Pakistani Journalist SohailWarraich in Silicon Valley
By Riaz Haq
I had a chance to meet well-known Pakistani journalist SohailWarraich recently during his visit to Silicon Valley. He was here to record an interview with successful Pakistani-American entrepreneur Osman Rashid, founder of Chegg and Kno.
Warraich is a senior journalist and political analyst as well as popular host of "Ek Din Geo KeSath" aired on Geo TV. The show features interviews with top politicians, businessmen, entrepreneurs, entertainers, sportsmen and other celebrities. He often points out contradictions and hypocrisies in the lives of his guests on his show by asking them: "Kia yehkhulatazadnaheen" (Is it not an obvious contradiction?)
Warraich is known to be close to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who is currently in jail for owning overseas assets beyond means. He wrote Nawaz Sharif's hagiography "GhaddarKaun".
Osman Rashid is the son of a Pakistani diplomat. He was born in London and raised in Islamabad. He came to the United States from Pakistan in 1990s to study electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota and earned a BSEE there. He is a successful serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.
Osman Rashid invited me and a few other Pakistani-American friends to meet Warraich over dinner at his Los Altos home. In response to my question about the current state of affairs in Pakistan, Warraich shared his insights below:
1. Pakistan's middle class is rising and increasingly asserting itself in politics.
2. Pakistani military is the most dominant force in the country. It enjoys broad support among the middle class Pakistanis.
3. The rise of Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) has been possible with the support of the military and the middle class.
4. Middle class support for the military will eventually fade away and there will be a conflict between the two. It could lead to significant political changes in the country.
5. The situation of the people of Thar is improving with the development of coal mining and construction of power plants. There are better roads and growing employment opportunities for the locals.
Warraich has visited Thar many times recently and found that the media reports of hunger and poverty and lack of health care are highly exaggerated. Such reports could be politically motivated to defame Pakistan People's Party (PPP).
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