Saturday, November 24, 2007

Watching from the Sidelines

It's been a while since I've been blogging regulary. It seems that since this emergency rule thing started that the net here has become excruciatingly slow. It could just be our provider but you never know.
Many friends have been writing me asking how things are under the "emergency rule." Honestly, things haven't really been much different. Our school was cancelled for one day, but that was just because Benazir Bhutta was under house arrest in the same block. There were mutliple death threats out against her and the security forces had blocked most of the streets leading to the school. After they decided to keep her in house arrest for a while, we just got used to the road blocks and the riot police. I haven't felt any more or less safe than before the emergency was declared.
What I try to explain to people who aren't here in Pakistan is that the political scene here is a game where only the players are involved. Yes, politicians, lawyers, and some journalists were affected by the emergency, but the regular person in Lahore is not. Kids still go to school every day, and people still go to work. Most Pakistanis here amuse themselves by watching the political drama from the sidelines. I just read on www.dawn.com that Nawaz Sharif will be flying into Lahore tomorrow. How does that affect me? Well I will be sure not to drive around near the airport, and I'll be sure to check BBC online to see if he's arrested or shipped off to another country again. Apparently Saudi Arabia isn't taking him back this time.

No comments: