Pakistanis, the most critical nation in the world

In the preface of Owen Bennet Jones 'Pakistan, eye of the storm.'

Pakistan is an easy place for a journalist to work. Most Pakistanis, from policemen to politicians, shopkeepers to soldiers, love to talk about politics.Admittedly, the more they know the less willing to speak on the record but nevertheless Pakistan remains a very open country. Indeed, Pakistan's willingness to tolerate the scrutiny of local and foreign journalists is one of the reasons it has an image problem. Countries such as Saudi Arabia manage to avoid hostile media coverage simply by refusing to grant journalists sufficient access to do their work.
My first thanks, then, are to the many Pakistanis who were so willing to share their views with a foreign visitor........