DOCSLIB.ORG

Alive and Well in Pakistan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Alive and Well in Pakistan Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page ii Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page iii ALIVE AND WELL IN PAKISTAN A Human Journey in a Dangerous Time ETHAN CASEY Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page iv First published in 2004 by Vision, a division of Satin Publications Ltd. 101 Southwark Street London SE10JF UK [email protected] www.visionpaperbacks.co.uk Publisher: Sheena Dewan © Ethan Casey 2004 The right of Ethan Casey to be identified as the author of the work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the publisher. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: 1-904132-56-1 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Jacket photo: Sipa/Rex Features Jacket and text design by ok?design Printed and bound in the UK by Mackays of Chatham Ltd, Chatham, Kent. Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page v CONTENTS Map of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir State vii Prologue: A Typical Flight to Lahore 1 PART ONE: BEFORE 7 Chapter 1:A Depiction of Something True 9 Chapter 2:Vestiges and Ruins 29 Chapter 3:Through the Looking-Glass 48 Chapter 4: Scenarios and Losses 69 Chapter 5:A Fantastic Time to be Alive 92 PART TWO: AFTER 105 Chapter 6:A Rediscovery 107 Chapter 7: Educating Myself in Public 139 Chapter 8:Rhythms of Ramzan 163 Chapter 9:What I Did During Eid 189 Chapter 10: ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got him!’ 231 Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page vi Chatper 11: Man of Crisis 248 Chapter 12:The Hardest Road to Truth 265 Epilogue in England 275 Further Reading 276 Acknowledgements 278 About the Author 280 Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page vii Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page viii Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page 1 PROLOGUE A TYPICAL FLIGHT TO LAHORE It was as if I was already in Pakistan. Flight PK758 was still at the gate at Heathrow, and I was in a bulkhead window seat. The aroma of lamb curry wafted across the aisle. Then the fight broke out. A couple of rows behind me a tall man with a moustache was shouting, accusing another man of being drunk, while other passen- gers and flight attendants admonished and tried to calm him. ‘Please, please!’ cried a clean-shaven, mild-countenanced smaller man in elegant shalwar kameez and vest, spectacles and carefully tended greying hair. ‘I am not going on this flight!’ shouted the tall man. ‘You’ve got a problem with him, deal with it in your own time,’ remonstrated another man, in a British accent. ‘I have urgent busi- ness. You are holding up four hundred people. You are now holding my business up. You are on the same plane as him. If you had any sense you’d realise that he’s on the same plane as you, and you can deal with him when you get to Lahore. It’s none of my fuckin’ business.’ ‘Don’t touch me!’ ‘There are two ways of dealing with this. Either you will sit down or, I promise you, I will call security and get you both off the fucking plane.’ 1 Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page 2 ALIVE AND WELL IN PAKISTAN ‘Call the fuckin’ s’curity! Call the fuckin’ s’curity!’ The benign-looking man leaned on the seat next to mine and confided, with a grin: ‘This is a typical flight to Lahore.’ It seemed a good omen, somehow. ‘What’s it about?’ ‘The other bloke was piss drunk, in the seat behind you. And he was leaning over this fellow’s seat, playing with his hair.’ ‘They didn’t know each other?’ ‘They didn’t know each other. I thought they were friends. So this guy punched the other guy. And then …’ He gestured in the direc- tion of the scene we had just witnessed. The tall man disappeared. ‘Where is he?’ someone asked. ‘In the toilet,’ replied someone else. ‘Good. Let’s lock him in there.’ It must have been resolved somehow, because suddenly a female voice was giving safety instructions in English and Urdu, the crew were bustling and demonstrating, and the plane was easing toward the runway. Half an hour late, we were airborne. I awoke to bright sunshine and a clear view of the brown, bare mountains of Afghanistan. The abrupt transition between worlds that air travel entails shocks the system. The air traveller cultivates non- attachment, chronically standing apart from the disorienting variety of people and places he encounters, at the same time craving inclusion and connection with them. I had not been in Asia in two and a half years, or in Pakistan in more than four. A great deal had happened in the meantime. One fine morning two years ago tomorrow, everything had seemed to change. Returning to Pakistan for a five-month stint was for me a way of keeping faith with my own experience, comparing notes with my younger self. Looking down on Afghanistan I felt how far away I had been, and for how long, from Asia, where events had real meaning and urgency and where I felt most alive. 2 Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page 3 A TYPICAL FLIGHT TO LAHORE ‘The difference between you and me,’ my friend Tony Davis had said to me near the end of my five-year sojourn in Bangkok, ‘is that I’m a Western man who belongs in Asia, and you’re a Western man who just happens to be in Asia.’ This stung, but it was true. Reluctantly I admitted that I needed to return to my own wellspring. But another five years later, I was again bored with the West and its trivial obsessions and meta-media. Asia, where I had cut my teeth as a journalist and crossed the shadow-line between youth and matu- rity, had become part of me. Maybe I belonged there after all. Tony Davis and I had become friends in 1995, after he wrote a letter to the editor of the Bangkok Post accusing me of ‘retailing silly conspiracy theories’ in an article about Kashmir. I acknowledged the justice of some of his points, challenged others, and invited him for a beer. I came to know him as a great and under-appreciated authority on Afghanistan and Asian security issues, a hard-working role model, and a large-hearted and loyal friend. Tony wrote for Asiaweek magazine and Jane’s Defence Weekly. On my last visit to Asia, in early 2001,we had spent several days together in the far north of Thailand, near the Burma border, where there had recently been cross-border shelling. Tony’s father, who had been in the British Army, had advised him not to join the mili- tary because the Empire was dying and the good old days were over. For Tony, being a journalist was the next best thing. After we visited a Thai Army camp where our visit must have been the most inter- esting thing to have happened to the soldiers in a while, Tony remarked to me: ‘Soldiering is probably the profession with the most time spent sitting around with nothing to do. But journalism – or at least our kind of journalism – is a close second.’ For me, journalism had started out as the next best thing to Writing. As a teenager, I wanted to be William Faulkner. I fell into journalism, as the Observer foreign correspondent Gavin Young wrote about himself, ‘as a drunken man falls into a pond.’ Until 3 Pakistan Book 21/7/04 5:52 pm Page 4 ALIVE AND WELL IN PAKISTAN inevitably becoming rich and famous, I needed to make a living, and I figured journalism was a way to make money while seeing the world and getting my name in print. Along the way, my perspective changed. I came to value above all the concrete sense of place, event and history-in-the-making that the practice of journalism gives me. Thus did Tony’s words resonate when, sipping beer one evening on a hotel rooftop near the Thai-Burma border, he said: ‘There’s no substitute for the sniff on the ground.’ As the plane crossed Pakistan and descended toward Lahore, I read Michael Ignatieff ’s article ‘Why Are We in Iraq? (And Liberia? And Afghanistan?)’ in The New York Times Magazine and glumly and enviously pondered a culture of publishing that tempts writers to trade hard-earned authority for bylines over well-phrased policy recommendations in prestigious periodicals. Such writing has its uses, but after its best-by date it’s of little more than antiquarian or novelty interest. When I read such articles I always wonder: what you mean ‘we’, paleface? I’m not in Afghanistan. I’m not in Iraq. I speak only for myself. I saw no other Westerners on the plane or, for that matter, during my first several days in Lahore. ‘Sir, you are transit passenger?’ a man asked as I was getting a baggage trolley. Startled, I said: ‘No. I’m waiting for my bags.’ ‘Not going to Islamabad?’ ‘No.’ ‘You stay Lahore,’ he confirmed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Colors of Sustainability
    Akzo Nobel Pakistan Limited Colors of sustainability Repor1t 5 Annual Report 2015 Essential ingredients, essential color and essential protection We care about our consumers and what’s important to them. Whether they are conserving and treasuring the past or building the world of tomorrow, we’re always there to offer color, safety and protection. From the sustainable coatings on consumer goods to fire protection coatings on a skyscraper; we protect the things you see, touch and rely on every day, while providing essential colour and aesthetics. 1 Contents Overview and strategy 2 Chief Executive’s statement 3 Human Cities initiative 4 Code of Conduct and values 6 Our passion for people 7 Health, Safety, Environment and Sustainability 9 Business performance 17 Corporate Governance and Compliance 22 Risk management 23 Company information 25 Our Board of Directors 26 Our Executive Management team 28 Report of the Directors 30 Statement of Compliance with CCG 32 Review report on Statement of Compliance with CCG 33 AkzoNobel Pakistan financial statements F 01 Notice of meeting Admission slip Form of proxy Video Conferencing Facility Form Mandate Letter Report15 Annual Report 2015 2 Overview and Strategy Our vision remains: AkzoNobel Pakistan being a part of the AkzoNobel Group Leading market positions At AkzoNobel Pakistan, we carry with us the traditions and expertise of one of Pakistan’s delivering leading oldest and most successful companies; ICI performance Pakistan Limited. The AkzoNobel Group acquired ICI in 2008 bringing together the innovation, leadership and expertise of both companies. Through a scheme of demerger, the Paints Business at ICI was separated into a separate legal entity.
    [Show full text]
  • Research and Development
    Annual Report 2010-11 Research and Development RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FACULTY OF ARTS & HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY Projects: (i) Completed UNESCO funded project ―Sui Vihar Excavations and Archaeological Reconnaissance of Southern Punjab” has been completed. Research Collaboration Funding grants for R&D o Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO approved project amounting to Rs. 0.26 million. DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE Publications Book o Spatial Constructs in Alamgir Hashmi‘s Poetry: A Critical Study by Amra Raza Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany 2011 Conferences, Seminars and Workshops, etc. o Workshop on Creative Writing by Rizwan Akthar, Departmental Ph.D Scholar in Essex, October 11th , 2010, Department of English Language & Literature, University of the Punjab, Lahore. o Seminar on Fullbrght Scholarship Requisites by Mehreen Noon, October 21st, 2010, Department of English Language & Literature, Universsity of the Punjab, Lahore. Research Journals Department of English publishes annually two Journals: o Journal of Research (Humanities) HEC recognized ‗Z‘ Category o Journal of English Studies Research Collaboration Foreign Linkages St. Andrews University, Scotland DEPARTMENT OF FRENCH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE R & D-An Overview A Research Wing was introduced with its various operating desks. In its first phase a Translation Desk was launched: Translation desk (French – English/Urdu and vice versa): o Professional / legal documents; Regular / personal documents; o Latest research papers, articles and reviews; 39 Annual Report 2010-11 Research and Development The translation desk aims to provide authentic translation services to the public sector and to facilitate mutual collaboration at international level especially with the French counterparts. It addresses various businesses and multi national companies, online sales and advertisements, and those who plan to pursue higher education abroad.
    [Show full text]
  • Integration of Colonial Food Culture Into Pakistani Cuisine
    Dr. Atifa Usmani** Momina Arshad Malik Integration of Colonial food culture into Pakistani Cuisine. Abstract Pakistan has a significant value for being a part of South Asian historic culture which had remained home to variety of cults and diverse creeds. British settlers possessed India in the 19th century and reigned her for almost a century till its partition in the year 1947. United India endured major cultural and societal changes during British era. After the freedom and partition from India, Pakistani culture evolved considerably over a period of time. To learn about this transformation and evolution directed the purpose of this study. Food is one of the most substantial aspect of cultural legacy and national character of any people (Murcott, 1982). Multiple studies (Atkinson,1980; Lévi- Strauss,1983; Leach,1976) have stressed about literal and symbolic value of food, cuisine, culinary practices and their relationship with nations and their philosophies. The variable under study for this paper is Cuisine of Pakistan. This paper attempts to study the integration of Colonial food culture with various aspects of Pakistani Cuisine. A thematic analysis of emergent themes which are cultural impact, economic impact and sociological impact of Colonial era on Pakistani cuisine was conducted and discussed with reference to the food products and food culture of British India which eventually got integrated in Pakistani culture and society. Purposive sampling was done for this study. Lahore is selected for this study to be conducted at and is delimited to the cuisine of Lahore, since it is a cultural hub and a historic city and also the provincial capital.
    [Show full text]
  • Making Lahore Modern: Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City
    00 Front.qxd 14/08/2007 12:14 PM Page i MAKING LAHORE MODERN 00 Front.qxd 14/08/2007 12:14 PM Page ii 00 Front.qxd 14/08/2007 12:14 PM Page iii MAKING LAHORE MODERN Constructing and Imagining a Colonial City William J. Glover University of Minnesota Press Minneapolis London 00 Front.qxd 14/08/2007 12:14 PM Page iv Portions of the introduction, chapter , and chapter are reprinted in revised form from “Objects, Models, and Exemplary Works: Educating Sentiment in Colonial Punjab,” Journal of Asian Studies ,no. (August ): –; reprinted with permission from the Association of Asian Studies. Chapter is reprinted in revised and expanded form from “‘An Absence of Old England’: The Anxious English Bungalow,” HomeCultures ,no. (): –; copyright William J. Glover; reprinted with permission of Berg Publishers. Maps, photographs, and drawings not otherwise credited were created by the author. Copyright by the Regents of the University of Minnesota All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by the University of Minnesota Press Third Avenue South, Suite Minneapolis, MN - http://www.upress.umn.edu Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper The University of Minnesota is an equal-opportunity educator and employer. 00 Front.qxd 14/08/2007 12:14 PM Page v CONTENTS Acknowledgments vii Introduction
    [Show full text]
  • Role of Biradari System in Power Politics of Lahore: Post-Independence Period
    ROLE OF BIRADARI SYSTEM IN POWER POLITICS OF LAHORE: POST-INDEPENDENCE PERIOD A thesis submitted for candidature of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Muhammad Ibrahim 2009 Department of Political Science & International Relations Bahauddin Zakariya University MULTAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The idea to initiate research on biradari politics of Lahore is given by Dr. Khalid Aftab, the Vice Chancellor Government College University Lahore. I thank him for setting me on this path. He always encouraged me and continually guided me in spite of his heavy official responsibilities. I owe a great debt of gratitude to him. I owe an inestimable debt of gratitude to Professor Francis Robinson, Royal Holloway College University of London. He is so kind, generous and encouraging who actually trimmed me and my research on right path. He spared ample time for me even of his very busy schedule and after every meeting with him I felt a new energy and enthusiasm in myself. I have deep regards for my supervisor Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed Chaudhry. He continually guided me. His valuable advice helped me in giving a final shape to the thesis. I am fortunate to find friends at London whose support in initiating my research is a great worth to me. Dr Avril Powell (SOAS), Markus Daechsel (Royal Holloway College), Yasmin Khan (Royal Holloway College), Amna Khalid (Oxford), Ravindar Kaur and Justine Taylor (archivist, Honourable Artillery Company). Many thanks to them for their long discussions and listening patiently to my research work at the cafeteria of British Library London. I would like to express my deep regards for Professor Gilmartin, Ian Talbot and Mathew Nelson those gave me new ideas and approach towards the study of biradari politics.
    [Show full text]