A South Asian heritage diplomat arrives in Islamabad with anxiety and will leave transformed — that, in essence, is the story I want to share.

In the past few months, I have been privileged to meet a diplomat who has become a dear friend. His openness, friendliness and positivity make him easy to befriend, and he has the rare gift of unselfishly connecting Pakistanis of similar purpose and interest. His South Asian heritage deepens these qualities further and having worked on Afghanistan, in Bangladesh and now in Pakistan, he cherishes and champions increased regional integration. I am sharing his reflections on his postings in the subcontinent — in his words, kept as true to the original as possible. He writes, “I had transited through Pakistan on a PIA flight in the 90s, but that didn’t really count. Pakistan was the last country I had to personally engage with in South Asia in order to complete my list of personal and professional engagement with the subcontinent.

I arrived in Pakistan five months ago with excitement but also a slight feeling of anxiety. In prior contexts as a student and professional I have gotten to know many Pakistanis as fellow ‘desis’ who have similar tastes in food, music and shared colonial histories. I had read Daniyal Mueenuddin’s ‘In Other Rooms, Other Wonders’ as a masterpiece of storytelling. As a foreign affairs professional who worked on Afghanistan policy early in the Great War on Terrorism, I had an appreciation for Pakistan’s unique status in the regional alliances. Twenty years ago, my first diplomatic assignment was to Dhaka, formerly East Pakistan until a war of liberation led to the birth of Bangladesh.

Diplomacy is a people business and it is a professional responsibility to meet people relevant in political and economic spheres. Since arriving, introductory ice is often broken with an observation of my name, which prompts curiosity. I explain my father is originally from South Asia and my mother is Caucasian of European stock. That explains my skin tone and halting ability to communicate in Urdu.

Eventually the question arises of how my experience has been in Pakistan so far, and how it compares to other South Asian countries. Thankfully I am able to be entirely positive — Islamabad is remarkably clean and the rare episodes of traffic are caused by VIP convoys and security blocks. Life is easy and enjoyable here. The city is verdant with mature trees and sits beneath the Margalla hills, reminiscent of the city of my grandparents, elsewhere in the subcontinent. I share how warm, welcoming and curious I have found the people to be, and how much I wish that both internal and external limits on my movements didn’t prevent me from experiencing more of the country.

If the conversation continues, I might share that at least two of my ancestors were born in Rawalpindi and that my grandfather wrote his notes and accounts in Urdu — not English or another regional language. Often the person will share their stories of loving regional movies or shows, or how much they enjoyed visiting neighboring countries, or lament their inability to do so on account of visa challenges. Although I am a western diplomat, somehow I become a proxy for another South Asian the Pakistani wishes they could befriend.

In the past five months in Pakistan I have learned how much my initial apprehensions about this assignment were deeply misplaced. And once again I am deeply grateful for the opportunity of serving as a diplomat, which affords profound experiences that expand my understanding of the world.”

His account speaks for itself. There is a famous saying that has long circulated in diplomatic circles: “You cry when you are posted to Pakistan, and you cry when you leave.” Pakistan is so often seen through a lens of misperception and prejudice — and yet here is a man who arrived uncertain and will depart, in spirit at least, as one of its most convincing advocates. Working to improve Pakistan’s image in the world does not require apology or grievance. It requires exactly this: honest voices, genuine encounters, and the quiet power of human connection. People like my friend are, in the end, Pakistan’s best ambassadors.

—The writer is a former Senior Advisor to the Government and a sector development specialist, a member of the APP Think Tank and Pakistan’s Buddhist Heritage Promotion Ambassador for Green Tourism, a company under SIFC.

© Pakistan Observer