Story Summary

To witness two realities in one country, one needs go no further than a suburban coffee shop in Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan.

The dissonance between the two Pakistans is even more dramatic as the world reports more on Malala than media do in the stable, educated part of Pakistan.

Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Pakistan has evolved into one country with two disparate cultures.

The Islamic revivalism wave has not left Pakistan untouched, and various traditional and religious organizations have resisted influence of foreign cultures, often in unfortunate and violent ways that get much coverage in international media.

The young urban middle class of Pakistan, mostly neglected by international media outlets, are well wired into the world of Internet and satellite channels.

Of course, not all sections of the society are pleased by cultural transformation in Pakistan’s cities.

Pakistani observers attribute some of the success of madrassas to the absence of regular schools for Pakistan’s poor.

Pakistan and a majority of its population have been in search of a cultural identity since separation from India in 1947 .

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2013/Feb-25/207778-two-pakistans-coexist-side-by-side.ashx#ixzz2Lzbd6xyl
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)