The Pakistan Label

A Cinema in Peshawar, Pakistan, screening action-packed local movie.

The headlines shout: “Pakistan is the Epicenter of Terrorism”, “Why Pakistan Produces Jihadists”, “Terror Roads Lead Back to Pakistan”…..

The list can go on and on, as investigations into the New York Times Square thwarted car bomb case unfolded, and a Pakistani-American has been charged with the attempted bombing. Again, Pakistan is grabbing world attention for the wrong reason.

Pakistanis are acutely aware of how the world views them; I recalled during my travel there in 2006, one of the questions most frequently directed to me was: “Do you really think that Pakistan is a nation of terror?”

And how could I hurt the feeling of those kind Pakistanis who had just offered me great hospitality that statistics showed that many terrorism acts did involve or link to Pakistan?

After being asked time and again, my answer became quite standard: “Generally, Pakistanis are kind and peaceful people, but a handful of black sheep in the society stigmatized the country’s image.”

The answer was not meant to be patronizing. During my two-month stay there, I was overwhelmed by the kindness showered on me – strangers whom I met by the roadside took me home, sheltered me, fed me, and even clothed me; vendors who refused to take payment from me simply because I was a mehman (guest); policemen gave me free ride for hundreds of kilometer simply because I was alone….

But then again, why extended extra “protectiveness” to a lone backpacker like me? To the extent of providing free police escort?

In Pakistan, I could not help but notice the strong presence of gun – whether in the form of giant local movie posters where heroes are all armed; or gun shops lined the streets in big cities or small towns; or an entire village surviving on hand-made weapons; or no celebration is complete without firing a few rounds of shots.

Once a Pashtu friend who grew up in Quetta, Pakistan, told me that one of the first things he noticed during his first visit to Malaysia was the unarmed policemen who patrolled the streets.

“They only carry batons! That says a lot about the security in Malaysia. I cannot imagine Pakistani policemen doing their rounds unarmed. Even civilians like us all have gun and pistol at home.” (*note: he used to live in tribal zones bordering Afghanistan where no license is needed for gun ownership, unlike other parts in Pakistan).

But don’t get me wrong, the visibility of a “gun culture” does not equal the use of violence. Back then, I had heard “friendly” gunshots commemorating wedding ceremonies or local festivals (though there were incidents when bullets went astray and hurt fellow revelers), but I had never seen shooting spree aimed at killing in the streets, nor had I been threatened at gun-point (though I did had my cheek pressed onto a gun barrel while piggy-riding on a police motorbike).

If part of the reasons for owning gun is for security sake – gun sales has apparently soared as Pakistan grows more volatile with frequent bombings in recent months – then ordinary Pakistanis appeared to be ill-protected; they are sandwiched between insurgency and military actions, civilian casualties continue to rise, and they are powerless in defending themselves despite owning weapons.

The aforementioned Pashtu friend once told me, “I used to sleep with a pistol underneath my pillow. One morning, I returned from the bathroom and saw my five-year-old son had retrieved the pistol from my bed and playing with it. It was loaded and not locked; my son could have hurt himself and others.

“It wasn’t his fault, seeing ‘toy’ lying around and wanting to play with it. I only wish we lived in a more secured place, where policemen can go around unarmed.”

But he is stuck where he is, and sometimes when he travels abroad for work purposes, he is subjected to extra scrutiny and paperwork – sometimes so much so that he missed his flight – for he is forced to wear the “Pakistan” label.