New Hope! Last Hope? Or no Hope??

Book launch for Imran Khan's new book "Pakistan" in a packed room at the "Marriott" and the air is vibrating from expectations. A tall and athletic man in his late fifties enters the room shaking all hands within reach. This former captain of Pakistan's cricket team is surrounded by a charismatic aura. He is considered by many as the rising political star and has an increasing number of followers among the young generation and in the business community. His political experience is limited, but he is perceived by friends and foes as an honest man.
He is dressed in his signature shalwar kameez with gilet. Calm and self confident, his short speech about Pakistan is more a recollection of things said many times before: America should have treated Osama Bin Laden and his followers as common criminals and not as Islamic fighters. His mission is cleaning up the corruption that destroys the morality of the Pakistani society and the state as a whole. "We allowed the criminals to govern the country and lead us into darkness" - he criticizes the current government being busy in looting, plundering and misleading their fellow countrymen.

But the real surprise follows when retired Air Marshall Asghar Khan takes the floor and tells the audience, that "while Pakistan has attacked India four times, India has never been the aggressor  in any of the wars fought between these two nations". He is a highly respected former military leader, incredibly alert at the age of 92 and apparently a supporter of great weight of Imran Khan. Air Commodore (retired) Sajad Haider will confirm this statement the next day in the newspaper: "The Nation was told the enemy is invading, when actually it was our leadership who led the nation into disgrace to keep megalomaniacs in the chair."



A week later I meet people in Lahore, the city where Imran Khan's show two days before had rallied and electrified an impressive crowd of over two hundred thousand. Most of the 18-35 years old (30% of Pakistan's population) were mobilized by means of  social media. These people are talking about new hope with that glow in their eyes, others with a kind of desperation about the state of their country considering him being the last hope for change in Pakistan.
But many have questions about the kind of change he would be able to bring, whether he would be able to fight the militants and point at some contradictions in his speeches. He himself is speaking of a Tsunami that will bring him to power - interesting months ahead!

Success - finally - for a bill that passed the National Assembly providing severe punishment for "anti-women" practices! It addresses forced marriages for settling disputes, depriving women of their inheritance and forced marriages in general with imprisonment up to five years and substantial fines.

The four day trip to Lahore, a very lively and wonderful city, offers invitations to sumptuous and leisurely garden lunches. Every dish a delight with different curries, meat plates of any sort, grilled and steamed and cooked, broiled and simmered, mutton, beef, chicken and fish, lentils and vegetables, such a variety now to be found locally grown! Beautiful silk shalwar kameezes in bright colours, shawls playfully arranged around shoulders and necks, an inimitable atmosphere so amicable and intimate among women. Yes, among women. Hard to break the custom of divided genders at lunches and dinners, but with great warmth and understanding among the respective groups. Whenever I pretend not to have seen those invisible barriers and head right for the men's group I am met with welcoming surprise and kind amusement and everyone assures me, that there would be actually no such demarcation line...

On the five hours drive home from Lahore a break at a farm with an invitation for a ride in the fertile plain of Punjab - to be told after an other rich meal with a variety of meat plates, that the horses had been brought to Lahore for Polo training during the winter months and the offer for a camel ride instead. Shaky and high above the ground and the saddle a box meant for transporting agricultural goods, but covered nicely with slippery silk fabric. Peacocks, flamingos, dogs and small bridges to cross add another portion of unpredictable excitement for an already adventurous tour in the garden. I made it safely and gladly back to the ground...