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Added: Wednesday, 8 July, 2009, 01:18 GMT 02:18 UK

Mat, your eloquence is to die for. You sum up the reality in a paragraph where is would take others a chapter. The leaders of Pakistan the chickens have come home to roost. When 80% of your budget is poured into the military whilst the infrastructure lays bare and there is no food on the table coupled with the free reign to use extremist to one's own advantage when needed. I am surprised the country is still standing. Yet ppl still vote for them when they have been tried and tested again and agn

imran khalid, London

Added: Tuesday, 7 July, 2009, 23:41 GMT 00:41 UK

Can we call a media unbiased when it does not present point of view of other side. Also this artical puts a big question mark on Mr. Matt Frei's everything.

Junk-reader singh, United States

Added: Tuesday, 7 July, 2009, 23:23 GMT 00:23 UK

Well said, a typical BBC and western media mentality. Why according to all western media, there is nothing good in Pakistan and everything is good in India and West. I guess world is suffering from "PAK PHOBIA", and it may prove a deadly disease.

Junk-reader singh, United States

Added: Tuesday, 7 July, 2009, 13:29 GMT 14:29 UK

Merely ANALYSING and PRINTING FACTS, does not SOLVE any
PROBLEM. Educate THE Affected, and Apply the SOLUTION, for
the Benefit of Affected

Mohan.Dudani., Andover.MA.USA.

Added: Tuesday, 7 July, 2009, 12:23 GMT 13:23 UK

Like many new journalists Matt is also not aware with the history of sub-continent and I can understand why he is so confused to swallow the reason Pakistan created in 1947. And going back to drawing board also apply to many G1 group countries, how about USA after recent Financial collapse? how about UK after keep failing to give better government from last 20 years. Like many other PC grownup era brains they have something common that if PC gives troubles lets Format the Harddisk.

P. Wadia, Karachi

Added: Monday, 6 July, 2009, 21:20 GMT 22:20 UK

Pakistan is an ancient country. Kashmir, parts of Punjab parts of Iran parts of Afghanistan and whole of Kach in Indian Gujrat are part of Ancient Sindh ( Sindhu Sapta )...the Land of Seven Rivers. It was Muhammad Ghori who in the early 12th century after taking Delhi intigrated it into India ( as now known a name that derives from Sindh ). Pakistan name was only to accomodate East Bangal. Name should be done away in favour of Sindh. All parts brought back to Fatherland.Then there will be PEACE.

alkhair, Bristol

Added: Monday, 6 July, 2009, 09:14 GMT 10:14 UK

The average Indian has always been proud of his country not because of any religious factor, but because the country has made strides in the field of commerce & industry & the world recognises that. Pakistan, on the other hand, has always played the religious card & comments here betray the fact that being Islamic is more important for them than improvement in trade & commerce. To correct a few comments given here, it was pakistan that attacked India in 1971 with a tragic loss of face to itself.

S Basu, New Delhi

Added: Sunday, 5 July, 2009, 02:58 GMT 03:58 UK

Your point about Pakistan existing to counter India is a good one. Europe has thrived since giving up its endless wars, Gorbachev tried to save a crumbling Russia by "depriving the U.S. of an enemy" and getting out of the death waltz, and even Obama has tried to unravel historic troubles that only bogged us down.

Pakistan, like any country, needs and deserves a nation that exists only as a treasured homeland for all. Patriotism will run to that faster than it can be taught in schools.

brian foulkrod

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 15:00 GMT 16:00 UK

If you compare the Indian and Pakistani media, there is a war hysteria in the Indian media & war mongering is an actual effective tool in Indian politics. If you have a look at the Pakistani media/politics, its very calm and cool & does not get on the bandwagon of war hysteria. Similarly the Indian politicians are not far behind in giving anti-pakistan statements to get votes. There is no such thing in Pakistan. We saw this during the 2002 standoff, Kargil & recently in Nov 2008.

Farah, Banglore

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 14:49 GMT 15:49 UK

I think Gupta is very right when he reminds us of India crossing international borders to support the rebellion in East Pakistan in 1971. So this logic of Kashmir being an internal matter to India whereas East Pakistan was not, falls on its face. India has been supporting rebellions in Pakistan along with the Soviets since the cold war.India's support for BLA & other such groups through its embassies in Afghanistan is a clear indication of India being a real threat to Pakistan.

Fareed, Mumbai

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 14:39 GMT 15:39 UK

Pakistan & India have two very different defence policies. India on one hand wants to dominate its neighbors & does not accept Pakistan's sovereignity. Its other neighbors are not big enough to challenge this behaviour & are not nuclear powers. Pakistan on the other hand has a defence policy to deter & has no aspirations to dominate/bully its neighbors. This is why India does not miss any opportunity to cause harm to Pakistan, may it be militariliy, diplomatically or building damsonwatersources.

Abid Qureshi, Karachi

Added: Friday, 3 July, 2009, 09:16 GMT 10:16 UK

May be its best if Mr. Matt Frei could keep his diary private and to himself !!!

Murad Khan, Hyderabad

Added: Thursday, 2 July, 2009, 19:55 GMT 20:55 UK

Good to read a report from an un-biased point of view. In the past all countries have been blamed one way or anolther about the problems in Pakistan or India. That was then, this is now. It would have been more interesting to have seen more of Matt Frie's report whilst in
Islamabad, instead the world fell apart over the passing of a
pop-star for the want of a better word. Apparently this is
progress. Your thoughts are always worth a read Matt.

jOAN K. WARREN, Atlanta.

Added: Thursday, 2 July, 2009, 15:37 GMT 16:37 UK

The article on Pakistan's reaction to the death of Michael Jackson was quite insightful. The last line gave me food for thought. Very few understood Michael Jackson so it is with the Pakistan; but yet they exist and so did Mr. Jackson. Just as a soft spoken leader commands your attention by causing you to make little noise and to come close so did Michael Jackson and so does Pakistan in reverse with loud yet quiet plans.

Michele A. Roberts, Lithia Springs

Added: Thursday, 2 July, 2009, 12:21 GMT 13:21 UK

In case the author is not clear, Pakistan in an ideological islamic state made where its population can live in peace, harmony & according to laws that are just & fair to all. Islam is its ideology. Pakistan does suffer from a weak leadership but saying that ' would have to go back to the drawing board and redefine why it actually exists' is a classic act of subversion. To over-estimate its strengths is a common mistake made by imperialist powers, USSR made the same mistake.

Umar, London