[The author traveled to Pakistan in September, 2006]
Life by the Canal
A canal was gushing forth on the right side of the window seat. Flowing between two parallel highways, it remained a constant companion. The Daewoo van had left Wagah - the international border separating India from Pakistan - and was now speeding towards Lahore, some twenty miles away.
Grassy patches sloped down to the banks, which were occasionally being lapped over by a sudden violence of the frothing mud-colored water of the canal. Tall trees on either side formed a comforting canopy over its length.
A variety of haiku moments flashed past the air-conditioned window: buffaloes swimming in the waters; a green-turbaned Mullah lying on the grass and reading a book; bare-chested young boys splashing water on each other, their shalwars ballooned with water; fully dressed women blushing, laughing, and taking quick cold water dips in the canal; a family contentedly feasting on a picnic lunch, with men and women sitting in separate groups; a young man and woman whispering under a tree; a lone man throwing pebbles in the water; two woman holding hands and sitting quietly; a middle-aged man resting against a tree trunk; a pair of boys washing a bicycle...
Soon these enchanting scenes started to disappear and finally vanished completely. The fallen tree leaves, languidly floating on the water, gave way to polybags and tin cans. Lahore was approaching.
Imagining Lahore brings a medieval skyline of sand-stone minarets and fort ramparts to the mind. The Lahore of imagination happens to be real. The haunting monuments, the divine Mughal gardens, and old world mansions appeared to be air-dropped every few yards. But there were large parts of the city where the old was interrupted at regular intervals by slick twenty-first century bazaars, glittering with glass-paneled showrooms and neon-lit malls. Sky-kissing skyscrapers, decked with billboards displaying the bare bodies of white men, but no naked women, distracted the drivers.
In one instance, the car disappeared under a newly-made underpass, apparently the pride of Lahore, for it was inaugurated by no less than General Pervez Musharraf himself, and emerged out into an empty square that had a sleekly-built mosque shooting up at one side.
It was pleasing to drive on the smooth highways through the leafy districts of the city. The car window was open and the wind ruffled through the hair. The highways were skirted by spacious bungalows that had long graveled driveways and whose compounds were partially hidden from view by a thick neighborhood of trees. These houses had huge entrance gates of iron guarded by thin men in dusty shalwar kameeze (shalwar are loose trousers and the kameeze is a long shirt), with Kalashnikov-type guns slung around their shoulders.
Article comments
1 - Aamir Ali
What an insulting portrayal of Pakistan. Well what else to be expected from an Indian?
2 - Ali
You didn't project the city and your trip honestly. I can feel the smell of bias in your approach. You can write similar things for any city in the world.
I wish you views were moderate and honest.
It is disappointing and wrong portryal.
3 - Awais Kamboh
I guess this is an ok descripiton of Lahore, i don't find anything insulting, and as he said, u cannot capture the liveliness of Lahore in 12hrs of daylight. The description about the defence housing scheme seems mis-representative though. The defence housing scheme always begins on the outskirts of a city and due to proper planning and good high-paced development it generally becomes one of the most sought-after (and expensive) pieces of land. It would have been nice if u could stay there a couple of weeks and observe the behaviours of people in detail.
4 - Umer Jehanzab
Seriousally dude are you kidding me, i am from Lahore and by no means have you given a proper description of my city. Ah well, what else can i expect from Indians whose only purporse is to defame Pakistan. Seriousally you guys need to get a life and stop being soo obsessed with Pakistan.
5 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Dear Pakistani readers, why do you have to get so perked up by all the supposed 'insult' thrown up at your country? Why can't this piece be enjoyed for being what it is - a fleeting, surely-not-intensive, impressions of an Indian on your fabled city? Why can't you folks just relax, read and chill? Why can't you try to appreciate and understand and be fascinated by the excitement, prejudices, and observations of a foreigner cruising through your interesting country? Why is your confidence in your country's beauty and society so fragile that it could be unsettled by a blogging post penned by an unknown writer? Oh Allah, am I whining? Just be cool and enjoy!
6 - Fso Globetrottter
I'm an expatriate diplomat who has been living in Lahore for several months. Your perspectives on Lahore seem to be built on myths and presumptions without the benefit of actual experience on the ground. Your views smack of naievete about what life in Lahore is really like. You cast around oversimplistic comparisons to India without much intellectual depth or insight. Having spent a year on both sides of the partition line, and having crossed the Wagah border countless times, it appears that your ventures and anecdotes may do Indians a disservice by marking you as a joy-rider eager to gather a few snapshots and boast that you have "seen the enemy" and now know what Lahore is like without REALLY knowing. My invitation to you is to come back again and spend some more time in Lahore. Get to know the place. Talk with the real people. Get out of the van and actually walk the streets and alleys. Eat in someone's home. And please leave your stereotypes and insecurities behind.
7 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Fso Globetrotter, in the first article of my 'A Sudden Visit to Pakistan' series, it was clearly mentioned that I spent only three days in Pakistan. Such a short time could never lead to in-depth impressions and insight. But still it was better than not going at all. Further, I do not doubt the hospitality of Pakistani people. I myself feasted on home-made food in the Lahori households. I made some good friends there. And yes, I still have't finished on my impressions. I will love to go back to Lahore and stay at least a month there to really walk for longer miles in its streets, to really meet and talk to people over a number of days, to really spend long hours in the forts and museums, to really re-read the entire Pride and Prejudice by spending an entire day in the Shalimar Gardens, (or perhaps on the stairs of the Badshai mosque). To really spend such quality time in the city that I am able to reconcile it to my supposed 'stereotypes and insecurities'.
8 - kc
austen, be quiet and all you pakistanis, stop being so inecure
9 - shereen
A word of advise to indians and pakistanis, we must learn to accept criticism, be it constructive or otherwise. When i last visited Delhi in 2004, it was a good trip, the drive from wagha to delhi was amazing, i loved every moment of my visit, but nonetheless, when i got back to Lahore, i wante to fall to the ground and kiss it...and thanked God a million times for Pakistan.
Pakistanis will love and die for Pakistan as wil the indians....so lets respect each other for what we are and live in peace.
10 - Jake
What a loser this writer is. typical dirty biased mind of an indian. he could not hold back his hate. The jealousy within him is killing him :)
He should now write about the filthy cities on india. but he wont. why? he is blinded by hate.
11 - Tippu
This is one of the most hateful and biased articles i have read. The writer is covering up his insecurites about the filthy cities of india by portraying lahore in a bad light. What a small person he is.
12 - Raza Punjabi
Everyone Chill ... Thand...
Hey buddy, I'm sad that you did not enjoy Lahore like some of the others. However, you also did not mention some of the dirt and filth in the city. Though not as bad as Mumbai or Delhi I bet you *L* Being a proud and realistic Lahori, now living abroad, I think that it is a very nice city to visit and live in, but still has ways to go to really be called a 'metropolis' that can be marketed to Indians and Central Asians. There's still time.
13 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Why is it being assumed that I did not enjoy Lahore? Where did I write this? Lahore is a beautiful, exciting city and I will like to spend longer time there.
14 - kc
austen, quickly post a new article. now is the time !
15 - Bizarro
Well, the 12 hours I've spent here in Lahore don't bode well for the next week. It's not my first time in Pakistan but Inshallah it's my last and I've already been here 3 months and can't wait to go home.
Pakistanis, your country is a miserable shithole going nowhere at break neck speed. Your constant bitching and moaning about India is puerile and quite frankly, bores me to tears. I've never been to India, but if it's anything like Pakistan at all, well, I won't lose any sleep over it.
What makes me really angry is what you have done to Afghanistan and its beautiful people and then try and claim that you did it all for us (the west). The precious little infraestructure you have you do not deserve, you have literally robbed it from your neighbours.
May Allah forgive you all for what you do to your women in his name. I have never seen such appalling institutionalised brutality towards women, not in Somalia, not in Afghanistan. If there is one thing Pakistan can claim to do better than the rest of the world this is it.
I am reminded how pathetic your country is at every Iftar when I watch you jostle for pole position at the buffet like someone else will beat you to the best bit. With everyone fighting to be in first place it is only the country that will come last.
I could go on, but I know that it is just throwing daisys to swine, as the Spanish say. I doubt you will listen to me or anyone else but I fear your country will the be the one that drags us to the nuclear brink once more and that is something I do lose sleep over.
16 - adi
my reply is to this last comment. whoever that person is. please let us know which shitwhole you are from. i would love to tell you pretty similair or even wosrt descrition of your shit whole.
17 - riz
soofi, you can't judge a big city like lahore in twelve hours man. c'mon be rational .I think that s a writer you were iresponsible in posting this disinformed piece of writing.
after reading this I sense indians haven't gotten past 1947 .
18 - Dyanne Davis
I enjoyed your article and I know what got you in trouble with some who left comments. (smile) It was your last comment about the cows. I also like that you use pictures.
Dyanne
19 - ASH CHOUDHRY
Well have a look in to bombay city fot ones,people sleeping on pavements,hookers crouling streets at 24/7,full of cheap brothals,no end of beggers,and in the end,traffic, the road users invent a new traffic rule every day....this is what i saw when i was in bombay for my i week holy day..least but not last trip of mine to bombay,cz i will go back to bombay for one thing,and that cheap sex,its expensive here in EU.