Khyber Pass journey concluded.

May8, 2011

The Khyber Pass

Hi folks, Enough of Pakistan & Khyber Pass. So I am just attaching below the last photo of the journey. It has been taken from the road side, just few yards short of the Pak-Afghanistan border. The inhabited area in the photo is Afghanistan.

During those days, the Khyber area was almost barren with very thin population; just few hutments scattered here and there en-route. The war against Russians in Afghanistan had just started but the refugee’s migration from Afghanistan into Pakistan had not yet commenced.

Bin Laden had not yet arrived in the area. General Zia-ul Haque (Zia) was the President, Chief of Staff and Marshal Law Administrator ( all three positions rolled in one) of Pakistan. Poor Zulfy (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) had been behind bars and killed. Islamic Shariat was law introduced and Nizame–Mustafa put in place. The new dress code of Shalwar (loose Pajama) and Kurta for men and covering of heads by women was made compulsory. Every one had to perform prayer (Namaaz) five times a day. Amusingly, even my five year old daughter who was studying in preparatory class in a English medium school in Islamabad, was made to learn and recite Namaaz. We, of course, never minded it as it only helped her to widen her knowledge.  

The strict imposition of Islamisation also had its impact on the civil society of the Pakistan, besides effecting Indo-Pak relation in a peculiar way.

The society further got  divided between rich & poor, have & have-not, and Army & civilians, because the restrictions imposed under the Nizame-Mustafa were enforced on poor only. The defence personnel, bureaucrats, rich land-lords and industrialists enjoyed all the luxuries of the world without any such restrictions. Their ladies never covered their heads and were much more fashion-conscious than even some top models of the world. Scotch was available freely and served with no hesitation.  

People by and large, were hospitable and fond of Indian goods. They loved Indian betel-leaves (Paan), cassettes of Indian music (no CD/DVD at that time), Bollywood films etc. But these were all banned in Pakistan, resulting in many fold increase in smuggling. As a result of this, though Indian goods were still available and in almost all the towns and cities, these were sold underhand. There was a popular saying in Pakistan that all Bollywood movies first landed at President’s house and then got circulated in the towns. Both  Zia & his wife were reportedly very fond of Indian films and Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan, was a craze. No one wanted to miss any of his movies.

In fact, when film Lawaaris casting Amitabh Bachchan was released in India and a print was smuggled in Pakistan, a popular joke was in circulation in Islamabad was:-

“ Zia to his wife after seeing the movie- “Dear, don’t you think my eyes resembles that of Amitabh Bachchan?”

Mrs Zia – “ Darling, your two eyes do not even resemble each other, what to talk of Amitabh Bachchan”

And since the thought of writing on Pakistan was triggered because of “Osama’s elimination by Obama” episode, let me conclude by mentioning that :-

(a)    Abbottabad (where Osama was killed), is an Army Cantonment. It was established in 1849-50 by an Artillery Officer of British Army (Sorry for having a soft corner for Gunners). His name was James Abbott – the first appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Hazara district.

(b)   Abbottabad, besides having the Army’s officers training Academy, is also Centre of the Army Medical Corps. (After all Osama needed regular medical assistance)

(c)    The  Baloch Regimental Centre and Frontier Force Regimental Centre are also located in Abbottabad which happens to be the parent units of the present Army Chief, General Kayani and ISI Chief Shuja Pasha.

Draw your own conclusions..

Khybar Pass journey continues..

6 May, 2011

Khyber Pass journey

As one drives along the Khyber, there is another fort en-route, named Baghai... (See picture below.) One can see only the boundary wall in the back ground.

One interesting aspect I must mention here. During my stay in Pakistan. I was on their 24 hour/360 days watch. The Pakistan Counter Intelligence had pitched a permanent tent across the road, in front of my residence. The team was equipped with walkie-talkie sets (there was no mobile phones then).

Also they had assigned 1-2 motor bikes and cars (all imported since the country hardly manufactured any thing, except some textiles goods). The team members would follow me and my other family members every where, even when going to local market or children going to schools. Interestingly, the surveillance was always overt, aggressive and at times intimidating. Their Foreign Office had also imposed a restriction where one had to obtain a written permission from them a week in advance for visiting any place out side Islamabad. It was understandable as they needed some time to organise mobile surveillance team to follow my car.

Another notable aspect of the surveillance was that while in Punjab State, it used to be very close, rather bumper to bumper, but comparatively more relaxed in other states, as in Sindh, Baluchistan & NWFP. The most congenial surveillance used to be after crossing Peshawar into the FATA area, as by and large, the local tribes had a soft corner for the Indians and hated the Punjabis. Thus, while travelling in their area, the team acted more like a tourist guide than a watch team.

Conclusively, one could say that majority of the people of states of Sind, Baluchistan, NWFP and FATA held similar sentiments towards Punjab state that the East Pakistanis (new Bangladesh) had held prior to their independence.

To continue....

Pakistan days...

5^th May, 2011

Recent elimination of Osama by Obama on May 2^nd brought back the thrilling but sweet memories of my stay in Pakistan. from 1980 to 85. It was unusually a very long period of stay in a hostile country by any standard. (you know what I mean if one has to work under cover). But it was fruitful & satisfying.

I was much younger then and was always keen to explore the country, driving long distances. The picture below was taken on 21 Oct.1981, during one of the trips to the Khyber Pass in the west of Pakistan. The pass lies between Peshawar and Landi-kotal from where one enters Afghanistan. Jamrood fort is just few kms. from Peshawar and can be spotted on the left of the bus.

The area all along the Khyber Pass which stretches between 30-40 Kms is rocky, dry with hardly any vegetation and water. If one remembers the ancient history of India correctly, this was the route followed by most of the invaders, of whom many perished or had to abandon their journey as the pass provided a natural barrier on India’s western flank.

The area came to be known as FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Area) once the British Raj came in to power. However, it always remained a partially independent area, run and administered by the local tribes according to their own customs & traditions.  The main source of income, since time immemorial, continues to be from sales of drugs and locally manufactured fire arms. Durra village, the main arms manufacturing centre in FATA, is worth a visit for their workmanship.

(To continue...)