People Like You

It is such a pleasant feeling to be able to sit here and write something positive about the current affairs of Pakistan; the very affairs that have come to shape my life here in Karachi. It's been 2 days since the elections and so far I can report that there has been minimal trouble as a result of them.

"The backlash never came."

Instead there is this feeling of relief, hope and excitement sweeping the nation as it slowly sinks in that the people of Pakistan have taken an active step towards creating a more secure and democratic state.

But this outcome is far from what both I and the nation expected. The feeling in the country has been tense over the last few weeks as people have quietly waited for the elections. Pakistan has been a country bracing itself for the worst.

Then on the night before the elections, people secured their buildings with metal shutters and blanketed barriers. It wasn't in their comprehension that an election could take place without resulting trouble and it wasn't in mine either.

I watched as numerous ex-pat friends flew off to Dubai for a week and I even bought a week's worth of supplies with the expectation of being housebound for many days.

On the day of elections I stayed at home, oblivious to what was happening outside of my front door. From the roof of my apartment I could see over the usually busy high street where I live. It was eerily quiet, and few people were on the street.

Andrew Webster (centre) with friends

Making a stand

By the evening though I was ready for the outcome and took up my position in front of the television to watch the results come in. I planned to stay up all night, as like I said, I fully expected work to be called off the following day.

However it soon became apparent that the opposition parties were going to win and the people of Pakistan had taken a stand against the current system of governance.

This wasn't the way it was meant to be. The ruling party was supposed to win and the opposition were supposed to take their anger out onto the streets. As I watched the results come in I couldn't help but laugh to myself with astonishment.

The reason for my amusement was that the result was so ridiculously obvious at the same time as being a complete surprise. Only in Pakistan would such a contradiction be possible.

Andrew and friends on New Year's Eve

Never imagined it happening

Despite the fact public opinion clearly indicated this outcome; I never imagined it would actually happen. In my mind voter apathy or vote rigging would ensure the status quo continued. Watching the opposite made me feel stupid, refreshingly stupid for not even considering the most obvious outcome as possible.

By 3am I had to go to bed, realizing that work would in fact not be called off and celebration as opposed to aggression would now be erupting all over the city.

The days that have followed have been exciting. You can really feel a change in the atmosphere here. Just on the streets last night, political supporters complete with flags and music toured the city on the back of pickup trucks, motorcycles and cars.

Grateful

For the first time since I have been here the people of Pakistan seem genuinely empowered and immediately proud of what they have achieved. This feels like more than just an election result, it feels like real progress.

Next time I write therefore I hope it will be about my normal life in Pakistan. A life that is not being disturbed by political instability and a life that doesn't cause the concern of my family.

We're a long, long way from that yet, but hope is far closer to that point than a continual fear for the worst, and it is this hope that I have today! I feel grateful to be in Pakistan. Let’s just hope the country can make the most of it.