I wish I could give a coherent explanation as to why I finally settled on the PPP [Pakistan People’s Party–the party of Benazir Bhutto] but I don’t think I can. When I reached the polling booth, my head was still spinning from the lack of decent choices.
Feisal Naqvi in the Daily Times of Pakistan:
Two weeks ago, I attended a seminar organised by the SECP [Securities and Exchange Commision of Pakistan] to publicise the launch of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). The seminar was erudite, the audience was learned and the vision being painted by the SECP of Pakistan’s rosy future was both enticing and entirely plausible.
But when one picked up a newspaper, all the good vibes disappeared. Dozens dead in suicide bombing, screamed one headline. These elections are a farce, shouted another. Between the seminar and the surkhis, my brain all but split into two. Either one or the other had to be right. Pakistan could not be simultaneously so advanced and so messed up.
But that is actually the case.
The problem with Pakistan is not that there are shades of grey which are being missed by casual observers. The problem with Pakistan is that it is a checkerboard with lots of blacks and lots of whites. Whether you think of Pakistan as shining or screwed up, you can find all the evidence you want. What you won’t find is a definitive answer either way.
More here.