A visit to the city of the ‘Dead’ (story of the Dalits in Pakistan)
Yoginder Sikand writing at DNA South-central Sindh isn’t quite a favourite holiday destination, but I spent a fortnight there while on a vacation in Pakistan. My host was the amiable, 70 year-old Khurshid Khan Kaimkhani, a noted leftist activist, author of the only book on Pakistan’s almost 3 million Dalits. Along with a friend, he edits the only Dalit magazine in the entire country. Khurshid met me at the railway station in Hyderabad, Sindh’s largest city after Karachi. We drove to his small farm, on the outskirts of his hometown of Tando Allah Yar, a two hour bus-ride ahead. Several Bhil families live on the farm. “They are like my own family,” Khurshid says as Baluji, a tall, handsome Bhil man, manager of the farm, welcomes us in with a tight embrace. … Read entire article »
Business unusual at Kalash
A valley that has long fed the natives on its thriving tourism industry suffers the consequences of ignorance By Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro The landscape of Kalash is breathtaking, to say the least. It encompasses verdant valleys, running river waters, meandering roads and wooden hamlets. Kalash is located in three isolated mountain valleys: Bumboret (Kalash: Mumret), Rumbur (Rukmu), and Birir (Biriu) where both Muslims and non-Muslims live together. The non-Muslims are known as Kalasha — ‘the wearers of black robes’. Their dwellings are made of wood and tucked in the mountains. Tourists from all over the world have always been fascinated by the serenity and the variegated culture of Kalash, especially during the traditional festival days when the place is so crowded that it is hard to find a room in any hotel in the … Read entire article »
Filed under: ancient civilisations, culture, North-West Frontier Province, Travel
Extracts from Empires of the Indus by Alice Albinia
From the Guardian Water is potent: it trickles through human dreams, permeates lives, dictates agriculture, religion and warfare. Ever since Homo sapiens first migrated out of Africa, the Indus has drawn thirsty conquerors to its banks. Some of the world’s first cities were built here; India’s earliest Sanskrit literature was written about the river; Islam’s holy preachers wandered beside these waters. Pakistan is only the most recent of the Indus valley’s political avatars. I remember the … Read entire article »
Filed under: ancient civilisations, Books, culture, Heritage, History, India, New Writers, Pakistan, Travel, Writers
Pakistan Re-Visited – Lahore, Karachi and Reflections
This is the second post on the travelogue by the Jeddah based writer Tariq Al-Maeena on his travels to Pakistan. Pakistan Re-Visited – (4) The road to Lahore On a day following several meetings with officials from the Pakistani government that ran later than scheduled, we missed our flight reservations to Lahore. Faced with the option to drive from Islamabad to Peshawar and take a flight to Lahore, or else take a four hour drive to the Punjabi city, the Saudi media delegation unanimously opted for the latter. The drive would provide us a closer insight into the countryside of a country that was quickly garnering admiration from each one of us by the moment. A few miles out of the city of Islamabad we soon passed a toll-booth on the … Read entire article »
Travels to Pakistan – A Jeddah-based journalist's account
Pak Tea House is grateful for this contribution from Tariq Al-Maeena a journalist based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - his account of travels in Pakistan is engaging. We are publishing the first three parts on his impressions of Islamabad, political intrigues of the Capital and his sojourn to Murree. The interesting bits are his comparisons with Saudi Arabia where Pakistan is viewed as a poor country. The remaining parts will be published later. (Raza Rumi) Pakistan Re-Visited – (1) Islamabad When the … Read entire article »
Pakistani-Hindustani Bhai-Bhai, Literally Up In The Sky!
Yoginder Sikand We have a three-hour stop over at Lahore airport on our way back to Delhi from Islamabad. I am excited about going back home, but, at the same time, am sad at the thought of leaving Pakistan. I don’t know when, if at all, I can come back here, if I can ever again meet some of those wonderful people whom I almost instantly bonded with in my short week-long visit to the country. I wonder if I … Read entire article »
Discussing Democracy in Islamabad – An Indian's sojourn to Pakistan
by Yoginder Sikand One of my many major grouses with the ‘mainstream’ Indian media (and this applies to the dominant Western media as well) is the despicable way in which it treats Pakistan. It is as if bad news about Pakistan is always good news for the media. It is also if there is nothing at all good in that country to write about or that anything good about it is not ‘newsworthy’. That grouse has been considerably reinforced after returning last week from attending one of the most engaging and lively conferences I have ever participated in—on Democracy in South Asia—held in Islamabad. Hapless victim of Indian media stereotyping, I had hardly expected such trenchant critiques of ruling class politics, US imperialism, the misuse of religion by the powerful, patriarchal traditions … Read entire article »
Filed under: Democracy, India, Media, Pakistan, Politics, Society, Travel, Writers
Besakhi festival starts
4,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims have reached Wahga border *Over 12,000 Sikhs will visit Pakistan for this festival The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) will welcome about 4,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims arriving today (Friday) for the Besakhi Festival, ETPB officials told Daily Times on Thursday. … Read entire article »
Paradise Found: Pakistan's Charakusa Valley
Found this racy travel account here – the pictures are stunning and the narrative right from the heart and informal. Our friend Kelly Cordes, who tests gear and writes copy for us, went climbing in the Charakusa Valley of Pakistan last summer and sent us some photos to share. Though Kelly and his climbing partner, Scott DeCapio, were unsuccessful on their attempt at a new line on K7, they returned with some spectacular images — enjoy! [Photo: Arrival into base camp … Read entire article »
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