In The Wild South

The mourning month of Muharram will come to an end this Sunday and will hopefully bring back the relative freedom of movement - and an end to the deeply somber tunes at all radio stations.  Ashura is the event commemorating the killing of Hussain, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, by Caliph Yazid, who wanted to ensure the succession for his own son, dividing consequently the Sunnis from the Shiites.
Shia processions have repeatedly and bloodily been attacked leaving yesterday more than twenty dead in the nearby city of Rawalpindi alone.

Pakistan started to release a considerable number of imprisoned Afghan Taliban leaders hoping to contribute to a negotiated arrangement between the Afghan government and opposition groups in view of the transition and withdrawal of foreign troops by 2014. Awareness grows that the future of the country lies in the hands of the regional players rather than foreign powers.


Having first missed in Karachi the Literature Festival in February of this year by a few hours, then the Karachi Fashion Show by a few days, I finally make it in time to attend IDEAS (International Defense Exhibition and Seminar), that is in plain English an Arms Fair. Trailing spouse - and adapting to a wider range of interests...
In fact, the topic raises many interesting questions and after one of the presentations the accompanying "leading" male spouse I am trailing behind remarks, that the expert from the army must have taken me as the Ambassador, since he almost exclusively spoke to me.

But I am not the only female visitor at the fair and all kinds of weapons are being examined, tested, posed and photographed with for interesting portraits.

Detailed questions are being asked and met with patient explanations all day long - my focus changes to the female participation of this "Arms for Peace" Seminar, as it is called by the organizers, being a defense and export promotion event.

And surprisingly, here I find my fashion show, an unexpected addition to the otherwise more martial range of exhibits. Saris in a soft beige, a color so popular in the West among women, beautifully draped and topped by coquettish berets, charming, must be more of a gala uniform than a battle suit, I assume.

The navy is not lacking behind with its sense of elegance and offers their squad an equally attractive lily-white sari, worn with pride by the young officers - again probably less in use on a submarine or battleship.

The Chinese exhibitors occupy a whole hall and demonstrate pictorially either their determination to protect their merchandise - or possibly their striking power. Business seems to be slow on this hot November afternoon, one of the dealers taking a nap behind the impressive selection of antitank grenades.

At the newly opened and fashionable Dolman City Mall in Karachi Swiss watch distributors run an impressive variety of shops and, at their wrists, an equally interesting selection of Swiss watches! Colleagues and competitors at the same time, they scrutinize each others choices, pose willingly with their fists and ask for a copy of the photo to be mailed to everyone.

The citizens of Karachi adapt their daily routine to the challenging security situation and I am told that due to an increasing number of robberies at gunpoint in traffic jams, women now carry a "fake" second handbag with them on their lap with expired mobile phone and credit cards, little money, while hiding their "real" one in the trunk. The same do men with their mobiles and watches, carrying a second set with them, ready to be robbed with hopefully little damage to life and limb.


Back in Islamabad after a few weeks, the first morning run in the enclave and two guards in front of the Italian (!) Embassy get up, wave and shout - "we missed you!" - I am back home!