I lived in Northern Pakistan (Kashmir) for best part of my life. Considered it as part of Pakistan. Thought the country - as a nation - is one and United. Yet over the past few years i have began to see the other side of Pakistan and its people.
Azad Kashmir is a lovely place. Not much wrong happens. Possibly the richest part of the country with number of people living abroad and investing locally. As far as i know everyone thinks of Kashmir as part of Pakistan.
But few experiences in life has made me question all this stuff, and all this is a result of loads of Pakistanis.
Over the years i have felt people in Pakistan dont consider Kashmir to be part of their country. They dont show any love.
I went to karachi during the floods as a disaster relief officer and with me had rapid response teams from canada and england. Bear in mind it was month of Ramadhan. People were sooo ungratful, they spoke with each other regarding our female members explicitly. Some even stooped as low physically making contact with them and then laughing and joking with their mates. People expected to be fed and refused to lend any help whatsoever. These are the same people we left our families, our jobs, our lives to help because their lives were in danger. They did not appreciate one bit.
Nail on head was when i told one of the local guys where i grew up. The look on his face was one of disgust. He blatnely said: "you're not pakistani," i felt like whacking him one. This sentiment is paralell throughout Pakistan as i was told a similar thing in Lahore before( this time in Larkana)
It seems like people in Pakistan just hate other people for the sake of it. This whole Afgan issue has vexed me so much. Pakistan is an Islamic country, with freedom for any other religion. If people want to seek refuge then they should be given that be it 30 years 40 years or 100years. We are muslims for rying out loud. We are suppose to help people it doesnt matter where they come from. Afganis, indians bangalis.
The point im making is this, we have blamed the leaders too often too much. The public needs to take it upon themselves to firstly STOP hating on others then work towards prosperity of the Nation.
Without generalising and saying handful have done wrong out of 170,000,000. But why let that happe in the first place?! Why make ourselves look bad when we are better than that? I hope i dont offend anyone. I love Pakistan as a country and want it to do well. But please please please for God Sake stop all this Indian Bashing and Afgan Bashing and all the rest of it. Respect on another. Instead of talking about wars all the time and whose got bigger missiles and aeroplanes talk about who checked upon their naighbour to see if they had any food or not.
If anyone read it this far i thank you.