Alas, the drive failed to quicken the pulse that a simple walk in one of the congested streets in the ancient quarters easily managed to produce. The upper class, antiseptic zones of Lahore, like the Gulberg district where we stayed, undoubtedly made the city comfortable and at harmony with the rest of the privileged world, but they failed to capture the magic of the place.
Trust the Clichés
It is advised, often by well-meaning Pakistanis sensitive to their country's reputation, that Pakistan is different from its popular impression as a conservative Muslim nation populated with bearded mullahs, burqa-clad ladies, and skull-capped, Koran-mugging young boys. This subtle convincing insists that Pakistan is a normal, modern society with beardless men in trousers openly interacting with drapeless women.
A drive on the road is a swift way to verify the claims. Yes, Pakistan is indeed a 'normal' nation with 'normally' dressed people, but it is also an assertive Islamic nation. The Muslim identity displays itself loudly - only a visually challenged person could fail to notice the abundance of bearded, mustache-missing men wearing ankle length shalwars, all in accordance with the strict Islamic codes. Only a turned-down head could skip seeing chador-clad women.
The truth is that Lahore without skull caps would look as bald as a kite-less sky would during the great spring festival of Basant when Pakistanis from different parts of the country gather here to take part in the kite flying fiesta.
Clichés tend to be true, though exceptions, too, must be considered a part of the complete truth.
Feminism - Lahori Style
Every second car was being driven by women - with or without the veil, mostly without the veil. Every second car being driven by women had only women passengers. There was no male relative as an escort. Every third car being driven by women offered an unsettling sight of maneuvering the steering wheel while trying to smoke and speak on mobile phones at the same time.
Sometimes there were eye-popping visions of the twenty-first century overtaking the fourteenth - a cleavage-showing sizzler of a driver whooshing past a car driven by a black tent that had netted cloth in place of the eyes. How was the lady living inside that tent able to see while driving? Was everything left to the will of Allah the Merciful? And what exactly did she think about that Paris Hilton look-alike who just drove past her? We do not know her answers but they sure must be interesting.
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.