Pakistan! Why there? It is so dangerous! Did you not see all that violence on TV?

The title refers to some of the comments that some people made when I mentioned that I was going to spend summer in Pakistan. But going to Pakistan proved them to be wrong, nothing more than media stereotypes. It is true that in Pakistan there are some problems related to fundamentalism and terrorism but it is just the few that give the bad name to the rest, who are very welcoming people.

I was always told that probably Pakistan will help me; rather than vice-versa, and this proved to be very true. Once there, I realized how the world is culturally, sociologically, psychologically and geographically different. Bernard Falzon mssp who went there before me told me it is like taking a space shuttle and landing on a different planet.

This journey on a “different planet” started in the business city of Pakistan; Karachi where we spent 1.5 weeks, after which we spent 1 week in the industrial Faisalabad, another 2.5 weeks where spent in Kipling’s city of Lahore (the beautiful cultural centre of Pakistan). In between we had a short holiday of 1 week at Murree on the foothills of the Himalayas. The group led by Fr.Karm MSSP was composed of five other members from ZAK Zabbar (Mark, Pamela, Tiziana and Laura) and myself. and we went to MSSP’s missions in Pakistan.

Pakistan was an incredible challenge and at the beginning I felt in state of culture shock nonetheless I was trying to help other people at the same time. But Pakistan was also an incredible learning experience. The concept of giving aid to less developed countries also changed, we (referring to people from the Western part of the world) think that they need our help, expertise and knowledge so that they solve their problems, but Pakistan taught that helping could just mean being yourself and sharing yourself with the other members of the community. To be rather than to do! The Christian community (which is a mere 1% of the 150 million population) was the one we had most contact with. They used to celebrate their religion and religious gathering with an authentic communal spirit that we rarely see on our side of the world. People would just invite us in their houses and offer us food just because we are Christian foreigners that came from far away.

The most astonishing parts of Pakistan that I visited are the beautiful city of Lahore and also the Himalayas mountains area of Murree. They are a must for every visitor in the next posts I will highlight some of the touristic attractions of Lahore.

Salam Ji (Peace to you Sir!)