Karachi, Feb 6: The author of Aboard the Democracy Train, Nafisa Hoodbhoy, gave an international perspective on Pakistan’s political situation at a luncheon reception hosted by PPP Senator Dr Karim Khawaja at the Defense Housing Authority Club in Karachi.
The get-together with PPP officials and senior television and print journalists became an occasion for the author to talk about how Pakistan changed in the post 9/11 era. She used her experience as a US based journalist to talk about the winding down of Washington’s offensive in Afghanistan and how that would likely affect Pakistan.
The author focused on the inroads made by the Tehrik-i-Taliban and their affiliates in Karachi, which have unnerved residents. She told the gathering about some of the forces behind the sectarian wars that have now taken hold of the city, previously wracked by ethnic wars.
Hoodbhoy also spoke of how television anchors have themselves become mouth pieces for power brokers – planting their own perspective instead of allowing invitees the opportunity to present their points of view.
The PPP office bearers sat through the frank discussion about the opportunism of mainstream political parties, including the absence of governance by the ruling party during their last five years in power.