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Jinnah’s Pakistan
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George ka khuda hafiz — I
Today, the divorce comes through. Her name is Pakistan. And today, I am leaving her for good.
The writer is a freelance print and broadcast journalist [email protected]
For the past nine years, I have been in a dysfunctional relationship. My liaison started somewhat unexpectedly, quickly becoming an all-consuming passionate love affair. My partner reciprocated strongly, bestowing deep affection and adoration upon me. Blinded by love, I was naive to her failings. Yes, at times she was self-destructive, irrational and grossly irresponsible, but I hoped by appealing to her nature’s better angles she could change. Instead, as the years progressed, and, supported by her ‘friends’ in the media, she corroded, simultaneously displaying signs of megalomania and paranoia. Once the relationship turned abusive and I feared for my life, I decide to call it quits. Today, the divorce comes through. Her name is Pakistan. And today, I am leaving her for good.
This was not a difficult decision to make. In fact, I didn’t make the decision. It was made for me. You do not chart your own destiny in Pakistan; Pakistan charts it for you. It’s emigration by a thousand news stories. I am aware that bemoaning the state of Pakistan as a final shot appears churlish and arrogant. After all, I have the luxury to leave — many others do not. Nor do I want to discredit the tireless work of the thousands who remain to improve the lives of millions of Pakistanis. They are better men and women than I. Pakistan has also given me so much over the years. It was Pakistan who introduced me to the love of my life. And it was upon her manicured lawns that we married, and upon her reclaimed soil that we set up our first home. She brought the love of a new family and new friends into my life. And it was Pakistan that witnessed the birth of my son, Faiz — named after one of her greatest sons.
She embraced me like no other gora post-9/11. I appeared in a documentary/reality series titled “George Ka Pakistan”. It allowed me to explore the country. I ploughed fields in the Punjab, built Kalashnikovs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (probably couldn’t do that now), and mended fishing boats in Balochistan. The culmination of the series saw the then prime minister, Shaukat Aziz, confer Pakistani citizenship upon me, after the viewing public voted overwhelmingly to make me one of them. I was their George. Fame and affection followed.
But that love was conditional. Conditional upon me playing the role cast — the naïve gora. The moment I abandoned the Uncle Tom persona and questioned the defined establishment narratives — whether through my television work or columns — excommunication began. No longer a Pakistani in the eyes of others, my citizenship evidently was not equitable to others.
So, as I depart, I could go with my reputation tarnished, but still largely intact. Or I could leave you with some final words of honesty. Well, true love values honesty far more than a feel-good legacy. So here goes.
Pakistan, you are on a precipice. A wafer-thin sliver is all that stands between you and becoming a failed state. A state that was the culmination of a search for a ‘Muslim space’ by the wealthy Muslims of Northern India has ended up, as MJ Akbar recently pointed out, becoming “one of the most violent nations on earth, not because Hindus were killing Muslims but because Muslims were killings Muslims”.
The assassination of Salmaan Taseer saw not only the death of a man but also represented for me the death of hope in Pakistan. I did not mourn Taseer’s death. I did not know the man. But I mourned what he represented — the death of liberal Pakistan. The governor’s murder reminded us how far the extremist cancer has spread in our society. A cancer in which I saw colleagues and friends on Facebook celebrate his murder. A man murdered for standing up for the most vulnerable in our society — a Christian woman accused of blasphemy. He committed no crime. Instead, he questioned the validity of a man-made law — a law created by the British — that was being used as a tool of repression.
In death, the governor was shunned, unlike his killer, who was praised, garlanded and lionised for shooting Taseer in the back. Mumtaz Qadri became a hero overnight. But Qadri is not just a man — he’s a mindset, as eloquently put by Fifi Haroon. Fascism with an Islamic face is no longer a political or an economic problem in Pakistan, it’s now become a cultural issue. Extremism permeates all strata and socio-economic groups within society. Violent extremists may still make up a minority but extremism now enjoys popular support. As for the dwindling moderates and liberals, they are scared.
Pakistan does not require a secret police, we are in the process of turning upon ourselves. But then what do you expect when your military/intelligence nexus — and their jihadi proxies — have used religious bigotry as a tool of both foreign and domestic policy. It is ironic that the one institution that was designed to protect the idea of Pakistan is the catalyst for its cannibalisation. Christians, Ahmadis, Shias and Barelvis have all been attacked in the past year. Who will be next? Groups once funded and supported by the state have carried out many of these attacks. And many jihadi groups still remain in cahoots with the agencies.
So as I leave Pakistan, I leave her with a sense of melancholy. Personally, for all my early wide-eyed excitement and love for the country and its people, Pakistan has made me cynical, disillusioned and bitter over time. I came here with high hopes, adopting the country, its people and the language. I did find redemption here — but no longer.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2011.
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Reader Comments (1028)
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We will miss you a lot George. No more running into you at T2F or any of the other events we used to see you at. It truly is the end of an era.Recommend
Goodbye George, thank you for the wonderful memories Recommend
this is sad.. really sad.. and wats worse would be people celebrating this.. you will surely be missed George :(Recommend
Dont go George.Recommend
We hope you’ll be back.Recommend
extremely sad article and sad to see you leaveRecommend
Well there is no point in Pakistan being a ‘failed state’. This has been said earlier and we will keep on hearing it ever after, but the fact is Pakistan was, is and will be there. This is a very hopeless statement, hard times come and goes, as a nation we are undergoing a strong one, but hopes must not die! For you George, best of Luck, you would be greatly missed :).Recommend
Sad, very sad! We wish you well George, I know you meant well, there was a certain innocent honesty in your approach, we shall miss you and maybe who knows miracles do happen we see you back one day. Best of luck dear George, Pakistan is poorer today. Recommend
Perhaps, not so strangely, I can actually relate to George’s parting paragraph: …”for all my early wide-eyed excitement and love for the country and its people, Pakistan has made me cynical, disillusioned and bitter over time. I came here with high hopes, adopting the country, its people and the language. I did find redemption here — but no longer.”
That’s how I used to be… wide-eyed and dizzy with love for my country. Making excuses. Thinking that, we’re lagging but we’ll get there. Happy to announce my birth country if asked where I was from. Now.Now, I don’t recognise my own city as it has turned into this fake, garish courtesan. The people. People who once were loving, respectful and generous and kind hearted. Today, they have turned selfish, self centred and keeping a very loose hand on ethics and morality if any grip at all. I find the attitude of the younger generation appalling. With freedom of thought and expression they have taken freedom from etiquette and respect as well.
I do not know this land that I live in. It is not what I grew up in.Recommend
Sad, really sad. We will miss you. Thanks for your love for this emotional nation Recommend
Although I know you only as much as every other Pakistani does, I could not believe that you were leaving. It just does not settle in my mind that you are leaving because of the same threat that you had overcome when you came here for “George ka Pakistan”. At the same time, I recognize that you have to look for a better future for yourself and your family. If that means you have to leave Pakistan, so be it. I am with you and I am sure many Pakistanis are with you as well. Needless to say, we will miss you. You were and are like a family member that we could never meet :)Recommend
George. Mawlana Jalal-al-Din Rumi had said. “Reason is powerless in the expression of Love.” and similarly there are no conditions. You are in love with Pakistan exactly like Pakistan is in love with you. When you say “Pakistan does not require a secret police, we are in the process of turning upon ourselves.” and the word you use is ‘we’ not ‘you’ you, yourself, define yourself as a Pakistani. And so did Pakistanis wanted to be with you as a part that is why they voted for you. For some it might be just a tv documentary. For some it was whole different stuff.
This country has many problems and only a few of which u mentioned. But are these problems enough to give up on our love. Ya, i know you might only think of it as emotional stuff. But some people do find logic in this country. Some of us do see more potential here than any one can imagine. Some of us do see a greater future.
i don’t know what you have been through, and i am sure what u have been through has been pretty tough. And tiresome.
But let me tell you, when a young kid in peshawar one day said to my face if George can come to Pakistan and try do the right things, for this country if Todd Shae can do it for us then who the hell are us to say no? That day i realized what was your importance to us, to Pakistan.
I dont blame you for leaving, but let me promise you, one day, one day for sure, you will come back. You will come back to a country that you aspired and loved. And it will be in a condition that you desire now. Where the hope will not be lost. Where love and care and respect will be given. It will be a country where your son was born; it will be a country where he will enjoy all that he deserved; it will be a country where you will want to raise him.
Best wishes and good Luck.. Hope to see you soon :D
Allah Hafiz :)Recommend
Damn G! God bless Recommend
i was one of those who voted for you back in GKP days. last year during my visit to Karachi for Blog Awards i got chance to meet you. i cant say that i will miss you as hopefully you are coming the land where i am right now so probably i got chance to meet you again… but one thing is disturbing for me is the fact that the love and the beautiful memories you got from Pakistan are no more charming and cherish-able due to the bitter flavor that has been added to them over the years.
all the best for the coming life and i hope Pakistan will remain in your memories because i am sure you must have some really amazing memories tagged to it.Recommend
I feel embarrassed being a Pakistani right now. This is supposed to be an eye-opener about our ironic societal standards… I don’t know the guy personally.. nor am I gonna miss him… but what he wrote was sheer unbiased truth; coming directly from someone who tried to fit in and gave up.
So Unfortunate.Recommend
Whatever you do, don’t let your Faiz forget what he is, and where he belongs. Lord knows we need one so bad.
You will be missed. Recommend
Good bye George and don,t come back again.Recommend
Goodbye George. Its a sad departure. But thank you for trying to adopt Pakistan. Its too bad that it didn’t adopt you.Recommend
We don’t want to look at ourselves…you tried to show us mirror….!Recommend
You must do what your conscience and good sense tells you to do, especially when you are fortunate enough to be able to do so. Pakistan has made you cynical, disillusioned and bitter. I hope you don’t entirely blame Pakistan but do some introspective soul searching as well to get a balanced view.
I have never met you but what little I saw, heard and read forced me to come to the conclusion that you must be a good man.
A good man is hard to keep down and where ever you are I hope we keep hearing from you. Recommend
I dont know u personally but Will
Mourn the day u leave. Thanks for everything. Recommend
“George is Dead, Long Live the George!!”
I will get her corrected George, I will resurrect her, I will get her breathing again, for I can not Leave her, she is what I am, and I am Pakistan.
“We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! Recommend
Sad! I guess you saw Pakistan change for the worse. But this gives the many of us eager to return very little hope. I get soo sad when non Pakistani’s leave Pakistan despondent and disappointed. It was never so. I hope this doesn’t mark an exodus of foreigners from Pakistan because that would be a crying shame.
Hope to see you return some day. All the best!Recommend
DON”T LEAVEEEEEE!Recommend
Dear George, my family and I left Pakistan last summer. I endorse everyone of your words. No need to add anything…Good luck! Recommend
I am sorry that you are made to flee by common man catastrophic ideology. hope one day you find a reason to come backRecommend
We wont Miss you George. Thank You you are leaving us.Recommend
Bye GeorgeRecommend
Good Bye George…!! i can feel the pain by reading the article… this is what every Pakistani feels.. you gave it words..!! Recommend
Allah aap ko khush rakhay George.Recommend
Admire your honesty coming in and going out. But know something: you can leave Pakistan, but Pakistan won’t leave you. Such as are the matters of the heart.
With time bitterness will give way to fond memories and you will heal. Please write from your new base. Your voice is required. It can provide that much needed light of reason in a land that continues to fall to the forces of darkness and evil.
The Pakistan of Jinnah’s vision has not given up on its citizens. So why should you? Recommend
Damn G!
God bless Recommend
my heart criesRecommend
As much as I want refute what he is saying, I cannot. Salman Taseer’s murder and the following response that it got was shocking for me.
Majority of the educated middle class people were rejoicing his death.
Pata nai ab kia banay ga is qom ka. Recommend
I can’t stop myself saying, so let me say this, Our love for you was un-conditional and un-biased besides everything rather than standing with her(Pakistan) and her people in a much difficult & cruicial time with a sense of responibility and honesty for her integrity you are leaving with just a sense of melancholy in your eyes, its your choice you are leaving-i’ll not stop you man because none can !
But we will never leave our Mother-land and will fight till the last drop of blood in our veins for her Ultimate Destiny because we owe our lives and strenghts to Pakistan !
Besides all, We wish you Best wishes and want to thank you for your lovely true memories.
Good-Bye George, have a wonderful life-we’ll miss you alot.Recommend
Good bye ,
we have nice company of yours. remember us in pray.and pray for her(pakistan).its really a tough time.
Regards,
Junaid Abbasi Recommend
I appreciate your affection with our mother land and also agree to some serious points raised but you can not jump on to any conclusion about Pakistan in this brief time period.Again as you said you have the option to leave unlike millions who don’t.Pakistan has been like this since birth and will prosper and grow further Inshallah in spite of the problems routing because of our geographical and political significance.Wishing you good luck for your future.Recommend
The mullah and his distorted teaching of Islam are the catalyst for the cannibalization of Pakistan.Recommend
This was a huge slap on our face! A slap we really deserved I should say!!Recommend
What I’m about to say will sound very juvenile and starry-eyed, but I am juvenile and starry-eyed so I’ll say it nonetheless: you’re going to miss out on a peaceful and largely silent revolution that will bring sanity back to Pakistan.
I don’t know much about politics and I don’t try too hard to stay abreast of what’s going on in Pakistan, but I know a lot of brave people who are doing a lot of good work and so I’m hopeful.Recommend
How about a new series called “George ka Englistaan!”Recommend
What took you so long? Recommend
I had the pleasure meeting George last year at TEDxKarachi and he was so positive about this country and how we all can do our bid to make things better. His decision of leaving this country can either be taken very ordinarily or we can try to come out of the denial which will eventually lead us to Mullah Omer’s Pakistan.Recommend
Are you going to surrender your Green Passport and CNIC?Recommend
I guess you took right decision, but you will be dearly missed. You came and won millions of hearts of Pakistanis but I guess the same people are now turning violent.
A friend of mine once rightly said ‘Pakistan ka sabsey bada dushman Pakistani hai’Recommend
Its a Sad day for Pakistan indeed.
George feels threatened because of the Mullah Atmosphere.
Intolerance to all!!!! is what Pakistan has become.
Musharraf or Imran Khan pls save Pakistan!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blame AmerikAAAA for everything is what we do!!!!Recommend
We All Love You Dear George! Recommend
George goes, guess Fassi zaka is nect. well done pakistanRecommend
You have been a hope in yourself for people in Pakistan. Hoping you will come back soon. Recommend
u shud leave pakistan a long time backRecommend
bye janni !!!Recommend
This came the same day I started watching your documentary series and a day before I am leaving the country myself. Your enthusiasm was palpable. Your words, now too. reflect my thoughts. I, too, have been disillusioned, I, too hope for a better tomorrow for Pakistan. Recommend
good bye george, you will always be missedRecommend
How truly saddening! :(Recommend
This is not the kind of Pakistan, which Quaid left behind. This is not the pakistan for which a million sacrificed with their lives. Signs, of being a failed state are evrey where, if any one fails to recognizes, he is blind. But, it may still be not too late. Recognition of the fact that the whole nation is on the path of self destruction, would be the first step in right direction. Living in denial will not help.Recommend
leaving……………thank GOD……..do it as early as u canRecommend
sad :(Recommend
Dear George,
Unlike many others who may come up with negative response as you should left before, why you came in the first place etc, I only want to let you know that after having such great time in Pakistan, while leaving you should not cite it as a Failed State. You sound like a foe not a friend with these words of yours. Let me ask you, was Britain civilized & cultured since human history began? Hell, it was not there at all & it took centuries for Scotland & England to merge & make Great Britain. So, Pakistan who is just 64 years old have much to gain.
On behalf of Pakistani Nation, I say Goodbye to you. And do remember that an overwhelming majority of our people doesn’t even know the name ‘George Fulton’. Good bye George.Recommend
This is tragic – but we might change your mind for you,and bring you home again – never say never…:)) – in the meantime,all the best, we need more people like you.:)Recommend
I just want to ask does it really matter..?
What if George left..? Pakistan was, Pakistan is and Pakistan will be there for good. We need our people to come forward not the foreign sleuths. Recommend
You have done one thing our great Father Jinnah would not do, given up. I can’t change your mind, but your mindset is not what I would adopt. Change does not come unless you work towards making change happen. We expect people to hand us things in a plate, our youth, 30 and under know better of what to expect. We haven’t given up. We are even more optimistic of our future. We can choose to be optimistic or let others make us choose to be pessimistic.
You have given up, but over 170 million people have not. The vast majority have no choice. You are lucky enough that you can choose to live in places you decide. 170 million don’t have the luxury of that choice. We can let the mindset of a few control our mind and our decisions, or we can contain their mindset. If you have become bitter, I am sorry to say, you are hanging out with the wrong crowd. Nothing against them, but historians let history repeat, people who write history make their own history. Recommend
You are most welcome to India, George!!Recommend
georg…. from the begining i knew that you are a planted element to do some social testings….. so now i know you must be done with your mission….. you will be having huge data bank with you… of pakistan, its culture, people their weekness, strenghts and lot more… i can fill so many pages for your reserach and prob content headers…. you and so many of your type think that we are so stupid….. we do take good care of our guests…. but you people always come to us in hidden form of guest and try to become our ruler…. and now you want to achieve these through media…. .very sad…. you must focus on your country issues….. please we can manage ourself….
i wont be missing you… thank you that you are leaving…. and you must say some good words about our society that you lived safe here in last 9 years. where as in these years we sufferd lots of pakistani lives because of your so called goras…..
how ever…. god bless you and give your right mindset & direction…Recommend
dont go George n thanks 4 everythingg pray 4 usRecommend
who caresRecommend
i wish i could express how sad i have become after reading this article.
i wont stop u from leaving… but keep praying for us. and dont consider that we all are bad.
we will RISE as a nation soon.
its the hope that keeps us alive
its the hope that keeps us going
its the hope that keeps us smile.Recommend
You Cannot leave the love of your life due to what others say about it and do to it. Its always you who has the choice to make a difference or do some good no matter how big or small a difference it makes. If we start divorcing this country one by one i am sure there will be Pakistan no more. At least i don’t want to be among those who leave and would rather stay and fight. You have your opinion friend, and i respect the choice you make. Blame the people, blame the politics blame this country No MORE ! Recommend
George is leaving not because of us who comment and can read english, but because of those who cant read english and have amalgamated in to a urdu -islamic nationalist movement…It does not help that this is in english at all..Recommend
George..
Its not as deplorable as u presented it..
Besides yes you dont see any hope cause you were not a born Pakistani.. it always remained just a case of nationality or challenge to you i guess..
I am a Pakistani.. i see hope.. and even if i dont.. i wont leave it just cause i dont see my life safe here.. cause its mine.. we dont abandon whats ours.. Apparently.. Pakistan was never yours Mr George Fulton..
Good ByeRecommend
Hi George,
You are absolutely right. Many people will just see your color and not how Pakistani you are from inside, or should i say just a good human being, as i personally do not even support nationalism. Yes your thoughts resemble many of us Pakistanis, the only difference is that you put it on a piece of paper and we are afraid to do that. You, in the end, have someone to protect you, a shelter (i.e. your native land) but this Pakistan is our land.
Facebook and Youtube are places where there are people who are small (by size and mind), who do not understand reality, very stupid and even if they celebrate Taseers death and find it “a success” it should not matter to me because many of us find it only a murder. The law is weak, and he should be sentenced for life. That minority who celebrated his death cannot be compared to the huge amount of people who cheer and laugh and “hurray” for muslims death for eg. in iraq and afghanistan. Are you unaware? I am not saying that this qualifies ‘some’ Pakistanis to cheer for Taseers death. But the way you expressed this fact into a very serious letter makes it not so serious. People cheer other peoples death on Youtube and Facebook which you call ‘freedom of speech’. These are americans, these are australians, these are people from other countries and so these include also people from Pakistan. I personally do not care about such people and neither should you and I will not even respond to all their foolish comments because they are not even worth replying to as they do not understand Islam and hadith living in an islamic state. Personal revenge is haraam in Islam. The opinion of only those people should matter to you, who you fine sane, and who you think are the responsible ones, like your colleagues, who control their emotions and respond like a civilized person keeping all values of mankind and islam right there. The population of Pakistan is 150 million. We elected Zardari after B. Bhuttos death foolishly, isnt that right? Who voted and who did not vote share the same fate. Inequality is largely seen in our society, in our justice. This is not an Islamic state, you are right this is no doubt a failed state because people are tired. You have a clear passage to go, but we will continue to do the right things being Pakistanis. Only the right things matter, only the right people matter, the rest is all garbage, and every society has garbage.
What do you expect from an angry security guard seeking revenge who is trained to shoot, ofcourse he will shoot because thats what he does! Now its upto us to put him in jail, start a case against him, run a trial, or if according to islamic law, maybe he would even be sentenced to death.
George you lost hope, we didnt. You must be thinking we dont have a choice, but there are many people who do, but still fight for the right cause. We are not giving up and putting our untiring efforts to thicken that wafer-thin sliver which leads to Pakistan’s failure. Goodbye George! safe flight!Recommend
This one of the most tragic valedictory notes I have ever come across!Recommend
May God indeed be your saviour, George, you’ll always be in my prayers :) Have a safe journey!Recommend
This is my FB status for today:
@ ‘George ka Pakistan’ wala George Fulton:
Who says you are ‘leaving’ Pakistan.?
Once you cross any one’s path be it your ‘dame’ Pakistan, you take a ‘bit’ of her with you, which shall be a ‘little’ part of you, for the rest of your life.
Wish you good luck in the future endeavors.Recommend
George I think I must have watched or seen you some of your shows via Youtube as your name rings a bell….. this article you have expressed is brilliant with dignity, and wholeheartedly, I wish you well in your future. I know you will be great warrior in the future….Recommend
Well i don’t understand why most of you are all like ‘Aw miss you George n stuff’ if this land made you bitter, disillusioned and other stuff then what were you doing here for a past decade or so? Well I had a lot of respect for George till i read this and i’m sorry but i have to say this that people like you, carrying immature attitude give false hope to the youth of my country and then chicken out when it matters the most. Instead of leaving with a positive note you are leaving like a chicken, crying loud and cursing the same place you said you were in love with i.e. Pakistan. And for your failed state tag, well we have been through it a lot of times.
It is sad that the so-called ‘liberals’ are the biggest chicken pops in MY countryRecommend
This is one of the most tragic valedictory notes I have ever come across! It is pitiful that a man who inspired thousands over the fact why Pakistan could have been a better place for them to stay back, is now himself a victim of apartheid in a country that has been dwindling its lust with every passing day.Recommend
Good riddance! While I am not the sort who celebrates the demon, Mumtaz Qadri, I am not going to ask you to stay either. By leaving you are showing your true colors – one doesn’t become a citizen of a nation on trial basis and one doesn’t abandon one’s “loved one” when the going gets tough. Recommend
George, being a citizen of Pakistan, I am really sorry that you are leaving with your hopes down. Good luck with your future!Recommend
Goodbye and good luck.Recommend
Pakistan failed you. Sorry George.
So a boat gets shattered by a storm, it the fault of the sea.
Pakistan will exist even when we are all gone.
Good luck.Recommend
First it was Aliya now George also left Pakistan for good…George we will miss you…hope you come back soon when these corrupt politicians and bureaucrats are being hanged from parliament house…that day is not long dear…I wish you happy and prosperous life…I hope to see you again…but please dont stop blogging…All the very best dear..Stay Blessed..:)Recommend
George ,
you came here gave us hope and NOW here you are saying you gave up on us ! tell me please whats the difference between you and those self centered people in our establishment /mullahs and proxies of our maniac establishment ? you and they are alike buddy you just think for your selves.
still do appreciate the good work you did for us and thanks for being with us all this time , May Allah bless you and all the best in your future en-devours.
@ People :
Georges article says the liberals are our on our own , i take it as george is challenging the liberals to stand up and fight this maniac or they shall DISAPPEAR … Recommend
Good luck George & I hope you find peace wherever you go. Salaam my brother :)Recommend
Dear George;
Good luck to you, me returning to Pakistan after leaving 38 years abroad, i love Pakistan and wish if you would have stayed, you take care of yourself and rest assured Pakistan will inshallah prosper and will never b a failed state, I see a positive change coming sooner then latter.Recommend
sad news :-( and sad article but true we will miss u george God BlessRecommend
One word sums it up to describe a present-day Pakistani: Munafiq (aka Hypocrite).
God bless you George and may He be with you through all your endeavors.Recommend
Please Please Don’t Leave Us George….we will miss you:(Recommend
tsk tsk tsk….
so Pakistan is a failed state eh George?
agreed with all the social evils that exist, the death of salman taseer; death of liberalism?i disagree, his death has spurned the liberals within us to not bow down. you can run away, but we’ll stay put.
When a “brownie” in the US or UK starts questioning the legitimacy of the post 9/11 apocalypse.(he/she might not be a Jihadi, u realize there is a possibility oh mighty gora 1, dont you?) he /she is branded a bigot, a fundamentalist whom you cannot trust being around your children even, but when a brownie country judges your actions, they become fascist n bigoted? tsk tsk George?why the hypocrisy?you just cannot swallow the fact that you a gora can be questioned in brownie-land? when a brownie is stripsearched at newark or heathrow airport, its ok..”oh you know..sorry ..random selection…please understand, there’s no need to get exited sir, this is just procedure”.
you know what sir? GOOD riddance. if you’re so fed up of Pakistan, you shouldn’t be here, and it should be made mandatory that you and people like you should NOT be given citizenship just cause you’re so exited about getting married to a brownie. And i really don’t care if this offends you, cause you with this article have offended millions of people. And those here being apologetic about being Pakistani and about all its problems, why don’t you sponsor them a visa to the UK, I’m sure they’ll love it.Recommend
George! I’ve been reading your op-ed’s ardently and criticising furiously, I would make one last comment “from your column on burqa clad bomber to this last one you’ve tried to convey your dismay and hopelessness to the readers which added to already bleak thoughts, so what if things are going askew, its the thinkers and writers who bring about changes through their ideas. There are millions of things I don’t like about this country but there are billions on reasons to love (her). You became Pakistani with such fanfare which is by far the only example in our country’s history, we were born here nobody awarded us the citizenship, so we have to live with it good times or bad times this is our home and houses can be chosen but homes aren’t. Appreciate your enthusiasm to fit in but disapprove of your hopelessness. Best wishes for your future pursuits. God speed.”
I know one thing “Hope is believing something will happen, Faith is knowing something is going to happen” I have faith in this country.
Remember you can take a man out of land but can’t take the land out of him, once a Pakistani always a Pakistani.Recommend
George, u will be back…coz ur Susraal is here!!!take it easy mate : )Recommend
George, you will be missed.
You are an amazing person and we all Pakistanis pray for you to come back and visit us.
Even tho I don’t live in Pak but as a Paki, it was our honor to have you in our country.
May God bless you and your family.
Live long and happy life!Recommend
It is easier to leave the country then to stay and fight her enemies. A sad article depicting reality as well as the writers perception too. Now that the sons of the soil are leaving, you get off the hook easy, as you were and are a Pakistani, but never a born Pakistani.
How can i point the finger at you when thousands of my own brothers and sisters are leaving. Beaten into submission, most run. However, i for one will not.Recommend
Dear George,
I cant say i am surprised by you leaving! I wish you and your family all the best!Recommend
I predicted this long time back.
Goes on to prove my point in my blog about you, and you’ve proven to be ‘a temporary by-stander to the chaos we live in’….
http://www.farrukhahmed.com/?p=73Recommend
Sad to see this happen.Sadder still to see the state of affairs in Pakistan.Between the Goddam Mullahs and corrupt politicians this country its going to the dogs on a daily basis! Sorry to say a nation that elects a corrupt person to the highest office in the land deserves what it gets!!
Sorry George personally very embarrassing as i know how my dear countrymen live without fear or persecution in your country and elsewhere in Europe.
With the poorest people producing the most children and upstarts ruling this country there is little hope for the future! England is a lovely country with beautiful people (apart from the cold) and I’m sure you must have made a genuine effort to live in Pakistan, but in a place where illiteracy and corruption are the order of the day one can understand perfectly well you wanting to leave speciallynow having a son to look after.
Most educated middle class Pakistanis have shifted out ages ago.
Take care and”Cheerio old chap”!Recommend
so tragic on a personal level for you George but what you have said about pakistan and its society, i couldn’t agree more…… you will be missed George Fulton…:(Recommend
George i studied in UK and i must say that u people have made ur country heaven.
Its really sad that u going.
I have tears in my eyes as u leaving :(Recommend
May I say one thing that is very important for Pakistanis and the Islamic world as a whole, if the moderator is broadminded to allow my comments through:
Religion is like a Car that must have an Engine to run. If the engine is not there even a beautiful body of a Lambourghini is of no use i.e. every other theory or philosophy fails. The ENGINE of religion is DEEP LOVE and COMPASSION for ALL of GODS CREATION. Cause God lives in every atom of this universe. God does not sit in isolation in the sky, HE IS MANIFESTED WITHIN YOU, ME, in the MOUNTAINS and RIVERS, in ANIMALS and EVERY LIVING NON LIVING MATTER…There is a reason why we say GOD is OMNIPRESENT… the miracle of an Atom/electron is itslef GOD Manifestation….slightest hate for ANY ENTITY OF HIS Creation will take you far far far away from his Divinity…..
The word Kafir itself is Hate towards his Creation… Think… Recommend
And one thing more.The hell with those people who are praising or showing that illiterate murdering mullah Qadri any affection.They are a disgrace not only to themselves, but to their country and their religion.Shame on them! Dispicable lot!!!Recommend
Dear George: When people like you leave this unlucky country, this becomes more and more unlucky. Can you think over the decision. At least, promise, that you will be present here emotionally and through your pen! Please. Recommend
It is indeed sad to see you leave. You do what you got to do.
The dark times will end for the unfortunate nation only when they get tired of self-worship.Recommend
plz dnt go…. dis iz very sad….Recommend
umm…you’ll always be missed as a sweet person George…though Sorry I don’t agree wid most of your views… :-) but yes…I truly wish you a great life wherever you live…Recommend
God had given the greatest gift to Pakistanis a Land which on one side had the worlds greatest peeks and on the other side the most beautiful Beaches but due to the blind leadership and corruption in every wing of our state machinery and self-serving attitude of the elite society we have become Banana republic and failed state Our country is facing the greatest danger since its creation and it is in the most vulnerable situation right now. The world has gone in hand of corporate feudalism and the world powers have adopted fascist policies under mask of democracy and cornering the entire word’s wealth in few hand is the ultimate goal and that is the new world order since Muslim courtiers are sitting on these resources how do we get total hegemony on these assets Pakistan and Afghanistan are part of this equation the Baluchistan and Afghanistan are sitting on enormous amount of wealth in untapped resources and since they are unable to attack Pakistan from outside because of our nuclear deterrent then plan b is to disintegrate us from inside. With vision less leaders and corrupt elite society this has become very possible the polarization among the provinces is the evidence of that and the latest statement of PM Gilani about Baluchistan is the proof of that and once the country is broken in 4 parts they can take care of all the warheads. And then attach Baluchistan with Afghanistan so they will have one of the most resource rich area with its own port of Guawader thus have control of warm waters and the straight of Hormez. And there goes our strategic importance. Our real asset is not our location but our human resource and this asset we have turned in to threat against the state by totally neglecting it. just see our children standing around garbage dumps trying to salvage some thing of value and we pass them by in our 20 million rupees cars without blinking an eye I have never seen such a disconnect between the haves and have not’s. we created these extremist organizations to capitalize on this asset of mass of illiterate young people in to mujahedeen to topple soviet union and then utilities them for Kashmir struggle and now these extremist have come back to hunt us. Murder of salman tasseer is example of that. The corporate feudalist lords and the enemies of Pakistan and Islam saw a ripe opportunity to capitalize on this by attaching these extremist ideologies with Islam and Pakistan. And now well organized propaganda by the media has been leashed against Pakistan by associating world terrorism with it all this is being done to shape their own public opinion since this blueprint is designed by worlds so called greatest Democracies and the public opinion matters to them. we need to wake up and repent establish government of the people by the people for the people take away all vip privileges of this corrupt elite society and address grievances of people of every province and start real accountability from the top to recover every written off loan and the looted money and payback our national debt so we can stop taking dictation from the lenders bring the entire income under tax regardless if it is from agriculture or industry provide free education to every child and take the first step towards making a citizen. And develop understanding the like which exists between Spain and France have on Andorra. We need some thing like that on Kashmir with India. And I pray may Allah save our Country. Recommend
So you are leaving just because of Taseer’s murder? Was Taseer and what he was doing were the only reasons for you to stay or love this country?Recommend
Dear George!!
It seems like you could not make yourself a real pakistani although you tried alot, since being a pakistani we all hope that there will be a change coming soon in the society. Blasphemy and Salman taseer’s murder case are the result of lake of justice in the country which would be blamed to officials not to individuals who were supporting Salman’s murderer in facebook. I am not sad why you are leaving this country but am sad why did you leave your wife, you couldn’t learn from our society how womens are looked after divorce!! I have great sympathy with her, in the end I wish you good luck and hope to see you back in Pakistan. Recommend
Hi,
I am sad…:-( even i have never seen ur shwo rather ( 3 in or so).But sad to read…Wish u good lucka nd hope to see u back to ur Love…Recommend
Pakistan’s lawyer here, as per the divorce settlement Pakistan would like her green citizenship passport back.
Hope to hear from you soon, and good luck with your flight back to utopia.Recommend
well , mr george i haven’t seen u a lot unlike other tv followers
may be once with your wife … u both make a wonderful couple ….. i wish you all the best ..
and one day … i would love to see you back on pakistani entertainment television
i hope things will get better … and a lot of pakistani will come back … same for u …
Proud to be a Pakistani .. (paki).Recommend
Isn’t running from reality and not trying to improve it is anything less than a cowardice?Recommend
who knows whats on ur mind and from where u r getting the instructions to leave….May Allah save Pakistan from ……..Recommend
Dear George,
i am deeply shocked by this news, Your presence was a very encouraging sign for those who were always moaning about Pakistan, you have passed most disastrous years of Pakistani History,when our Ordinary Pakistani was tired of life there, you were right there, though the troublesome era of suicide bombing, you still stuck to our Land. You gave up luxurious life, You did every thing you can do to adopt Pakistani Life style, We ordinary Pakistani did adopted you, given the current Circumstances every single Pakistani blame west for trouble in Pakistan, and given the background, you were doing TV Programme,
Why you have ignored another side of coin ? We people are also suffering, you have choice to leave and what about ordinary Pakistani, do you not feel you should be here to stand with us, the one who voted for you. Who liked you to part of our community.
What about me, Who was overjoyed to know couple of days back you are still here, married a Pakistani girl and still in Pakistan and When I feel sad about Pakistan, I always opened youtube and watched the most favourite reality show of my life George Ka Pakistan………..what about me………….
k Leave us Leave Pak and but your heart cannot leave us, I am here in Your country for my education in Scotland, I know the family values and culture here.. you will never find same life,,, I am 100 percent sure You will come back one Day, Because Faz is Pakistani,,hi wil not be happy without his Dad or he will ask you about his country Pak ? You will not get way with you love Pak…………
Remember Pakistan love you………………………and it will force you to Come Back………………………….Thanks……………………….. Recommend
Hi George,
Its true what you have expressed in your article. I feel the same for myself too, being a Pakistani woman living in UK. My position here is a shadow image of yours in Pakistan. For them you’re no more but a symbol of exotic imperialist legacy. They will be happy as long as you portray yourself socially and politically naive and unable to reflect on. Similarly, they would be happy to enjoy your presence in Pakistan as a representation of their psychological victory over their dark and enslaved past …..a gora, who is dieing to live in Pakistan, is really ego elevating for many Pakistanis. Since, you have started objecting issues like Aasia Biibi/Taseer, like many others amongst us…….you’re no longer welcomed. George, being a woman, I can relate to you, women don’t have worldly identities. It’s imperative in a translocal context to open the inside eye….. by doing that you will find the same situation everywhere. I will suggest you (what I have learnt from my life so far)…….this whole world is yours and mine, try to find peace inside you…..and it will reflect on to the outside world as well. Keep living with honesty wherever you live, be it UK, Pakistan, Libya, New Zealand etc etc. Thats how I found peace…….when you loose the outside identify, you discovers another cosmological identity….I have lost my identity in Pakistan and in UK, 1000 times and regained it 1001 times. Where you open eyes is your world, where you live is your home and where you die is your grave…..(now I understand why Bulleh Shah said “Bulah ke jana main koon”……do you get it too George?)
Live in peace wherever you go,
AsmaRecommend
I can relate to George 100% and feel sorry for him, as back in mid 90′s I had a kind of an awakening that made me fall in love with Pakistan and its people and its filth and the ugly city localities besides the picturesque parts up North like never before, prior to this I was counting days to get out of here to my dream of living in the West and I hated just about every aspect of Pakistan, so I cannot even describe what its like when you passionately start loving something you loathed, only have ended up disillusioned and bitter, I felt so much hope for Pakistan back then but I have only see it go from bad to worse since.Recommend
My reply to George:
http://thinkloud65.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/george-you-aint-leaving-pakistan/Recommend
Please don’t go :(Recommend
George,
Sad to hear you’re leaving.
At least Qadri and his supporters will be happy now.Recommend
Please don’t go. You are one of us…and we like it that way! its heartbreaking to see you go :(Recommend
George Pakistan is a strange place. We will rise. We will bring you back. It is just a matter of time.Recommend
George, I know you mean well. You’re a good guy, and I know that for sure. But I will not tolerate someone just making snide comments about my country and my homeland just to scrounge up a silly rationale for leaving it. But what can I say to you, when I know that this country’s own born and bred have left it for lesser reasons. There is a famous line we love to quote: ‘Don’t ask what this country has given you, but ask what you have given to this country’ and as you leave, I fairly believe that those who abandon Pakistan in her direst time of need have no right to criticize her. Pakistan will one day become the greatest nation of the world and we will achieve that, with or without you. (inshaAllah).Recommend
what a piece of pretentious, arrogant rubbish ! I will eat my hat George, if you manage to get a journalism gig in the UK after all this sub-par writing.
People didn’t turn on you because you went from being a naive gora to … you didn’t specify what … a savvy one? People turned on you because you went from being a naive gora to an underhanded, pompous one, spurred to pretentiousness by the kind of adulation our society bestows on goras in general. I hope though that you do wise up in the years to come, and I will not be surprise if one day you will look back on this piece and cringe. Recommend
George:
You’re only proving that those who questioned your “Pakistaniat” were actually right. Pakistan needs Pakistanis to save it from its impending disasters. Anyways, at least you tried and I wish you all the best in your next dysfunctional relationship. Recommend
Sad and I can emphasise to a certain extent, but should one give up hope or their love so easily?! I think there are greater powers at play that are trying to drive Pakistan into a failed state – my hope is that they don’t suceed.Recommend
Awesome piece of writing. Recommend
well if u want to leave pakistan leave without spending a second more in it but stop ths drama ,,,, had u been a born pakistani u could never have thought of abandoning it ask us who are born here and will die here ,,,, it is our country our identity no matter hw bad the sit or how worst the conditions are we are pakistanis and shall remain pakistanis for ever but will not leave our people as there is always a ray of hope in every society….. to me u are also one of the international conspiracy who are trying to isolate our beloved country so once again i say if u r that one leave without thinking 4 a moment but dnt start a new drama hereRecommend
George, I am not surprised. I myself turned cynical, disillusioned and bitter in just a month when I went to that wretched country for the first time five years ago!.Recommend
George, Love is not something you can divorce. If Pakistan is your love then why are leaving your love alone. May be you are a ‘fair-weather friend’.
However, Good Luck for you and your Love – Pakistan.
We are humans and if you feel sometime in life, your love will be there to embrace you and will ask nothing Recommend
Its quite upsetting to read the article but really is’nt it time that we stand united and reflect upon ourselves rather than say that what this foreigner said is unbaised or absurd rubbish because in our hearts we know what the truth is ………..
I have recently been away and it made me realise have low have we gone as a nation and all that which has been told to us by our religion is being practised by the so called GORA …… why is it that we have forgotten our values and our morality has been shunned away deep down ??????
I was currently in the midst of being torn apart between the love for my country and the honest living in an honest country but this article has certainly helped me decide ….. if i dont pull my act together today i will not have anything to fall on tomorrow.
All said, it is yet the hope and the love for my country that i soon return to make a change may be small but yes a change and it is very necessary because in this challenging conditions every little counts and a small gesture goes a long way … and thats what i plan to do….. You dont have to go far away get the morals nad ethics of your loved ones straight ……Im praticing it so when are you ?????Recommend
George; I only quote here some words from Ghalib poetry for you. ahmikoon ke kamee nahe eek dondo to hazar malty he. you born here and now you are leave your home and create a drama that i m leaving Pakistan, no problem i hope with out u we will feel easy. bye.Recommend
Please don’t leave us George. Please think of changing your decisionRecommend
GoodBye George. Things will get better and I hope you’ll come back. Best, ArslanRecommend
I ve seen your progm ‘George ka Pakistan’ and ‘Kiran and George’ on TV. I liked both. I’ve never met you but this news of you’leaving Pakistan is like someone very close to me biding Goodbye…its sad !
I may not agree fully but I find your article is written with sincerityRecommend
The commenters reflect an alarming self-hatred. Such things happen. George’s perspectives remind me of many South African white friends who fled abroad after 1994. The country did not collapse — it has its tribalism, violent crime (much worse stats on that than PK) but is reinventing itself. Pakistan too will reinvent itself and it needs the diaspora who live abroad just as much as those who live there. I visited Lebanon a few years ago and was amazed to see that country’s resilience — fractured by war, religious violence and adversity. Yet, it’s people remain patriotic whether they live in the land or abroad (70% of all Lebanese live outside Lebanon) but have helped to rebuild the country. Good luck George — dont give up on Pakistan so easily. Those of us who live abroad can continue to work on building a better Pakistan as well.Recommend
Tell the truth man,Raymond Davis exposed his network,you were part of it!Recommend
Good for you son. Could you please take me with you? LOLRecommend
Pakistan may not be a failed state for some – but it is definitely a failed state for non-Muslims, people who believe in equality, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. Recommend
no,,,,,,,,,,,,,,thats was wrong decision…………hope you will come back….. Recommend
*Truth is best served when it comes from someone very close, not from the “Enemy”.
India and Indians have been saying this for ages, and nobody in Pakistan pays heed to it.
Even the whole world is following India in saying it.*
“But then what do you expect when your military/intelligence nexus — and their jihadi proxies — have used religious bigotry as a tool of both foreign and domestic policy”
–> This is the root of all evil, isn’t it, in Pakistan. The very people designed to turn on India are hurting Pakistan.Recommend
I understand your feelings and thoughts George. Thank you for trying your best. I sincerely hope Pakistan will one day change but I too do not see that day coming soon. Recommend
@lida:
Imran and Musharaf cant save Pakistan. Charisma never saved nations, better bet on Navaz or Zardari – who are more real. Let them slowly cut the military and the mullahs to size.Recommend
Hi George,
I don’t know you, neither have seen your documentaries. I guess you must be very good at your job – TV documentaries going by the appreciation you got and the honour that Pakistan has given you.
However, you were foolish if you started believing the romantic-slice-of-life documentaries you made to be the real thing!!! I think this was a case of you starting to believe your own make-believe documentaries – a case of delusion. Pakistan surely has all the natural beauty and the picture-perfect human portraits you painted.
But unfortunately you didnot see the reality – since the 80s Pakistan had been embarking on a journey of extremism and terror. This is nothing new. It’s just the the crows have come home to roost…..
It was just a matter of time before Pakistan started reaping what it sowed all through the 80s and 90s….. Really sorry that you didnot see the truth and stop from marrying until it was too late and you had to undergo a messy divorce!!!
Best of Luck in your future endeavors!! Recommend
So Mr. George is it becoz of the crack down on foreigners ??? recently some of the foreigners are detained by law enforcement agencies.Recommend
I absolutely respect and support your decision and completely agree with the reasons that made you take the decision. That is actually what we all feel too and many of us are abandoning Pakistan in this dark hour, with an exception of Mohsin Hamid I guess.
But I can’t leave Pakistan, despite all its ills. Neither can I loose hope, for hope is all I have. Best of luck.Recommend
Typical British colonialese! Lap it up while the going is good. Bolt at the first discomfort. One question, though: Why peg it on Salman Taseer’s murder? Recommend
Like East India company, he came–we trusted him and now he leavesRecommend
Thanks for writing this George, and you are always welcome back. Hopefully things will improve soon enough for you to feel that way. Salaam and God bless you.Recommend
I don’t believing in abandoning when the going gets tough. Change only comes when everyone who loves Pakistan sticks around and works together to make a difference. George you might feel this way, but as a farewell article it’s not touched me. It’s typical of those who decide to leave.
After all your great deeds for Pakistan I expected better thoughts as parting words. We who remain here by choice and love for Pakistan despite all the problems, hope to see you back here again. Recommend
With mixed emotions, I absolutely agree with you. I lived in Pakistan for 4 years, trying to find my place, but was always set back by circumstances beyond my control. I still have family there and want to visit, but everytime we think about visiting, we hear about a new bomb exploding near in our beloved town. I think I’ve made peace with my love-hate relationship with Pakistan also. The bitterness has gone now, and I’m happy with the bitter sweet memories of Pakistan.Recommend
When your country needed you the most you chose to run! Recommend
Pakistan is not a “Failed State” and not everyone wants to leave.We will rise again and our love for Pakistan is not conditional Mr George.We are Pakistanis and we will remain Pakistanis.you seem have ditched her when she(Pakistan) needed you the most.Maybe she is better off without you.Bon VoyageRecommend