Current crisis in Pakistan

 I occasionally watch Pakistani channels on the YouTube, curious about what's going on on the other side of our fence, especially in context of the current instability in a country which was part of us only 75 years ago, with which we share a lot in culture, traditions and languages but a turbulent relationship. I take a peek at their milieu, especially at the pretty girls who come to the discussions held on myriad panels they have on TV with a sizable number of women participants. 

It did not go unnoticed to me how charming and pretty the Pakistani girls were. Going by the typical male psych when we men look at a group of girls, our eyes tend to scan for a face which is pretty Just the opposite happens when I look at the Pakistani girls clustered around. My eyes were scouring all these pretty faces to find at least one face which can stand out NOT beautiful. But my hope was soon belied as I didn't encounter any. Damn, every Pakistani girl was pretty - tall, svelte, chisel faced, fair skinned and endowed with elegance par excellence. 

Sorry, ladies. Our Pakistani counterparts beat us by miles. You may blame it on proverbial Odia saying - "GAAN KANIA SINGHANI NAAKI" or "Country girl, phlegm filled nose". Or its Hindi version "GHAR KI MURGI DAL BARABAR" or "chicken cooked at home tastes like boiled lentil". Both mean the same, grass looks greener on the other side of the fence. But the beauty of these Pakistani girls need to be seen in your own eyes rather than visualize in order to vindicate. 

Many girls arrive at the shows veiled in black color Abaya covered from tip to toe. In one such popular show a girl got excited on seeing a performance, started cheering and clapping, breaking into a rapturous delight and suddenly lifted her veil. And voila, she reminded me of this stanza from a Kishore Kumar's song, 

WOH ACHANAK Aa GAYEE

YOON NAZAR KE SAMNE,

JAISE NIKAL AYEE

GHATA SE CHAAND... 

transliterated from Hindustani (mix of Hindi and Urdu). 

"She suddenly arrives

In front of my eyes;

Bolstering my mood

As if moon ventured out of cloud". 

On social matters I was surprised by the closeness they bear with us. They have dowry problem like we have in India, although Islam prohibits dowry (who doesn't want free money). Suppression of women is worse than India. Yet obsession with India is very much in the air, especially about Bollywood, Cricket and Modi - not necessarily in that order. 

But on top their discussion chart is politics (the ex cricket player and playboy Imran Khan is now a player in politics currently surrounded by controversies), followed by talk about their fledgling economy already lying in the ruins. Like us many conspiracy theories going around there, a few blaming Modi behind there current crisis (this is something peddled by their bete noire Modi supporters in India that PM of India by some magic stroke has destroyed Pakistan's economy). A panelist from Lahore said that the flow of American money trickled down to a halt ever since the Yankees left Afghanistan, Pakistan's utility being devalued resulting in the stoppage of inflow of free dollars. I see some logic in this. 

On one panel a discussion was going on about the precarious stage of their economy. All grudgingly agreed that India has gone years ahead, its economy juggernauting towards $3 trillion and counting. The panelist asked - "We hear that India is ready to help us in this economic crisis we are facing. What you all think". "We will rather eat grass, die of starvation. But we will never ever beg from them". Hatred and fascination towards India exist together akin to two sides of a coin. 

I am no fan of Pakistan. But those who glee at their current discomfiture should note that it is in our best interest not to want an unstable Pakistan which could be followed by these utter nightmarish scenarioes happening right next door. 

1. A chaotic Pakistan may lead to a bad refusee scenario which could get worse, putting pressure on our fragile Radcliffe line. 

2. When a country is in turmoil it can give rise to fanatic leaders like Hitler in post World War I Germany. We don't want a Mullah in the possession of nuclear bomb sitting next door. It could be an unpredictable situation of "MANKADA HATHA RE SALA GRAMA" which literally means "Lord's statue in the hands of monkey", or giving a pivotal role to an ignoramus can backfire big time. We don't want that to happen.