By Aparna Pande
This article appeared in Indolink on July 24, 2008
The splendor of the Mughals contrasting with the skyscrapers of Karachi, the Faisal mosque in the backdrop of the Margalla hills, the Minar e Pakistan vying with the Badshahi Mosque, the colorful truck art and the numerous baghs (gardens) in the city of Lahore.
As an Indian citizen this was my first visit to Pakistan. And as informed by my Pakistani friends and colleagues I really did not feel like I was entering a foreign country, right from the long queues of desis at the PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) counter at JFK airport to the similarly long queues in Lahore.
An unforgettable incident occurred when I presented my passport at the PIA counter. I was informed that it was the ‘first time’ the PIA agent had seen an ‘Indian passport’ at that counter; I remarked to the gentleman, who turned out to be a Parsi from Bombay, ‘hopefully there will be more.’
The linguistic, ethnic, cultural similarities between Indians and Pakistanis ensured that practically no one on my flight thought I was not a Pakistani; even when I entered the ‘Foreign Passport holders’ line at Lahore immigration many Pakistanis were with me as they had British or American passports.
When I boarded the PIA flight I actually felt I was boarding an Air India one especially with the irrational crazy way desis board (most of them believing there is no difference in a bullock cart ride and an airplane one) and the enormous time they take to settle down. The air hostesses were very polite and to me appeared more helpful than the ones on Air India.
The first difference from Air India came when the PIA flight started with a prayer to Allah; and it occurred on both domestic and international flights. I know a large number of Indians pray when flights take off but it is personal; whereas here the state seemed to be directing you along a certain path. On the lighter side since I am a non-beef eating Indian my meal options were limited, especially since PIA doesn’t have vegetarian options!
Landing in Lahore felt like landing in Delhi, with a bit of Amritsar added to it. Delhi and Lahore were ‘sister cities’ for centuries and you get that feeling when you roam the streets of Lahore. The strong Punjabi influence, whether in clothes or food, is a huge similarity. Entering Anarkali bazaar (and Food Street) is like entering Chandni Chowk and Old Delhi with rows upon rows of clothes shops during the day and hundreds of different small food vendors at night. The popularity of the dargah of Data Sharif is also very visible and it reinforces the fact that South Asian Islam has a very strong Sufi influence which has helped it co-exist with other religions for centuries.
My mother was born in Lahore a year before Partition and had never seen her birth place. On this trip she was able to do so but only thanks to a local friend and acquaintance who took time out to drive us around and to locate the now very changed structure. In both India and Pakistan very few pre-Partition era buildings have survived and only residents know the old and new names of various roads and alleyways.
Landing in Karachi at Jinnah International airport had a feeling similar to landing in Bombay. The way people dressed and spoke was so similar between these two ‘sister cities.’ The faster pace of life compared to the more laid back Lahorean approach was apparent even to an outsider. Like Bombay Karachi is a cosmopolitan city so you find people from all parts of Pakistan, the Punjabi-dress and food are replaced by clothes and cuisines of all types.
The long beach at Clifton, now dirty with human waste and dump, was reminiscent of Juhu and Chopatty. However, one missed the larger number of hawkers with chaat that one sees at Chowpatty; and the huge McDonald’s right on the beach seemed to take away from the view. The smell of fish in the air, however, took me back to Bombay.
Travelling through old Karachi you see the old havelis and streets which are slowly being replaced by newer structures, broader roads and upscale shopping malls. One of the oldest and busiest ports from the ancient times Karachi port was a mindboggling sight.
Ensconced between the Margalla hills and Rawalpindi Islamabad is a beautiful and very well planned city. The Prime Minister’s office with its Mughal architecture, the Supreme Court, the National Assembly and President’s office and the Secretariat are so beautifully constructed that they look like straight out of a post-card. The well planned out sectors in the city ensure that you don’t have to go too far for any purchase or requirement.
Yet to me that is the problem – it is a beautiful photo but lacks life. Islamabad does not feel like a city, it feels more like a collection of buildings. A city is made up of people, not buildings, of a civic spirit not a hands-off approach. Majority of the people living in Islamabad never go out of their sub-sector or sector. Also it gives the impression of having been constructed to avoid people i.e. avoid crowds or demonstrations. Yet if you are up in the Margalla hills or in Muree and looking down on the city with its lights who could fault you for forgetting about this aspect.
When you look around you and see what people are wearing you once again feel you are back in India; except maybe salwar kameez is more prevalent in Pakistan and you see both salwar kameez and saris in India. Though there is a difference in the male salwar kameez in Pakistan and the pyjama kurta worn in India these are superficial differences.
What is a striking difference is the lack of women on streets and in public places compared to India. Whether on the streets, in buildings or in airplanes I often felt like the only woman among hundreds of men. On the brighter side, the women you do see, however, are dressed like in India; the entire range from salwar kameez to jeans and tank tops; not the burqa-clad image that people in the West tend to imagine in Pakistan (and every Muslim country).
You also see the diversity of Pakistan, even if it is under serious threat from the extremists, as I had an elderly Pakistani Christian lady as my neighbor on my flight back to New York. I had a very elderly Pasthun gentleman and his daughter-in-law on my left and though they often made me get up so they could move around they were very kind and were concerned about my living alone in the United States. A young Pakistani in his mid-teens sat next to my Mom on the flight from Lahore to Karachi and though his impatience with everything – from politics to food – was understandable considering his age; yet what impressed me was his interest in politics and his knowledge about India.
There are two views on India you find in Pakistan – one of the elite and the other of the ordinary people. The elite comprises two kinds – the liberals who have always wanted better relations with India and who would like better ties with India for economic and social reasons; and the others who grudgingly accept Indian economic power (while believing that it is a bubble which will soon burst) and fear a loss of Pakistani identity if ties with India become too close.
The ordinary people by and large want to get on with their lives without the problems caused by extremism. They believe that the problems between the two countries have been ‘created by the governments’ and they are very hospitable. The waiters and porters, whether at Lahore or Karachi or Islamabad, all were doubly courteous once they knew we were Indians; and kept referring to us as ‘hamare sarhad paar se aye mehmann’ (our friend from across the border). They are also very fascinated by India and want to know more about it – from questions like ‘Do you have load shedding’ or ‘Are the airports in as much of disrepair’ to the popular desi refrain of complaining against our politicians and the government in power.
As all Indians I had a police reporting visa and that was a process which entailed a lot of hassle. I don’t know if and when India and Pakistan will ever have a ‘visa free regime’ but if only they could adopt the American system of registering foreigners when they entered and left it would make life so much simpler. What was heart-warming, however, was the attitude of the officials, whether immigration or police, who believed that this discriminating visa regime needs to go and who were desirous of more visitors from India. “I am sure you will have a lovely time in our city and when you go back please tell them about us and ask them to come visit us.”