Karachi, history and Pakistan's mighty Indus River

In Pakistan the mighty Indus River historically nourishes life around the country. To Singaporeans, the river may not be important enough to include in the menu of the zoo's River Safari attractions but it was important enough to spawn the Indus Valley civilization during 3300 - 1300 BC. At its peak, the civilization may have cradled up to five million people - a phenomenal number for its day.

A tributary of the Indus River in Pakistan's norther Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province

However, unlike Singapore where the Singapore River is never far from view, the Indus River is not normally visible from Pakistan's largest city, Karachi. (But then Pakistan is not a kampong, city and nation-state rolled into one entity!)

Fortunately, the Indus River cannot be blamed for the historical aberration, i.e. development of a large metropolis built away from the river's banks.

Karachi is a new city. The city's present population of twenty-three million is a far cry from the Karachi's 500,000 residents in 1947, the year of Pakistan's creation. Sindhis and Baloch, the historical inhabitants of Sindh province of which Karachi is the capital, are now virtually a minority in the province. Surely, this has created tensions between the city's 'old' and the 'new' (sound familiar Singapore?). These stresses will be worked out naturally over time, as a national 'Pakistani' consciousness develops over the course of a few more generations.

But a region's history stays with its people irrespective of their rulers or the color of its passport. Since the 1500s, Pakistan's territories have seen the Mughals, the British and umpteen 'independent' dynasties rule different areas for varying periods of time. Unfortunately for Pakistanis, many parts of Pakistan have historically been 'frontier' regions with violent warfare between different parties almost a part of the cultural landscape. Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province, formerly known as the Northwest Frontier Province, and Balochistan are cases in point. Both zones were frequently contested between Delhi and the Afghan / Persian kingdoms respectively.

Some of the warring continues to this day. The ideological battle between militant, bearded Islam and ordinary Pakistanis has spilt much blood during the last decade. While Pakistan's Fashion Week takes place in one part of Karachi, the 'jahil' mullahs' self proclaimed 'enforcers of civilization' attack polio vaccination teams in other parts of the city and country!

The good news: forces of progress and moderation are in the ascendancy while the religious bigots are desperately seeking to hang on to the limited space made available to them through intimidation and threats. The bad news: the physical and ideological battle will continue for years to come. The soil around the Indus River will soak in much more innocent - and not so innocent - blood before the war ends.

The banks of the river Indus are hazy with clouds and dust

Added to it is the fire of war

Kindled by us, we burnt each other

Now that it has spread far and wide

We are too weary to put it out

Poem by Mir Bijar, a 16th century Balochi poet.

Translated from Balochi by Parveen Talpur. 'Footnotes: Selected Verses of Great Poets,' Parveen Talpur. Ferozsons, 2006.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of regional businesses. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com. 

Reflections from Pakistan X: Lahore’s Mogul heritage

"His eyes might there command whatever stood
City of old or modern fame, the seat
Of mightiest empire, from the destined walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathian Can,
And Samarcand by Oxus, Temir's throne,
To Paquin of Sinaen Kings, and thence
To Agra and Lahore of Great Mogul..."

John Milton, Paradise Lost.

Lahore is more than just the city of my mother's birth. It is one city in Pakistan which inherited a significant heritage from the Mogul Empire. The numbers of major and minor Mogul monuments in the city are counted by the dozens. The major architectural sites include the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort with its Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) and Emperor Jahangir's tomb.

From the time that Central Asian warlord, Babur, found his way to Delhi's throne in 1526, it was some years before Lahore got the attention it deserved. Lahore perhaps first came into prominence during Emperor Jahangir's rule (1605-27). Jahangir was the fourth king and son of the Mogul-e-Azam, Akbar.

Emperor Jahangir, the fourth Mogul Emperor and son of Mogul-e-Azam Akbar

One of the lesser known Moguls, perhaps Jahangir's wisest act of state was not to interfere too much with the Empire's machinery he inherited from his father, Akbar. In 1605, the year Jahangir ascended the throne, the Mogul Empire was well established although still expanding its borders geographically. The treasury's coffers were well supplied with revenue from taxation and tributes received from vassal states.

A financially stable empire permitted Jahangir to pursue his interests in arts and culture – and remain inebriated for most of his waking hours! Consequently, while Jahangir's wife (or mother) was running affairs of state Jahangir remained busy enjoying nature, hunting and patronizing the arts.

Possibly due to his love of nature, Jahangir travelled frequently from the Empire's administrative capital in Delhi to Srinagar, Kashmir. Fortunately for Lahoris, the most convenient route to the Kashmiri city went through Lahore. Consequently, Lahore received a fair amount of time and attention from the Jahangir.  

In 1606, some of the King's time was spent constructing 'Hiran Minar' or 'The Deer / Antelope Minaret.' Hiran Minar is a pavilion set in a body of water. The site is dedicated to honouring the memory of the Emperor's pet antelope, Mansraj. To Lahoris, Hiran Minar is just another picnic spot.

Hiran Minar: located on the outskirts of Lahore

In 1627, while en route to Kashmir, Jahangir died at the age of 57. Fittingly, Jahangir is buried in Lahore. In Mogul style, Jahangir's mausoleum is surrounded by lavish gardens creating another recreation spot for Lahoris and tourists alike.

The Mogul fascination with Lahore did not die with Jahangir. It lasted until near the end of the empire. The last of the 'Great Moguls,' Aurangzeb, built the famous Badshahi Masjid – an icon and landmark for modern Lahore. The mosque can accommodate 100,000 worshippers in its prayer halls and courtyard.

Lahore is neither Pakistan's capital nor its commercial hub. However, the capital of Punjab province has rightfully staked a claim as the country's cultural center. One hopes the present generation of Lahoris will do justice to the deeds of their ancestors.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com. 

Reflections from Pakistan IX: Lahore and the 1971 Indo-Pak War

From Pakistan's agricultural heartland of Multan, I travelled to Lahore. As a die-hard Karachite, Lahore always evokes mixed feelings within me. There is the nascent emotion, fuelled by some politicians and segments of the media, of Punjabi perceived hegemony over other parts of Pakistan. Punjab's rise as a major industrial and commercial region in the 1990s, mainly at Karachi's expense, also does nothing to soothe my fears, particularly if Punjab's economic emergence is viewed as an offshoot of the Nawaz Sharif's clan's nepotism.

However, common sense brings me back to reality. By population, Punjab is Pakistan's largest province. It is natural (and logical) that Punjab will play a significant role in the country's affairs, through enlistment in the bureaucracy and the military.

The 'hot button' issues between Punjab and the 'others' pertain to allocation of power and money - matters such as the use of the fast depleting water resources of the Indus River or the federal government powers to collect tax across the four provinces. (The 'others' in the debate being Pakistan's less populated provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Sindh.)

For the moment, I will resist the temptation to jump into the fray and allow the Council of Common Interests to ensure an equitable arrangement for Pakistan's population. I admit, it is a dangerous act –almost treason – to leave such a seminal matter to Zaradari and his henchmen but there are enough vocal critics around the country to give me solace in my silence.

Back to Lahore. My mother is from Lahore. In fact, her family's ancestry places her on the fringes of Lahore's nobility. My grandfather, Sheikh Azimullah, was one of colonial India's first Muslim lawyers. 'Native' lawyers were rare a hundred or so years ago.

As an anti-colonialist, he fought for change in a sustainable manner, through the system. His pragmatic acceptance of the British colonial system is evidenced by his appointment as the Mayor of Lahore by the British. However, as a Muslim intellectual, he rubbed shoulders with Allama Iqbal – the spiritual Godfather of independent Pakistan – and devoted significant efforts towards the uplift of the subcontinent's Muslim community. For this purpose, he founded several educational and charitable institutions.

But my Lahore is different from my grandfather's Lahore. To me, Lahore is where I witnessed the 1971 Indo-Pak war: a modern legacy of hatred born in the post-colonial era.

1971 was an exciting time to be an ignorant five year old boy. At the time, the implications of war and the reality of violence were unknown to me. I never even knew when the war started or ended.  

For me the war was symbolized by the freshly dug trench in our garden, to be used in case of an air raid on the city. It seemed natural for me to watch an Indian air force plane being downed by a Pakistani fighter jet during a dogfight witnessed from our kitchen door. Even a five year old boy could recognize the green and white decals on a Pakistan Air Force plane. (At the time, Pakistan had access to superior Western military technology and was part of the 'Free World.' India, meanwhile, was an ally of communist Soviet Union and India's relations with the West were tense.)  

But my memories of Lahore are much more than simply the 1971 war.

As any young boy in Lahore, I flew kites any chance I got. I will never forget the day a huge kite – the obvious loser in a neighbourhood 'pecha' or kite fight – flew unclaimed into our garden. To this five year old, it was the largest kite ever.

A man cooking breakfast inside the old, walled city of Lahore

Today's Lahore retains some of yesterday's character. The enclosed walled city of the Mogul's still exists. The Shalimar Gardens and Emperor Jahangir's tombs stand. Nonetheless, in so many other ways Lahore is just another of Pakistan's cities. Traffic is horrendous. Population pressures are everywhere. The infrastructure is under serious stress.

Perhaps the best way to describe Lahore is that it is not Karachi! Karachi is a 'youngish' free for all where few have the time to worry about others. Lahore seeps history from its pores and is a goldfish bowl. Everyone watches everyone watching everyone.  

In Lahore, families have histories. Relatives matter. Etiquette and protocol are important. Traditions have faded but not disappeared. For those wishing to escape Lahore's traditions (or family pressures), there still remains the nuclear option: up and move to Karachi.

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Imran is a business and management consultant. Through his work at Deodar Advisors and the Deodar Diagnostic, Imran improves profits of businesses operating in Singapore and the region. He can be reached at imran@deodaradvisors.com.