Finally the plane arrives. Eighty 30-something men rush to the boarding gate. A Pakistani airlines representative barks at them, “This is not a bus! You have assigned seats. Step back!” These laborers are rushing to leave India for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, transiting through Lahore, trying to earn more money. I board the plane, smile at the anxious worker beside me and stroke my beard.
Fifty minutes later I’ve landed. It’s nighttime. The runway glistens with new rain. I disembark, board a coach, and am released onto a clean marble floor. Signs are big and bright. The airport glows. No stray cat. Already Pakistan defies my expectations. It is far more clean and orderly than the Indian airport I just left.
A few other things stand out, things more in line with my expectations. The flight attendant praised God when we landed. That seemed odd. In line I see there's a separate passport control counter for “Families” where only a man need appear on behalf of his wife and kids. And there’s a counter for “Children, Elderly and Unaccompanied Women.” I want to get in that line.
I stay where I belong, and without trouble pass through immigration control, get my bag, board a taxi, and go out into Lahore’s night. The roads are wide and quiet. We pass through a military cantonment. My driver, an old man in a grey kurta named Muhammad Javid strikes up a conversation; I ask about America.
I ask about Musharraf, expecting the driver to evade the question. When things get turbulent and violent, I expect ordinary people to duck out of political speak in fear. But he pounces. Musharraf consents! Javid exclaims. "I hate him....I can only afford one meal a day now. Musharraf’s ruined the country.” With that, he pulls smoothly up to my gleaming hotel.
So much for fear and disorder I expected from Lahore.
Maybe it’s time to shave too.
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To Does it Matter:
You think the reporter is superficial? Your ignorant comment on the "Punjab babes" is far more superficial and disrespectful to me. Noticing a cleaner and more modern airport is a reflection of the country's economic infrastructure- nothing more or less.
December 19, 2007 1:33 AM | Report Offensive Comments
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Posted on December 13, 2007 01:02
Young Pakistanis: Bin Laden Is A CIA Creation
Good Morning America gets more than it bargained for in a feature on young people in Pakistan
An ABC news piece that ran yesterday morning attracted attention after four Pakistanis who were being interviewed about the attitudes and life of young people in Pakistan declared Osama Bin Laden to be a creation of western intelligence and stressed that Islamic extremist attitudes towards the west were virtually non existent in their country before 9/11.
ABC have since pulled the video footage from their website, but an industrious prisonplanet forum member grabbed the footage and uploaded it to youtube.
"Who is Osama Bin Laden?" One girl asked Chris Cuomo, "He's just a character created by America" she concluded.
Another of the young people, all in their twenties picked up the conversation stating "I would say that 98% of Pakistanis would follow along the same lines, they believe that Osama is basically a CIA agent who is working under cover to put over a bad image of Islam."
After looking shocked and surprised, Cuomo attempted to rescue the interview by suggesting that many people within Pakistan do indeed support the ideals of bin Laden.
Not according to a a third young Pakistani who was quick to correct the ABC host stating "To be quite honest that is a very marginalised section of Pakistan. The Islamic extremism that you find did not really exist in Pakistan pre 9/11 or pre the Musharraf government.
Of course this is not groundbreaking information, it is basic common knowledge. Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are direct creations of western intelligence as we have thoroughly documented. Al Qaeda itself was a joint CIA/ISI intelligence database of mujahudeen fighters they had recruited in the late 70s and eighties to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
People in Pakistan in particular are very well informed on this reality due to the fact that the ISI is deeply involved with such CIA activities. Bin Laden even had an ISI Running Officer , who also worked closely with the Taliban in Afghanistan who were heavily sponsored by ISI operatives before 9/11.
The head of the ISI at the time, General Mahmoud Ahmad was, according to the FBI and as confirmed by various news reports at the time , a principle financier of the 19 alleged 9/11 hijackers.
But the reaction of the ABC reporter and doubtless millions of watching Americans speaks volumes about the ingrained falsehoods that have shaped our world over the last six years.
www(dot)infowars(dot)com/articles/terror/bin_laden_cia_creation_say_young_pakistanis(dot)htm
December 5, 2007 12:11 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on December 5, 2007 12:11
Young Pakistanis: Bin Laden Is A CIA Creation
Good Morning America gets more than it bargained for in a feature on young people in Pakistan
An ABC news piece that ran yesterday morning attracted attention after four Pakistanis who were being interviewed about the attitudes and life of young people in Pakistan declared Osama Bin Laden to be a creation of western intelligence and stressed that Islamic extremist attitudes towards the west were virtually non existent in their country before 9/11.
ABC have since pulled the video footage from their website, but an industrious prisonplanet forum member grabbed the footage and uploaded it to youtube.
"Who is Osama Bin Laden?" One girl asked Chris Cuomo, "He's just a character created by America" she concluded.
Another of the young people, all in their twenties picked up the conversation stating "I would say that 98% of Pakistanis would follow along the same lines, they believe that Osama is basically a CIA agent who is working under cover to put over a bad image of Islam."
After looking shocked and surprised, Cuomo attempted to rescue the interview by suggesting that many people within Pakistan do indeed support the ideals of bin Laden.
Not according to a a third young Pakistani who was quick to correct the ABC host stating "To be quite honest that is a very marginalised section of Pakistan. The Islamic extremism that you find did not really exist in Pakistan pre 9/11 or pre the Musharraf government.
Of course this is not groundbreaking information, it is basic common knowledge. Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are direct creations of western intelligence as we have thoroughly documented. Al Qaeda itself was a joint CIA/ISI intelligence database of mujahudeen fighters they had recruited in the late 70s and eighties to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
People in Pakistan in particular are very well informed on this reality due to the fact that the ISI is deeply involved with such CIA activities. Bin Laden even had an ISI Running Officer , who also worked closely with the Taliban in Afghanistan who were heavily sponsored by ISI operatives before 9/11.
The head of the ISI at the time, General Mahmoud Ahmad was, according to the FBI and as confirmed by various news reports at the time , a principle financier of the 19 alleged 9/11 hijackers.
But the reaction of the ABC reporter and doubtless millions of watching Americans speaks volumes about the ingrained falsehoods that have shaped our world over the last six years.
http://www.infowars.com/articles/terror/bin_laden_cia_creation_say_young_pakistanis.htm
December 5, 2007 12:09 PM | Report Offensive Comments
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September 7, 2007 3:58 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on September 7, 2007 15:58
Aamir Ali,
Listen carefully: Kashmiris haven't fought India for 60 years, Pakistan has. Kashmiris have fully participated in the Indian democracy for 60 years. Kashmiris have repeatedly resisted and fought Pakistani interference and aggression since 1947. The only Kashmiris who seek "liberation" from India and are grateful to Pakistan are Pakistani-trained Kashmiri terrorists. I suggest you stop consorting with this sort before you get hurt.
August 28, 2007 10:32 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 28, 2007 10:32
Kashmiri:
What do you call an occupation of 700,000 troops? You call it Army rule. Kashmir has been under army rule for last 60 years.
Koshur:
I have actually never met a Kashmir from Azad Kashmir, the ones I met were from Indian occupied Kashmir. They said they wanted liberation from India and were grateful towards Pakistan for the help they provided. The 60 year battle that Kashmiris have fought with India is further testimony to it.
August 27, 2007 8:36 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 27, 2007 20:36
Aamir Ali->> For the record also you have been ruled by the army for 60 years.
Looks like you are getting mixed up between Kashmir and Pak.
August 27, 2007 3:42 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 27, 2007 03:42
Did anyone notice the Lahore street picture on this post? Got to say - "Defies my Expectations"
August 27, 2007 3:32 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 27, 2007 03:32
Aamir Ali:
>> For the record also you have been ruled by the army for 60 years.
It is clear you can't tell you ass from your elbow - so i am not going to argue with you.
August 27, 2007 3:22 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 27, 2007 03:22
Aamir Ali: I have met many Kashmirs, who say the DESPISE India and want to be free from it. You can also look at the history of Kashmiris: 60 years of fighting India.
Let me reiterate: I don't believe you've met ANY Kashmiris, except for perhaps those in POK and they don't speak for the valley. I am a Kashmiri, and whether you like it or not, the simple reality is I know a lot more about Kashmir than you do or ever will. Your audacity in lecturing me on the beliefs of my people and our history is breathtaking! If you had even a cursory knowledge of Kashmiri history, you would know that WE haven't been fighting India for 60 years - your country has. Btw, I haven't said anything about loving India. I've just corrected your falsehood that we HATE India and hold it responsible for our misery. As I’ve repeatedly said, Kashmiris have mixed feelings about India, but we're unequivocal in our revulsion for Pakistan. We regard Pakistan as the engineer of our destruction.
August 24, 2007 9:16 AM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 24, 2007 09:16
Koshur:
I have met many Kashmirs, who say the DESPISE India and want to be free from it. You can also look at the history of Kashmiris: 60 years of fighting India.
The Kashmiris I met hold the Indian Army responsible for their misery and regard it as a terrible human rights abuser.
You may love India, that is a distinctly minority opinion among the Kashmiris.
August 23, 2007 7:35 PM | Report Offensive Comments
Posted on August 23, 2007 19:35
Aamir Ali: I have also met Kashmiris, they despise India and want to be free from it. That is why you have had conflict in J&K for 60 years.
I doubt you have met even one Kashmiri, but even if you have, it doesn't matter because YOU are NOT one. How DARE you tell me what I want! For the record, we despise Pakistan, not India. And we hold PAKISTAN responsible for the terrible state Kashmir is in now! Make no mistake, we KNOW that it's Pakistan that is the cause of all the conflict in the valley and we know that it has USED us as disposable pawns in a proxy war against India. Step into Srinagar someday buddy, and we'll show you our "appreciation" for what