ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: Jemima Khan, the wife of former skipper-turned politician, Imran Khan, says that while corruption is endemic in Pakistan and the country is in a political and economic mess, ``I have found that some of the more fundamental aspects of Pakistani society are civilised in comparison with Western society.''

In her first ever article in a Pakistani paper, Jemima writes candidly about her misconceptions of Pakistani society and how many of them were cleared with the passage of time. She writes, ``My view has gradually evolved and now that I have lived for two years since my marriage as part of an extended family in a traditional society, I firmly believe that the joint family system and small intimate communities form a more solid foundation for the development of mature and stable individuals.''

In her article, which appears in Pakistan's premier English language daily, The News, Jemima Khan appreciates the strong religious and cultural traditions in Pakistan which stress on kindness and respect for elders.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.