Pakistan and its people are among the most misunderstood in the world particularly in Europe and these misperceptions can only be corrected through frequent contact of people at all levels.
This and other observations were made by German journalist Ingrid Mueller at a forum discussion held at Karachi Press Club under the auspices of the German Consulate General in Karachi, the Goethe Institut and the KPC to highlight Pakistan’s perception in Europe particularly Germany.
Muller who has previously visited Pakistan and interacted extensively with the people of upper Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern Areas said the outside world is amazed when told about the rich ethnic and cultural diversity of the different areas of Pakistan.
She added it was unfortunate that the world particularly Europe viewed Pakistan in the context of conflict and terrorism which is why very few people come to this country whereas the reality was totally different. Mueller said that she had found Pakistanis to be extremely friendly and very hospitable.
The women here had much more freedom than what was the perception outside. However, what she found most interesting was the low opinion and negative feeling of the people for politicians across the board. She said the Pakistani people were the best judge of what is good for the country and how to run it. Her observations were followed by a lively discussion.
Earlier German Consul General Dr Tilo Klinner in his introduction said Ingrid Mueller is a Senior Editor at Berlin’s Der Tagesspeigel (Daily Mirror) a Liberal newspaper. In his short remarks, Dr Klinner said Pakistan has a rich and distinguished culture and its diverse people make it a very colorful and interesting country. He also showed a two full page article written by Mueller about her previous trips which covered various range of topics.
