Lahore wore an eerie look as I drove to the airport to fly back to India, a day after Sarfraz Naeemi was killed.
Lahore wore an eerie look as I drove to the airport to fly back to India on Saturday, a day after Sarfraz Naeemi, a leading Barelvi cleric and a trenchant critic of the Taliban, was killed.
Public transport was off the roads and shops and businesses closed — a sense of deja vu in the tense air. Pakistan Army soldiers manned pill boxes, machine guns at the ready, at Lahore’s upmarket Defence Housing Society. The scene symptomatic of the sense of unease that grips our neighbour.
Pakistan too is a country of contrasts. Alongside the visible signs of religiosity — more women in hijab, bearded men and more mosques — is a section waiting to break free.
For those not of a religious bent of mind, having a good time can be hard. Pakistan has always been a gastronomical delight, from traditional Mughlai to the best of Chinese and Continental cuisines are on offer. I dined at a French restaurant in Karachi’s swish Defence Housing Society as a guest of Abbas Nasir, editor-in-chief of Dawn. The food and the ambience were as good as you will get in India or London. For those into theatre and drama, there is always something on offer. I saw two plays, one a spoof on the army authored by Mohammad Haneef, and the other in Islamabad on Mirza Ghalib. (The Begumaat of Pakistani high society was out in strength, all in their latest designer wear)
Most visitors to Pakistan will vouch for the hospitality. They feed you till the gills. It’s not uncommon for Indians to get a hefty rebate on purchases and if you happen to be in Lahore, a customary Punjabi bear hug, as a bonus. However, India continues to be an obsession for a section and is blamed for all that is wrong with Pakistan.
Whether it’s the trouble in Swat, the ethnic violence in Karachi or the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. Whether it’s the passenger seated next to you on the Karachi-Islamabad flight, a young London-based banker or senior officials in the government, most believe India wants to finish off Pakistan.
There are no easy answers to why this is the case and whether all this will end. Based on my interaction with people on both sides, I fear, despite the bonhomie and the display of affection, India and Pakistan will unfortunately never be friends. I would love to be proved wrong.
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