Required Reading in Pakistan

One of the delights of reporting in Pakistan—or India, for that matter—is that English-language newspapers are prevalent and important and, in many cases, enjoyable reads (both the truth and the English language are stretched in exciting ways). The crisis between Pakistan and India has led me back to the papers I read when I’m in Pakistan. Dawn is the largest and most reliable, though The News tends to have more scoops. However, Dawn’s website is superior to The News’. For what it’s worth, out of the top 12 stories on Dawn’s site today, eleven revolve around preparations for war. Few of the stories bother to mention the string of terrorist attacks that have given India little choice but to lash back at Pakistan, which is directly or indirectly responsible for the current mess.