16th November 2012 London, UK
It was my embarrassment and a Pakistani journalist’s passion for the English Lake District that got me there. I was dressed head to toe in waterproofs, having climbed 500m, and the rain was turning to hail and sleet. The crags in the peaks behind me were being smoothed out by the first snowfalls. In the distance England’s largest […]
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25th September 2012 London, UK
Brand new bed linen from one of the department stores for which London’s Oxford Street is famous. Unwrapping the layers of packaging I noticed the label: made in Pakistan. I wondered if it had come from the factory whose owner I had met in Lahore, where we discussed everything from electricity shortages, to labour law […]
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9th August 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
When visiting my regular family summer holiday spot in North Wales each year as a child, it was unimaginable that one day I would be taking my first (and hopefully not my last) summer holiday in the Baltistan region of Pakistan. Since arriving on my diplomatic posting to Pakistan earlier this year at the British […]
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22nd June 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
International Inspiration is part of the UK’s legacy programme, and has helped transform millions of lives around the world through the power of sport. On 28 June, 20 International Inspiration leaders, representing the 20 countries where International Inspiration has delivered its projects, will carry the Olympic Torch in Nottingham. Zainab Imran is selected as a […]
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30th May 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
It is 6.30 am Saturday morning in Lahore, the room service waiter points at the TV news and says “that’s you”. I agree that it is, as footage plays of a meeting I had the day before with Nawaz Sharif, PML-N political leader and twice former Prime Minister of Pakistan, and, Shabaz Sharif, his brother […]
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28th May 2012 London, UK
You’ve seen the photographs of the Prime Ministers outside the door of Number 10 Downing Street. But after the politicians and cameras have left, what does it add up to? I’m one of the behind-the-scenes people in London and Islamabad. You won’t see any of us in the photos, but we’re the ones who made […]
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24th May 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
On Saturday I was invited to the little village of Bhallah in the Punjab for the opening of a new road. I had never heard of Bhallah before, but it’s a village with lots of links to the UK. Councillor Mohammad Bhatti, MBE, comes from Bhallah. He moved to the UK in his 20s. He […]
13th April 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
I really enjoy sharing my experiences and thoughts in an informal way through this blog. I’ve been able to do blog posts on subjects as diverse as foreign policy issues, the Commonwealth, the trade and education links between the UK and Pakistan and of course cricket. And I have particularly valued the feed back. But […]
6th March 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
I first met Atif Sheik in Lahore. He and I were speaking at a British Council event for Pakistani graduates of UK universities. He told me that he campaigned for disabled people’s rights in Pakistan. “It’s not about charity,” he said. It’s about political participation. ” I know,” I said. “I’m disabled too.”. So back […]
5th March 2012 Islamabad, Pakistan
I have been Political Counsellor at the British High Commission in Islamabad since December 2011. This is my first posting to South Asia. Before coming to Pakistan, I was Head of Human Rights and Democracy Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, and before that I served in Moscow, Paris, New York and […]