whats going on?

So the local bodies system that has been in place since 2001 has been abolished. The commissioner raj is back. The MPA's and MNA's are back in charge of development funds. We are back to 1999. It seems anything that happened during the Musharraf era good or bad has to be rolled back no matter the consequences. Supporters of the current move point to this fact that since this system was the creation of a dictator it cant be good. Perhaps its execution at all levels has not been good but conceptually this system is the best way of empowering people at the grass roots level.  As the famous saying goes all politics is local. Yet in Pakistan our political dynasties find it anathema to devolve power. Our babus find it disgraceful to let go of their powerful perches as well. Now the all powerful commissioner will carry out the desires of their all powerful political master, the chief minister. People in Lahore will decide which lane of Mian Channu requires street lighting. The head honcho in Karachi will decide which water course to line in rural Shikarpur. Ditto for other provinces. Welcome to democracy Pakistani style. 

Whats my beef here? Well basically we are reversing a system that provides an excellent forum for participatory democracy as well as accountable local government. If lane so in so in Mian Channu requires street lights the residents of that lane can go to their local councilor who can go to the Nazim and get the funds released. This ruffled feathers. This ruffled the bureaucracy who before this systems inception were the all in all and weren't accountable to anyone locally except to someone like the "khadim e Alla" we have here in Punjab these days. It upset our LEGISLATORS (note the emphasis) both at provincial and federal level as well. It deprived our honorable LEGISLATORS of their right to control the funds for development in their respective constituencies. Their grief is understandable given that our LEGISLATORS don't actually legislate so if you take away development funds from them whats the point of sitting in one of the capital cities. Also who knows the local government might throw up future political  challengers to them in their respective constituencies. You will hear critics say that this system bred corruption. Sure it did. But as much as I'm trying to remember the pre 2001 days i cant recall a system in place that was not corrupt. In fact if Transparency international is to be believed we were much more corrupt before than we are now. So all id say is that in addition to power being devolved, corruption also got devolved.

Like any system this system's effectiveness depended on the individuals involved. I'm sure some were bad but then there were others like the Nazim of Karachi who stood out and actually delivered a lot for his city. At the end of day folks, this system gave people all over Pakistan a chance to participate in grass roots democracy where they had people at the local level they could approach for redress of grievances and whom they could boot out if those people were found wanting in their eyes. One final note regarding this system. The empowerment of women that was happening and could have happened even better if this system was retained will be lost. 33% of the 80000 odd councillors were women.

Coming to my second hot topic which is kind of related. Lately the issue regarding the number of provinces has come into the spotlight. Contrary to this nonsensical view that this is not the time to talk about this issue i believe we should have a healthy debate regarding the issue. I for one am in favour of more administrative units as long as these units are not based on ethnic or linguistic lines. The reason I'm in favour of more administrative units is the same for the local bodies system. Majority of Pakistanis don't actually live in Lahore,Karachi, Islamabad,Peshawar or Quetta. A person in some Chak in Rahim yar Khan for instance is light years away from Lahore. Its impractical for a huge number of them to travel to Lahore to have their voice heard. In my opinion more administrative units will also bury the smaller provinces vs Punjab debate. In addition, if done smartly, it could also provide more unity to us all. However there are problems with this proposal one of which is the increase of government expenditure that will happen with the setting up of new capitals. Our new CM's and governors will demand the protocol that our present lot demands and gets.

Finally on a local Lahori note, our famous Food street of Gawalmandi has ceased to exist. it seems the powers that be could not tolerate another of Musharrafs legacies especially in their stronghold of Gawalmandi. Worry not Lahoris because Karachi's famous Barbecue tonight has opened up shop in Lahore. Who needed that tourist and connoisseur magnet food street anyway?

Pandora's Box: Jinaay Lahore nahee wakhaiaya - Aabi Asif

Hey people!

I will start my travelogue from the land of Punjab. Punjab is a derivative and is made up of two words “Punj” and “aab”; Punj meaning five and aab meaning water; thus it is the land of five rivers.

There is this famous saying : jinnay nay Lahore naee wakhaiay oh jamia nahee;
Translated: He who hasn’t seen Lahore hasn’t lived his life!

Lahore is considered to be the land of people who know how to live and enjoy life!!!

Lahore is the second largest city of and provincial capital of Punjab. Legend has that it was founded by two sons of Lord Rama about 4000 years ago. Historically it has been proved that Lahore is about 2000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, has given a vivid description of Lahore city which he visited in the early parts of the seventh century A.D.

Legend has that it was founded by two sons of Lord Rama about 4000 years ago. Historically it has been proved that Lahore is about 2000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, has given a vivid description of Lahore city which he visited in the early parts of the seventh century A.D.

For 200 years, beginning from about 1525 A.D., Lahore was a thriving cultural center of the great Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperors beautified Lahore with palaces, gardens and mosques. During the British regime many monuments sprang up in Lahore which blended beautifully with the Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture.

Historical Monuments:
Lahore is filled with beautiful architecture that constitute our history. Some of them worth visiting are:

The first and foremost is: Minar-e-Pakistan. Minar-e-Pakistan is the monument that was built in Manto Park where in 1940, the resolution was passed. It is in memory of the event of the 23rd March where the ideology of Pakistan was presented.

Right behind Minar-e-Pakistan is the Royal Fort of Lahore. Although most parts of the Royal Fort were constructed around 1566 A.D. by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the great, there is evidence that a mud fort was in existence here in 1021 A.D. as well, when Mahmood of Ghazna invaded this area. Akbar demolished the old mud fort and constructed most of the modern Fort, as we see it today, on the old foundations. Construction of the fort dates back to the early Hindu period.

Badshahi Mosque is another one of the Mughal creations The emperor or the Badshahi Mosque is across the courtyard from Alamgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort. The Mosque which is made up entirely of sand-stone was built by Emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals, in a record time of the two and-a-half years. Its construction was completed by 1674 A.D
Outside the Badshahi mosque, near its steps, lies the tomb of Allama Iqbal, the poet-philosopher of the East. The mausoleum is a mixture of Afghan and Moorish style of architecture and is constructed entirely of red sandstone which was quarried and brought from Rajasthan.
So if you are ever there in Lahore make it a point to visit these places; its worth going to to get in touch with the history again :)

More about Lahore next week; this is Aabi signing off for now.
Have fun!

Postcards from Pakistan: Lake Saul-ul-Muluk - Faraz Niaz

The Wagah Border Ceremony

The Wagah border often called the 'Berlin wall of Asia', is a ceremonial border on India–Pakistan Border, where each evening, there is a retreat ceremony called 'lowering of the flags'. At that time there is very energetic and thrilling parade done by Pakistan Rangers soldiers and Border Security Force (B.S.F), India . It offers grand entertainment for the crowds with grand stands being built on both sides and remains one of the key attractions for tourists visiting Lahore.

I Spy: Blame it on Lahore, An invitation to visit the City - Sadaf Zarrar

Each week since this blog started, I eagerly await to post my column. Each week my mind is bustling with ideas on what I want to talk about... That unfortunately, didn't turn out to be the case this week. I have to very selfishly, blame it all on Lahore.

My love affair with this city started back in 1996 when I came to take an entrance exam at National College of Arts which fortunately or unfortunately I didn't pass. I had decided long before the result that I wasn't going back to Kharian/ Islamabad both of whom I called home. And hence went ahead an enrolled myself at Kinnaird College.

I fondly remember Lahore as my grandparents town while I was growing up and associated all things fun to it. The most fun of all being the Hico Truck! Back in the day, the ice cream wasn't available on retail and just the thought that Nano would have called Hico people to have a load of ice cream delivered to satisfy the bottomless pits of stomachs that her grand kids had, pretty much made our holiday... But then that wasn't all...

How can I tell you about Lahore in a way that it would do justice to this town? I can not even figure out where to start. So I will start by telling you about the famous Punjabi saying 'Jinney L'ore Nai Wakhiya Jamiya Nai', roughly, it means 'You're not truly born if you haven't seen Lahore'.

Located on the banks of once the Mighty River Ravi, Lahore is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage. It is also often called the cultural heart of Pakistan, as it is the center of Pakistani arts, films and intelligentsia and also as the City of Colleges... I am sure there are many other names this city goes by also. To me it simply is... Home.

This particular time, was like any other. Having lived in Lahore long enough before moving to Islamabad a couple of years ago. I take it for granted mostly, No visits to the touristy destinations for me, nor any shopping sprees unless absolutely required, I don't indulge in cultural activities unless I am bored to death but you know, not only should you visit Lahore, you should dive into the beauty and cultural diversity of this city heads first!

If you're fond of eating, and trying out various cuisines... You're in the right City. Lahoris are known for their love of food and eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, in recent years Western fast food chains have appeared all over the city. Recently the food streets in the historic locales of Lahore (Gawalmandi, Anarkali, and Badshahi) have attracted tourists. Food streets have undergone restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only; numerous cafés serve local delicacies under the lights and balconies of restored havelis (traditional residential dwellings). Some of the trendiest restaurants in Lahore are concentrated on the M M Alam Road in Gulberg. Here, dozens of high-class culinary outlets, ranging from Western franchises to traditional, ethnic, or theme restaurants, attract all classes of Lahore's citizens. New restaurants are constantly opening, and the business is extremely competitive. Many boisterous restaurants of Lahore are open late into the night.

The origins of Lahore are shrouded in the mists of antiquity but Lahore is undoubtedly ancient. Legend has it that it was founded about 4,000 years ago by Loh, son of Rama, the hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.Historically, it has been proved that Lahore is at least 2,000 years old. Hieun-tasng, the famous Chinese pilgrim has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited in the early parts of the 7th century AD. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes. Muslim rule began here when Qutub-ud-din Aibak was crowned in Lahore in 1206 and thus became the first Muslim Sultan of the subcontinent. It waxed and waned in importance during the Sultanate. However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the Mughal rule from 1524 to 1752. The Mughals, who were famous as builders, gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments. For those interested in History and Culture, Lahore offers the best of the Mughal era as well as British Colonial Heritage.

If you intend on shopping till you drop, once again, Lahore is it. Lahore offers the best of Desi delights in terms of fabrics, accessories, leather goods... incidently all at a price so low they are bound to turn a shopaholic out of anyone!

I have to confess, Lahore is no Party Capital of the world... But that by no means denotes that Lahories do not know how to party. Living it up Lahori style is an experience worth going through, where loud is louder and happy is happier.

I recommend you get your hosts to find you an invitation to a wedding. Considering that a normal Pakistani wedding has a few hundred guests, I am sure you won't find any trouble being welcomed with open arms. Given the famous Lahori hospitality, I doubt you'll have trouble landing an invite anywhere... But a wedding is a not just a wedding, it is a cultural experience in itself with atleast 3 functions and no end to the upper limit.

Honestly, there is so much to tell about Lahore that for this particular article, the best I can do from here on is give you pictorial glimpses of Lahore. I can however promise you, that if you visit Lahore not only will you forget to write your Friday Ed Note, you will definitly not want to come back... After all Lahore Lahore Aye (Lahore is Lahore).

Pandora's Box: Introduction - Aabi Asif

Pakistan is a country fortunate to be blessed with many treasures. Four provinces that have diverse physical features - the plains and mountains of Sarhad, the coastal line of Sindh, the rich fields in Punjab the land of five rivers and the minerally rich mountain range of Balochistan.

Not only do these provinces differ in their physical features, they all have a world of their own with their special and unique culture. The food, dresses, music, life style, architecture all vary from each other and have added colour in our lives.

I look forward to exploring all of these wonderful treasures each week with you.

Pandora’s Box will include all these areas individually each week starting with the land of five rivers, Punjab. We will explore one area each week to add to our local knowledge.

Adios till next week
Aabi

Postcards from Pakistan: Badshahi Mosque - Faraz Niaz