DURING the recent visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Egypt, the Egyptians took out rallies against the proposed American support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a picture (July 15), the protesters are seen chanting anti-American slogans and holding placards in front of the US embassy in Cairo. On this occasion, if one placard read as “No, you can’t interfere in our business” another placard gave a clear message to Clinton that “Egypt will never be another Pakistan.”

On the one hand, the PPP government never gets tired of criticising the policies of Pervez Musharraf, on the other hand, it has continued his policies in its efforts to please the US.

In the distant or not so distant past, the successive governments of Pakistan have exhibited no self-esteem and have toed the American line for their own vested interests.

As a result, Pakistan is being seen by the world as the most ‘allied ally’ of America and a country which does not have a semblance of self-pride and yields to the dictates of the US without a demur. The leadership of the PML-N is not different either.

All said and done, Pakistan badly needs a leader for whom self-respect is dearer than anything else and he is determined to make Pakistan a self-reliant and a respectable country in the world. If we fail to elect a strong leader in the next elections, we would continue to be seen on placards the name of Pakistan as an example of a weak country.

RAFAT MAHMOOD ANSARI Islamabad

Real image THIS is apropos of the picture on the back page (July 15) about the protest against American meddling into the affairs of Egypt. It really made me hang my head in shame.

There is nothing wrong with the protest but there was one placard that said “Hillary, we are not Pakistan.” This tells me that our image outside Pakistan is such that when it comes to America we bend over backwards let them have their way.

If that’s the sentiment of an Islamic brother state it horrifies me to think what our real image is in the world.

MOHAMMED AHMED Karachi