The same vote in Washington is being read in two very different ways in Pakistan. In Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir spent two years building a close link with US President Donald Trump. They now face questions about that access and about deals tied to his family and allies. In Karachi and other cities, many people hope the Democratic win in Congress will bring peace and lower prices, news agency Reuters reported. The US-Israel war on Iran has pushed up the cost of oil in a country of more than 240 million people that relies on imports.
Reuters spoke to residents after the vote. They said high oil prices, driven up by the war, weigh on most homes.
Sajjad Ali, a Karachi resident, told the news agency that talks with the current US administration cannot work and that the bloodshed will not end without a change of government in Washington. He said people want peace, a better economy and lower oil prices.
Asim Zafar, also from Karachi, said he hopes the result will hold Trump back and could help stop “injustices” against Muslim countries.
