Welcome to my home

No matter how much people in my country may dislike the U.S administration, there is definitely one positive side to it. Those who had never heard of Pakistan, know about it now..( although not in the true sense) So we must be thankful to this fame ( pun intended). Although sport fans are familar with the cricket star Imran Khan and Squash Champion Jehangir Khan, people generally have a very vague understanding of the place itself.

The images that people generally conjure of Pakistanis is bearded men wearing turbans and women clad in head to toe burqas living a very primitive life in some mountains...this is when you realise how the media has defaced the real beauty of this land. Modern Pakistanis are no different from any educated class of people in the world.

There is a wrong assumption, especially about women. Mostly people feel that women are very submissive and highly suppressed and are surprised to know that Pakistani moms drive their children to school and also balance a career at the same time. True there are issues in some remote villages but generally the Pakistani woman is more informed. We are proud to have female politicians, a female prime minister and a woman as the head of the State Bank. Women excel in all fields from being heads of multinational corporations, large financial institutions, architects, doctors, teachers, designers, pilots and even in the army as generals.

I am often amused at the look of astonishment on people's faces when I tell them I am from Pakistan. The next question is, "How long have u been here?" . " Just over a year." and they look incredulously, " Oh, I thought you have been here for many years, you are so confident and your English is so good". The same happens with my other family members here and we feel we are the true ambassadors of Pakistan and aim to slowly dispel the negative notions about Islam and our own culture. We are what we are today because of the education and skills we received back home.

The images in the video posted above give few snap shots of Pakistan. It's not as if I don't enjoy being in Australia. It's a beautiful country with great friendly people. My only aim of posting such information is to give a different view of my country which has unfortunately become synonymous with cross border terrorism. Our army is battling against insurgents under very challenging circumstances and the masses are scared and worried with the increasing de-stability in the region.

Still, its a wonderful place with the most beautiful deserts and famous mountainous regions...Although the war on terror has destroyed some very lovely resorts and wiped out  places of livelihood for the villagers :(

Pakistan has a great mix of culture that is unique in each province/region. This adds its own individual colour. The rich cuisine from the South of the country to the Frontier and Tribal Areas in the north have a myriad of different tastes and flavours. From the all time favourite spicy 'Biryani' to tantalising ' Sajji' and a wide range of cool summer drinks and teas, there is something to suit every taste bud.

The province of Sindh is known for it's famous saints and there is lovely historical
architecture in different parts, some dating back centuries. The lovely Shalimar Gardens built by Emperor Shahjahan in Lahore are a masterpiece of  Mughal architectural brilliance while the Shah Faisal mosque in Islamabad is an example of modern Islamic architecture.  These are just a few sites to visit. For all those who love shopping, there is soo much to choose from. Rich fabrics, lovely cool cottons, hand embroidered cushions, hand woven rugs and carpets and don't forget the scrunchy dry fruit galore in Quetta and Gilgit. It's simply a steal and the genuine warmth of the people will make you keep coming back for more.

My own work with the Aga Khan Education Service gave me the opportunity to visit some of the most beautiful places in the world. While the Aga Khan Foundation works tirelessly for the social and economic development of the people living in the remote, challenging areas of Pakistan it also does a great service of opening the door to beautiful cultures and architecture that need to be preserved and cherished. A visit to the rocky and breathtakingly beautiful areas in Chitral, Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu have made me feel like I have already visited paradise on earth.

So on behalf of every Pakistani I say, " Khush Aamdaid" . Welcome to my Pakistan. :)