Zakaria gives Pakistan update

Bloomington residents gathered in a room on the second floor of the Monroe County Public Library to hear an update on issues affecting Pakistan.

Rafia Zakaria, a political science Ph.D. candidate at IU and a columnist for the largest English newspaper in Pakistan, spoke Thursday to an attentive audience of 14 about terrorism and relations Pakistan has with surrounding countries and the United States.

The Bloomington chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom invited Zakaria to talk about Pakistan for the second time, said Rita Lichtenberg, a member of the organization.

Zakaria said Pakistan is at one of the most crucial times in its history, economically and politically, for women. She also talked about the terrorism and violence, which have continued in Pakistan.

“It was a bloody decade for Pakistan, and it’s already a bloody year,” she said.
60 terrorist-related attacks have occurred this year.

Zakaria said many Americans do not pay enough attention to the attacks going on in Pakistan. She also talked about the American drone attacks debate, which are led in hopes of capturing critical leaders of the Taliban.

Bloomington resident Don Lichtenberg said he doesn’t think the drone attacks the U.S. is conducting are helping Pakistan.

“It is immoral to kill 10 civilians to get one bad guy,” Don Lichtenberg said.
Zakaria said some of the biggest problems Pakistan faces are internal affairs and lack of resources to respond to attacks.

“The breakdown of law and order is so severe,” she said.