“Pakistan? Is that where you're from - aah ok” (Long Pause).

The conversation goes quiet, a typical discussion with a wary colleague who doesn’t want to offend you. Those who are more politically aware do go on to voice an opinion, none of it ever positive, with comments that include: "I wouldn’t send my children to a war zone"; “very corrupt, isn’t it?"; "terrorist state?”

All very unpleasant, but all things that I can handle in a discussion.

However, what I can’t handle and defend is when the following question is posed to me: "After the debacles of the last however many years, surely this time the Pakistanis will vote for Imran Khan?"

Faced with horrified looks when I can’t give a resounding yes, I am obliged to ask my fellow Pakistanis the same question, because I certainly don’t have the answer.

Surely you are not going to vote for the same lot again – are you?.

Several heated conversations later, I’m still none the wiser. The prevalent view coming out is "it’s easy for you, you weren't even born here, you have to be pragmatic?".

As someone born in England, maybe I am a bit naïve about Pakistani politics, but quite frankly, it’s not that hard a decision when you think about it.

In fact, it is so blatantly obvious to me, I have taken longer to decide on which tie I’m wearing to work.

After offending most of my friends and family for not seeing the obvious, most political discussions ended up with me shouting down the phone "You deserve to be in the mess you’re in if you keep voting for the same people".

Just in case I’m left with no one to pick me up from Islamabad Airport, I’ve decided to be civil and document on paper the process of how I would make my decision.

I have compared the options available, based on the following criteria that are important to me.

So, here goes: Honesty: It’s an unfair comparison; to contrast a self-made man who has achieved laurels around the world earning him riches (only for him to donate most of it away) with Politicians who miraculously transform overnight into Donald Trump as soon they walk into the corridors of power. So I will repeat an analogy that I often make with respect to the two main political parties that have been in power: My house is in the middle of two houses. I go away for a holiday, leaving my keys with the neighbours on the left. I come back, pick up my keys and let myself back in to find things missing. I go away the next year, and this time I leave my keys with the neighbours to my right, with the same result. Do you really want to give your house keys to the same guys again?

Who would you go into battle with?: Pakistan is at a critical juncture with a lot of pressure from the ‘Powers That Be’. Could you seriously see any of the current leadership standing up to them? Even if they were capable enough to (which I seriously doubt) they cannot because most of their personal wealth is in their countries. Never mind approving oil pipelines from Iran, who is going to pay the mortgage for the flats in Knightsbridge or villas in France.

Competence: Look at the person’s background, his curriculum vitae. I’m sorry but I am struggling again to make any sort of argument for the current leadership. On the one hand you have an ex cinema ticket tout whose first job was to be the husband of a Bhutto.

His last job was to be the widower of a Bhutto. Everything in between has been a debacle – single-handedly destroying the Bhutto Legacy and name. Then you have his gaffe prone Punjabi counterpart who is not trusted by his aides to have a live TV interview without causing a Political storm, or whose last brainwave of turning the economy around was to turn everyone into a taxi driver (so that they could drive his yellow cab scheme).

Likeability: This shouldn’t be a factor, but obviously you’re not going to vote for someone, however competent he is, if you don’t like him.

Without sounding like a 12 year old school girl we know who is going to win the battle on this front. I mean look at the competition; it’s hard to be charmed by someone whose main priority is to make sure that his wig does not fall off in the presence of others, or someone so slippery you would be checking your ring finger after you shake his hand.

Leadership: A laughable suggestion that comes up time and time again is that Imran Khan has no experience of leading a country.

The reason I say laughable is that you don’t select leaders around the world because they have led countries before. Obama was a community organizer/Lawyer before he went on to lead the most powerful country in the world. Leaders are born not created. In any case, with the mess the ‘Experienced Leadership’ have made of running the country, I’d rather that my senile neighbour take over, she’d do a better job.

My fellow brethren, much that we get disillusioned with Pakistan, we still care for the land of our forefathers, so we will hold you responsible if you make the wrong decision again.

In any case, after these forthcoming elections, I want to be able to say confidently to colleagues that Pakistanis can make the right decision, so please, I humbly request from you, that this time, before casting your vote, please ask yourself the following 5 questions: Who would you give your house keys to?

Who would you hire if you were recruiting for a job?

If your life depended on it, who would you sent in to fight for you?

Who would you like as an elder brother or even a friend?

Which Captain would you like to play under (Pardon the Pun)?