This post marks my final contribution to Dawn blogs — at least for now. These are words that I type with a heavy heart.

My job remains the same, and its focus remains South Asia. But the increasing demands of other obligations make it impossible for me to continue filling this space every other Thursday, as I’ve done for over a year.

I do plan to return in due course with periodic posts. But for all intents and purposes, today represents my swan song. It’s time to reflect on my experience writing in this space — one I’m grateful to have had.

I decided to write for Dawn blogs for three reasons. One was a desire to demonstrate to Pakistanis that there really are Americans who don’t view Pakistan and the US-Pakistan relationship solely through the prism of the Afghanistan war. We prefer to dispense with the problematic “AfPak” label altogether.

This is why my columns have engaged topics like public health, cricket, and the 18th constitutional amendment. I’ve certainly touched on the war in Afghanistan and the conflicting interests of Washington and Islamabad in Afghanistan, but most of my missives have focused on Pakistan-specific issues that shall remain salient long after the last American soldier has left Afghanistan.

The second reason I signed on with Dawn.com was simply to learn. I hoped to connect with readers in a way that would allow me to gain feedback and perspective on the issues I wrote about — and on those I didn’t write about.

And have I ever. The most rewarding aspect of this column has been the relationships I’ve developed with the readers. I’ve certainly received my fair share of hate mail, which has generally depicted me as a hopelessly young, dim-witted, arrogant flack for the CIA (or, when I’ve been a bit too complimentary of Pakistan, for the ISI). But most responses have been much more enlightening. They came from, among others, housewives, novelists, students, bankers, musicians, and policymakers. Many were deeply critical; I struck many raw nerves with my pieces on feudalism and Imran Khan. Yet many have also been highly appreciative — and typically appeared in my inbox after I wrote optimistically about Pakistan’s future prospects.

This brings me to the third reason I chose to write for Dawn.com — to impress upon Pakistani readers the fact that not all Americans regard Pakistan with fear, hostility, and cynicism. Hence, my posts on why Pakistan isn’t a failed state, on the great things ordinary Americans do for Pakistan, and on the remarkable accomplishments of Pakistani-Americans.

Perceptive readers will correctly point out that I’ve recently questioned my own optimism. Several weeks ago, I wrote that “Pakistan’s perils are too ingrained and structural to be expunged by even the most exceptional of leaders.”

Yet today, from my admittedly far-off perch in Washington, I see continued reason for optimism. And this optimism can be understood only by tuning out the drumbeat of melodramatic rhetoric about Pakistan — rhetoric that originates as much in Pakistan as in the US

Such rhetoric is heard in the constant talk of “saving” Pakistan. From Pervez Musharraf and Imran Khan to, just the other day, radical Sunni cleric Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi (“If I get into parliament, I will be able to save this entire country from bloodshed”), Pakistani politicians boast of their ability to rescue their nation from impending catastrophe.

It’s also heard in the incessant chatter about existential threats (and not just those allegedly emanating from India). In the last few weeks alone, we’ve heard from President Zardari that Pakistan’s very survival hinges on a robust democratic system, from Shahbaz Sharif that it hinges on general elections, and from the nation’s commerce minister that it hinges on a better export policy.

Certainly, truth does reside in such bombastic talk. For example, without major policy changes, spiraling sectarian strife and water shortages could well become existential threats.

The problem, however, is that such melodramatic bluster drowns out an important counter-narrative — one that highlights the very good and promising things happening these days in Pakistan.

I refer particularly to the slow and boring, yet critically important, process of institutional reform. The 18th, 19th, and 20th constitutional amendments — all approved over the last few years — strengthen Pakistan’s democracy, while the internal elections held by Khan’s PTI party set an important new precedent. Additionally, last week’s arrest of Musharraf, next month’s general elections, and the army’s lack of interest in re-taking power underscore the slow consolidation of civilian-led democracy.

My own government is not interfering in this internal Pakistani process (recall Secretary of State John Kerry’s decision not to visit Pakistan during election season). And that’s exactly as it should be.

Pakistan may face a volatile and violent future, but all is not lost. It’s a message I hope to spread here in increasingly cynical Washington.

————————————————————————————————————————————————— The author is the Senior Program Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. You can reach him at michael.kugelman@wilsoncenter.org —————————————————————————————————————————————————

The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.