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Activists of Jamaat-ud-Dawa burn US flag at a protest rally in Lahore in March 2012. Many Pakistanis fear President Barack Obama's re-election will mean a surge in America's unpopular drone campaign, but for those making and selling US flags to burn at protests this could be good news. (Agence-France Press)
Pakistan's American-Flag Makers in High Demand after Obama Win
More Obama means more drones and more protests, says Pakistani flag business owner
Nov 07, 2012
American flag makers in Pakistan are likely to benefit from US President Barack Obama's reelection this year, as mass protests over Obama's drone policy are likely to increase along with the demand for American flags to burn, Agence-France Presse reported Wednesday.
For many in Pakistan, the United States along with the name Barack Obama has become synonymous with the always imminent threat of drones strikes, which have taken the lives of numerous innocent civilians in the country, stirring vast anti-US sentiment and persistent protests in the most war-torn regions of the country.
Thus, if flag maker's benefit from Obama's policies, it will not be by way of safety or peace of mind, but by way of short term finances.
Last month a BBC World Service opinion poll found an overwhelming support for Obama's reelection over former candidate Mitt Romney in every country polled -- except for Pakistan, an epicenter for US drone attacks.
Nadeem Shah, the owner of a flag business in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad, told AFP, that he expected more drone strikes and more protests.
"Of course Obama has become stronger now and he will push his policies harder and there will be more drone strikes because he himself is stronger now," says Shah.
"When the drone strikes increase the protests against these strikes will also increase in Pakistan and it can have an impact on the flags and poster business."
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American flag makers in Pakistan are likely to benefit from US President Barack Obama's reelection this year, as mass protests over Obama's drone policy are likely to increase along with the demand for American flags to burn, Agence-France Presse reported Wednesday.
For many in Pakistan, the United States along with the name Barack Obama has become synonymous with the always imminent threat of drones strikes, which have taken the lives of numerous innocent civilians in the country, stirring vast anti-US sentiment and persistent protests in the most war-torn regions of the country.
Thus, if flag maker's benefit from Obama's policies, it will not be by way of safety or peace of mind, but by way of short term finances.
Last month a BBC World Service opinion poll found an overwhelming support for Obama's reelection over former candidate Mitt Romney in every country polled -- except for Pakistan, an epicenter for US drone attacks.
Nadeem Shah, the owner of a flag business in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad, told AFP, that he expected more drone strikes and more protests.
"Of course Obama has become stronger now and he will push his policies harder and there will be more drone strikes because he himself is stronger now," says Shah.
"When the drone strikes increase the protests against these strikes will also increase in Pakistan and it can have an impact on the flags and poster business."
American flag makers in Pakistan are likely to benefit from US President Barack Obama's reelection this year, as mass protests over Obama's drone policy are likely to increase along with the demand for American flags to burn, Agence-France Presse reported Wednesday.
For many in Pakistan, the United States along with the name Barack Obama has become synonymous with the always imminent threat of drones strikes, which have taken the lives of numerous innocent civilians in the country, stirring vast anti-US sentiment and persistent protests in the most war-torn regions of the country.
Thus, if flag maker's benefit from Obama's policies, it will not be by way of safety or peace of mind, but by way of short term finances.
Last month a BBC World Service opinion poll found an overwhelming support for Obama's reelection over former candidate Mitt Romney in every country polled -- except for Pakistan, an epicenter for US drone attacks.
Nadeem Shah, the owner of a flag business in Rawalpindi, the twin city of the capital Islamabad, told AFP, that he expected more drone strikes and more protests.
"Of course Obama has become stronger now and he will push his policies harder and there will be more drone strikes because he himself is stronger now," says Shah.
"When the drone strikes increase the protests against these strikes will also increase in Pakistan and it can have an impact on the flags and poster business."
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