Life in the land of the Pure, 2025-26 season, episode 14: “ Should we dine now or wait for the ceasefire?” - line stolen from Tom Friedman’s book From Beirut to Jerusalem.

I was hoping to keep catching up on my long delayed blog posts chronicling my time in Pakistan, but I feel like a “current events” installment is in order.

You may be aware that the us and Israel began bombing Iran a week and a half ago though it feels like months have passed.   Day 1 for us here was literally during a Saturday brunch my boss hosted for some senior visitors from Washington. But Iran isn’t Pakistan — isn’t even Afghanistan — so after brunch I played tour guide to our guests, bringing them to my favorite rug and jewelers and handicrafts vendors and to a restaurant that overlooks the city—not for a snack (it being Ramadan) but for the excellent views of the city and the rare overhead of Faisal mosque. Saturday  was a pretty normal day.  

Actually better than normal.  With things still quiet, I treated myself to a Ramadan night bazaar.  Food and candy stalls, lots of bangle /bling vendors and clothing shops had racks of finery out for people doing early Eid shopping.  There were adults but the 4pm-4am event was geared for teens & young adults.  The Venue was the gated grounds of a museum in an office complex area quite away from other shopping centers, effectively isolated, so if you drop your kids off there, they will stay there til pickup.  And even though Eid (after Ramadan) is the real festival, so many people at this event and throughout the city put on their best clothes for the evenings of Ramadan.  I only stayed til just midnight, getting back before the regular 1am curfew.

Then came Sunday, when protesters — unclear to what degree preplanned attackers were mixed in with them — breached  our consulate in Karachi, set fire to one of its gates, and were met with gunfire.  

The protests in Karachi and the mob attack at the consulate were concerning.  Fortunately the embassy here where I am in Islamabad is more fortified and better situated, and the layered security in the capital presents many obstacles to something like that happening here.  The odds are never zero but we have gamed out what would be needed for a successful attack and it’s unlikely.  This is not the open and exposed 1979 compound, several of you  have  seen how  it Is fortified and the distance from the gates of the diplomatic quarter to the embasy front door. The vehicle gates for the diplomatic zone would stop vehicles, and either them or ladders would be required to breach our walls.  It’s over a mile from the “street” to our front gate, and within our walls our buildings are so blast proof that I never hear rain—only thunder penetrates my windows, sometimes I literally get to the ground floor and need to run back to my flat for an umbrella or windbreaker.   In short, to breach the embasy would require carrying ladders several miles in the South Asian heat, while fasting.  

You are probably aware that much of our staff in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar have been either relocated here or are being sent back to the us for the time being out of an abundance of caution.  This is happening to greater effect to our colleagues in the actual war zone, the areas around and between Israel, US forces, and Iran. Literally thousands of employees and families trekking to the us the best they can.   

Of all the things happening in the region Iran itself is least impactful here to me.  Its relations with PK are complicated but neither party wants that conflict, each has its hands full. Pakistan is prosecuting a war inside Afghanistan to mitigate the domestic Pakistani taliban that largely live in Afghanistan but cross over to conduct attacks here.  That the Afghan Taliban  give them safe haven makes the Afghan Taliban a target in the current conflict .  And Pakistan always keeps one eye toward India.  Meanwhile Iran has so many adversaries and targets to the northwest, west, and southwest, that it makes little sense for them to invite attacks from the east.    

Pakistani airspace remains open, though many colleagues who were on leave on Europe or the Middle East are stuck because many of the routes are closed or their own airspace is. And mail throughout the region is slowed — rumor has it over 50 tons of mail for diplomatic posts is impacted.  

As to my off time …. Before our the Karachi attack  I enjoyed going into Islamabad to shop, dine, explore.  Heather & the boys got to share some of that, the wildlife center, Faisal mosque, hot spot ice cream, over a dozen brunch places.  Now we have movement restrictions, it’s inward, spending time with friends I’ve made here over dinner or walks or games or a movie.  Tending my little garden.   Visiting with the stray dogs in the diplomatic zone.  Reading (book club is the last Sunday of each month).  Though the restrictions  are already lessening 

This is no lockdown.  Some days are more restricted than others.  That said, the protests (almost entirely nonviolent) and attendant road closures, plus the nascent gasoline shortages (from the gulf conflict) and limited restaurant / shop hours (because of Ramadan) do limit my “town time.”

We do get to go out some nights, however. On Saturday evening, I brought a handful of people to my favorite carpet vendors, Chobi, for a home cooked dinner of dumplings, chicken, beef pallau, and carpets.  I didn’t buy that night but everyone else did; I already have several of their rugs in my flat.  

Oh, and one of our favorite jewelers, Haroon of Punjab Museum— whose daughter Ravia is also a jeweler—had us to their house last night for an Iftar (fast-breaking dinner) and to watch their craftsmen cut and polish a swat emerald to seven finished stones.  Seven is a big deal in their house, dad has seven daughters (and a son) … my boss jaime agreed when I referred to him as a Pakistani Tevye.   

Restrictions should be lifting in the next few days to allow us to experience more of Ramadan and then Eid. We’re all looking forward to that.   

I hope that provides a look into my little world out here.