Why I love Pakistan? Top 5 reasons
The Civilization
Pakistan is not a recent figment but a continuation of 5000 years of history: quite sheepishly, I admit, that I am an adherent of the view held by many historians that the Indus valley and the Indus man were always somewhat distinct from their brethren across the Indus. I do not wish to venture into this debate but I am proud as an inheritor of Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Mehrgarh (not strictly in this order) and this makes me feel rooted and connected to my soil as well as ancient human civilizations and cultures.
It also makes me happy that no matter how much the present-day media hysteria about Pakistan (and natives in general) diminishes my country and region, nothing can take away this heritage and high points of my ancestral culture. Pakistan is not just Indus civilization it is a hybrid cultural ethos: the Greek, Gandhara, the central Asian, Persian, Aryan and the Islamic influences merge into this river and define my soul how can I not be proud of this?
The People
I simply love the Pakistani people – they are resilient, diverse and most entrepreneurial. They have survived calamities, famines, upheavals, injustices and exploitation and yet, by and large, retain a sense of humour. I am not na¯ve to say that they are totally free of the various bondages of history but they display remarkable entrepreneurial and creative potential. Most of them are real and rooted and yet not averse to modernity.
There is an urban revolution taking place in parts of Punjab and Sindh and the drivers are neither the state nor external donors but the people themselves. The private sector has even contributed to build an airport. There is an ugly side as well: the absence or predatory activities of the state (e.g. Karachi) has also provided a breeding ground for mafias but this is not a unique Pakistani phenomenon. From LA to Jakarata, such groups operate within the folds of urbanization.
I am proud of my people who have proved themselves in all spheres and countries  whether it is Professor Abdus Salam, the Nobel Laureate or Shazia Sikander, the miniaturist of international fame or Mukhtaran Mai who has proved her mettle in giving a tough time to forces of oppression.
The Spirituality
There is inordinate focus on Pakistani madrassahs, the pro-Taliban groups and the violent jihadis. How representative are these groups? Only Pakistanis know that such groups are marginal to the mainstream attachment to and practice of religion. The rural folk are still steeped in Sufi worldview and many versions of Islam exist within the same neighborhood. Of course there is manipulated curse of sectarian violence but that mercifully is not embedded despite the attempts of big external players and the octopus-like state agencies.
Ordinary Pakistanis, such as me, value their Islamic beliefs, are God fearing and follow what is essentially a continuation of the centuries old traditions of spirituality that survives in the folk idiom, in the kaafis of Bulleh Shah, and in the verses of Bhitai and Rahman Baba. Our proverbs, day-to-day beliefs are all mixed and laced with history, oral tradition, Sufi lore and of course Islamic simplicity. It is another matter that there are individuals who want to hijack this thread and impose their nonsense on us but we as a people have resisted that and shall continue to do so. After all we inherited the confluence of ancient religions and practices.
Pakistan is where Buddha taught and Taxila shined, and where Nanak preached and the great saints  Usman Hajweri, Fariduddin Ganj Shakar, Bhitai and Sarmast – brought people into the fold of Islam. Despite the revisionist, constructed history by extremists in India, the sword had little to do with Islam’s rise in this region.
The Natural Beauty
Well the spirituality of my homeland is not just restricted to the intangible belief systems. It also reflects in the splendors of Mother Nature. From the pristine peaks in the north to the mangroves of the Indus delta, Pakistan blends climates, geographies, terrains in its melting pot. Within hours of leaving an arid zone, one enters into a fertile delta. And again a few more hours put you right in front of otherworldly mountains. The deserts of Cholistan radiate the moonlight and the surreal wildernesses of Balochistan are nothing but metaphors of spiritual beauty.
Where else can I experience the aroma of wet earth when the baked earth cracks up to embrace every droplet and where else can one find a Jamun tree with a Koel calling the gods? An everlasting impression on my being shall remain the majestic sunrise at the Fairy Meadows amid the Karakorams and the melting gold of Nanga Parbat peak. I love this country’s rivers, streams and the fields where farmers testify their existence with each stroke, each touch of earth. I cherish trees that are not just trees but signify Buddha’s seat or the ones in graveyards nourishing the seasonal blossoms.
The Cuisine
Yes, I love the aromas and myriad scents of Thai cooking, the subtlety of the French and Lebanese or the Turkish dishes but nothing compares to the Pakistani cuisine. Forget the high sounding stuff; ghar ka khana (homemade food) no matter which strata are you from is difficult to find elsewhere (except India of course).
Whether it is a simple Tandoor ki Roti with Achaar or Palak (in the Punjab) or the intricate Biryani with ingredients and spices of all hues, the food is out of this world. In my house, we were used to at least ten different rice dishes (steamed white rice/saada/green peas/vegetable/channa/choliya/potato Pilau), three types of Biryanis (Sindhi, Hyderabadi, Dilli or just our cook’s hybridized Punjabi version), and my grandmother’s recipe of Lambi Khichdee. The list continues.
In the Northern areas, there are Chinese-Pakistani concoctions, in the North West Frontier there is meat in its most tender and purest form. In Balochistan there is Sajji, meat grilled in earthenware at low heat until all the juices have transformed the steaks into a magic delight. And, the fruits and the sweets – the mangoes that come in dozens of varieties and colours, melons of different sizes, the pomegranates and the wild berries that still grow despite the pollution everywhere!
How could I not love this eclectic cuisine?
And Finally
the sum-total of all five: I love Pakistan as this is my identity – immutable and irreversible. Simple.
The genesis of this post.
I am averse to the ratings and rankings that characterize the junk-journalism of our times. Much like the embedded style of reporting such a view remains partial and often ignorant of the nuances and layers of subtext that are almost unachievable in the pop-view of the world.
Readers might question this apparent paradox as on the one hand I am participating in this top-five series and on the other I am also being critical. Well, well this is kosher from a South Asian perspective as we remain a mythical-modern bundle of contradictions.
The real reason for me to submit my top 5 is the inquiring spirit of Mayank Austen Soofi whom I don’t know and have never met. But I am quite empathetic to his efforts at understanding Pakistan. At least he ventures into the other territory and unlike the mainstream media and writers, does not view Pakistan as a threatening collage of burqa clad women, terrorism and gun toting radicals. Even as he carries out his current obsession, i.e. Pakistan, there are many in the blogosphere who have questioned his motives and alleged deliberate derision of Pakistan and its inhabitants through his writings. Since I do not suffer from this sort of irrational paranoia, I am happy to let him write more on my country. At least there is one alternative voice, one un-cliched perspective from the other side of the border. Even if my young friend employs a cliched format in this series, it is better than high writing churning more cliches!
I just want to tell you that I am just all new to weblog and actually liked this page. More than likely I’m want to bookmark your site . You definitely have amazing stories. Thanks a bunch for sharing your web-site.
Hi my loved one! I wish to say that this post is amazing, great written and come with almost all important infos. I would like to see more posts like this .
There is noticeably big money comprehend this. I assume you made particular nice points in features also.
This web site truly has all of the information and facts I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask. |
Kurye olarak hizmet veren kişiler, bulundukları lokasyondaki her adrese en kısa sürede ulaşma yolunu bilirler. Üstelik verilen bu görevi hava, trafik ve buna benzer diğer olumsuz şartlardan etkilenmeden yerine getirirler. Yani iş hayatı başta olmak üzere hayatın hemen her alanında önemli görevleri üstlenebilir ve başarıyla yerine getirebilirler. Özellikle büyük şehirlerdeki trafik kaosu ve adres konusundaki karmaşa göze alınırsa, kurye hizmetlerinden faydalanmanın bazı durumlarda zorunlu hale geleceği anlaşılabilir. Örneğin İstanbul’un bir noktasından diğer bir noktasına acil şekilde önemli bir evrak ulaştırmak gerektiğinde ya da hastanızın ihtiyacı olan ilacı acil ve güvenli bir şekilde ulaştırmak gerektiğinde, İstanbul moto kurye hizmetimizden faydalanarak sorununuza çözüm üretebilirsiniz.
Wow, that’s what I was looking for, what a data! present here at this website, thanks admin of this web page.|
hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve certainly picked up something new from right here. I did however expertise a few technical points using this site, as I experienced to reload the web site many times previous to I could get it to load correctly. I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but slow loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my email and can look out for much more of your respective fascinating content. Make sure you update this again very soon.|
Great information. Lucky me I ran across your website by accident (stumbleupon). I have bookmarked it for later!|
Hi there, its fastidious paragraph about media print, we all be familiar with media is a wonderful source of data.|
At this time it appears like Movable Type is the preferred blogging platform available right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?|
It’s going to be ending of mine day, but before finish I am reading this great piece of writing
to improve my knowledge.
That is a very good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Simple but very accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one.
A must read article!
I’ll right away seize your rss feed as I can’t in finding your email subscription link or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please let me understand in order that I may just subscribe. Thanks.
Great site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find good quality writing like yours nowadays.
I honestly appreciate individuals like you!
Take care!!
Real nice layout and superb content material , practically nothing else we require : D.
Investors do pay direct and oblique costs.
All forms of investments come with sure risks.
A financial advisor is your planning partner.
With havin so much written content do you ever run into any issues of
plagorism or copyright violation? My blog has a lot of completely unique
content I’ve either created myself or outsourced but
it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my permission. Do
you know any methods to help protect against content from being stolen? I’d genuinely appreciate
it.
You really make it appear so easy along with
your presentation but I to find this matter to be really something which I think I’d by no means understand.
It seems too complicated and extremely extensive for me.
I am looking ahead for your next put up, I will try to get the hang of it!
Thanks for some other fantastic post. Where else may anybody get that kind of info in such a perfect means of
writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look
for such info.
I have read so many articles concerning the blogger lovers but this article is truly a pleasant paragraph, keep it up.
hello!,I like your writing very much! share we be in contact extra about your article on AOL?
I need an expert in this space to unravel my problem.
Maybe that is you! Looking ahead to look you.
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios invests in Schwab
ETFs.
A monetary advisor is your planning partner.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem along with your site in web explorer, could check this… IE still is the market leader and a huge portion of other people will leave out your fantastic writing due to this problem.
That is true for investment recommendation as effectively.
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of valuable know-how concerning unpredicted feelings.
Awesome write-up. I am a regular visitor of your blog and appreciate you taking the time to maintain the excellent site. I will be a regular visitor for a long time.
I figured out more a new challenge on this fat loss issue. 1 issue is a good nutrition is tremendously vital when dieting. A huge reduction in bad foods, sugary ingredients, fried foods, sugary foods, red meat, and white flour products could possibly be necessary. Retaining wastes bloodsuckers, and toxic compounds may prevent ambitions for shedding fat. While certain drugs briefly solve the problem, the awful side effects are usually not worth it, and they never offer more than a short-lived solution. This can be a known fact that 95% of celebrity diets fail. Many thanks sharing your notions on this web site.
Merely wanna admit that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to write this.
A monetary advisor is your planning associate.
All forms of investments come with sure dangers.
This website definitely has all of the information and facts I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who
to ask.
I think other site proprietors should take this site as an model, very clean and excellent user friendly style and design, as well as the content. You’re an expert in this topic!
A person necessarily lend a hand to make seriously articles I would state. This is the first time I frequented your web page and thus far? I amazed with the research you made to make this actual publish incredible. Excellent task!
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Generally I don’t read article on blogs, however I would like to say that this write-up very compelled me to take a look at and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thank you, quite great post.
I’ve been browsing on-line greater than 3 hours these days, but I never found any fascinating article like yours. It’s beautiful value enough for me. Personally, if all web owners and bloggers made good content material as you probably did, the internet will likely be a lot more helpful than ever before. “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” by Lawrence Peter Berra.
Hey! Fantastic blog! I happen to be a daily visitor to your site (somewhat more like addict ) of this website. Just wanted to say I appreciate your blogs and am looking forward for more!
Just a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great style .
This is true for funding advice as well.
And this is an investment threat worth taking.
I believe that avoiding prepared foods is a first step in order to lose weight. They might taste good, but highly processed foods possess very little nutritional value, making you try to eat more to have enough vigor to get through the day. If you are constantly ingesting these foods, changing to whole grain products and other complex carbohydrates will aid you to have more energy while eating less. Thanks alot : ) for your blog post.
Hey very cool website!! Guy .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also¡KI’m satisfied to search out a lot of helpful info here within the post, we want work out extra techniques on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .
Now it’s time to choose your specific investments.
A monetary advisor is your planning companion.
Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from you! However, how can we communicate?