than say Baluchis or Sindhis.

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A highly enjoyable article to read and even more so in the sense of how green the grass appears from the other side of the fence!

A correction: VS Naipaul`s latest book on Islam is called Beyond Belief. His first book on Islam is called Among the Believers.