Security situation in Pakistan: A Perspective

Voices from the most dangerous nation on earth
by Adrienne Hyat, 3 Quarks Daily, August 11, 2008

Since my recent return from a lengthy stay in Pakistan, I've been asked numerous times about my safety while I was there. My standard reply is something like, "It was a tumultuous year--and I could have done without all the headlines--even encountered a few anxious moments--but for the most part I felt pretty safe and welcome." But that reply often is met with puzzled and doubtful looks. It's difficult to convince people that there is another side to the place that has been called, "the most dangerous nation on earth."

To those with first hand knowledge, the reality on the ground is in sharp contrast to the image the media presents:

Father Daniel Suply, 75, is a missionary priest with the Roman Catholic order of Belgian Capuchans. He has resided in Pakistan for nearly 45 years. When asked about his safety, Father Suply spontaneously replies, “I feel absolutely safe.”

He teaches in a seminary and performs religious services in a parish. Except for one brief incident in the early 1990’s which was quickly snuffed out thanks to Father Suply’s fluency in Punjabi, he has never felt threatened here.

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