Politics of Pakistan

When Pakistan goes to the polls, their ballots will not have the names of any contesting parties on them. Using symbols on ballots has been standard procedure in Pakistani elections for decades, because over 40 percent of adult Pakistanis are illiterate.

A prominent attorney in Pakistan, Hina Jilani, says Indian street protests have empowered women’s rights advocates there, and reminded the Pakistani public to take a more active role, and not leave social action to small groups of activists.

The US government is now offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a Pakistani man named Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who is accused in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

We talk with Christian Science Monitor reporter, Issam Ahmed, on the ground in Lahore, Pakistan, and Michelle Fanzo, Project Leader for the World Policy Institute, who weigh in on United States’ effort to aid in the floods’ devastating aftermath.