Afghanistan beyond Bullet and Barood

By Atiq ur Rehman Buzdar

May it be the snow-clad 'Pamirs' and 'Hindukush' or the rugged plains along the 'Amu Darya', the
very nature of afghan terrain defines the ferocity of thought and action in afghan psyche.All that we know about Afghanistan is all the while, exploding bombs and flying off limbs and bones.Perpetual wars and tales of ferocity set in the background of rugged terrain have led us believe Afghan as a natural born warrior.No doubt he is. But here pops the query where is the softer humane side of Afghanistan. If there were and are some inhabitants gracing the rugged stretches of the country since times primordial, they must not be so dumb not to have culture,rituals and festivities.At least I do believe , fed up from muddle of gun battle all day long, both Taliban and Northern Alliance boys shake their bodies with "Attan" (Traditional Afghan Dance) to the accompaniment of drums and pipes, in the evening. May be they be warriors of Tora Bora Cave park or a peaceful Afghan citizens , none can resist the aroma of Kabli Pulao. Home town to best Guerrilla Warfare performers , Kandhar also boasts being the hometown  of Nashenas (Sadiq Fitrat Habibi),most popular Pashtu singer since 70s.

We may think Heartless Supernatural Warrior of them but they do get themselves tuned to soft melodies gushing out of "Kabli Rubab" ( lute-like musical instrument). Despite attaining mastery in Warfare,Afghan did spare time to decorate their cities of aesthetic wonders such as Gardens of Baber (Kabul) and Paghman Garden Resort (Kabul). With turban covered head and Clad in a shabby "Shalwar-Qamiz", Afghan may seem dull and rustic but their Trucks are riot of color : nice reminder of Horror Vacui Visual art. Being of unique Decor , Afghan and Pakistani Trucks are distinct of all the weirdest motors ,Tech-savvy companies can ever think off. We thought the terrain most cursed upon, but in  60s and 70s Afghanistan was most romantic Destination of the Hippies who thronged in thousands to Kabul and Herat. Superb Hospitality, Plenty of Hashish and seclusion from the hustle of the world was all that they dreamt and Afghanistan eagery offered. Come to the terrain , though its rugged in a cruel way there still are many attractions such as  beautiful blue water Band e Amir Lakes (Band e Amir National Park) and the Jewel of the Hindu Kush Mountains that is "PanjShir Valley".
All that we know about is Afghanistan so far is the Dark side of the moon. Lets snoop about the Bright side from now on.
                               "Come hell or High Waters" , Afghan Culture and folklore will live on.

                  

Timbuktu: Remotest but Folkloric

 By Atiq ur Rehman Buzdar

In wildest of imagination, Timbuktu is the most fictitious human settlement a wanderer can dream off. Mystery and myth have always surrounded it, in a way so profound that it is widely perceived as the remotest outpost of humanity on the farthest brim of globe. You open any vagabond’s diary and you are bound to hit upon Timbuktu on the very first page .Name Timbuktu per se, produces so mysterious an impact on your eardrums that you are bound to fall in the trap of curiosity. This impoverished but folkloric little town of  50,000 or so inhabitants is couched on the the southern fringe of Great Saharas, in the West-African nation of Mali. By legend, it has always been thought synonymous with the ends of the earth or the middle of nowhere. For centuries, Timbuktu surreptitiously hid its heritage and grandeur from the outer world and vagabond's desire to snoop about it, kept rising. It always epitomized the farthest and isolated from the muddle of mundane. So farthest Timbuktu was thought to exist that a popular phrase, “from here to Timbuktu” ,popped out in daily usage. Whenever I come across Jack Kerouac’s  slogan, “Further”, restless inside mounts and imagination leads to Timbuktu.

                                    Timbuktu seems very abstruse and abstract till the time you have gone thru the Timbuktu experience. Roots of the Timbuktu Enigma trace back to its famous king of the kings, Mansa Musa who took on an extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca with caravan laden with huge cache of gold. Entourage of 60,000 that followed The Mansa, included 12000 slaves all of whom carried 4lb gold bars. Mansa’s generosity inadvertently destroyed the economy of the region. Huge influx of gold devalued the gold price across the entire region. Mansa was forgotten soon but the lore of opulence lived on. Gold is a treasure that homo sapiens always craved and explored for, hence generated a quest to explore the El Dorado of Africa. Fabled town earned its first mention in the book when Berber Moroccan explorer Ibn-e-Batuta travelled to Timbuktu in 1353. 

A Tuareg and Saharan Wilderness 

Al-Sadi writes Maghsharan Tuareg tribesmen as the founders, as their summer encampment soon turned depot to travellers' meeting place. Tuarags are Berber people who are famous for their blue robes, Camel nomadism and Trans-Saharan trade caravans. In Rainy season Tuarags roam the desert to find grazing lands and they get back to the river proximity once the season gets dry. Legend has it that whenever they camped by the river they got sick from the mosquitoes and the stagnant water. So they decided to camp few miles away from the river where they dug a well. Whenever it started raining in the desert, the Turareg will leave their heavy goods with an old Tuareg women called Tin Abutut who stayed at the well. In the Tuareg language, Tin Abutut means "the lady with the big naval". With the wither of time, the name Tin Abutut became Timbuktu.Nomadic summer camp set up in 11^th century, became the obligatory point of passage for the Trans-Saharan trade caravans. 15 km from the main channel of river Niger , Timbuktu stands tall to Saharan wilderness in the West-African nation of Mali.

                                                                                                        Timbuktu Mosque

Since the 11^th century Timbuktu remained under the folds of mystery and romanticism: attributes that kept multiplying to its popularity. Trade Caravans and the Afro-Islamic heritage is the essence of Timbuktu. The booming economy of Timbuktu attracted the attention of the Emperor of Mali, “Kan Kan Mussa.” He captured the city in 1325. As a Muslim, Mansa Mussa was impressed with the Islamic legacy of Timbuktu. On his return from Mecca, Mansa Mussa brought with him an Egyptian architect by the name of Abu Es Haq Es Saheli. The architect was paid 200kg of gold to built Jingaray Ber or, the Friday Prayers Mosque. Mansa Musa also built a royal palace (or Madugu) in Timbuktu, another Mosque in Djenné and a great mosque in Gao (1324-1325). Today only the foundation of the mosque built in Gao exists. That is why there is an urgent need to restore and protect the mosques that remain in Djenné and Timbuktu.

Famous Sudanese proverb says: gold came from the south, the salt from the north and the Divine knowledge, from Timbuktu. Timbuktu is also the cross-road where "the camel met the canoe".By the 12th century, Timbuktu became a grand center of Islamic learning and a famous Saharan Caravansary. Timbuktu had three universities and 180 Quranic schools. These universities were the Sankore University and Sidi Yahya university. Books were not only written in Timbuktu, but they were also imported and copied there. There was an advanced local book copying industry in the city. The universities and private libraries contained unparalleled scholarly works.Timbuktu has always been famous for being the custodian of world’s most beautiful Mosques. By the end of Mansa Musa's reign (early 14th c. CE), the Sankoré Masjid had been converted into a fully staffed Madrassa (Islamic school or a university) with the largest collections of books in Africa since the library of Alexandria. The level of learning at Timbuktu's Sankoré University was superior to that of all other Islamic centers in the world. The Sankoré Masjid was capable of housing 25,000 students and had one of the largest libraries in the world with between 400,000 to 700,000 manuscripts.

 ***Pakistani Scientist Doctor Abdul Qadeer Khan Built a hotel at Timbuktu and named it after his wife ,Hendrina Khan. Hotel Hendrina Khan offers laundry service, air conditioned restaurant, bar and reading room for to guests.

La Exotica That is Attock Khurd Railway Station

By Atiq ur Rehman Buzdar

Perpetually emanating grandeur, couched on the hillocks of Kala-Chitta range at the northern fringe of Punjab, on the bank of Indus River, is the magnificent Attock Fort where once camped the Moghal armies. Fort was completed in 1583 under the supervision of Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi, a minister of Emperor Akbar. Place is Attock Khurd and few furlong away lies the La Exotica : 122 years old, long forgotten, British era Railway Station. Right in the heart of Kala-Chitta Mountains with River Indus by the side this beautiful architectural wonder caught "Bash Adventure Pakistan" Comrades with awe , once they were on their random "  Jack Kerouac's Further theme" tour. It was March, 2011 and it was beautiful insane and in the rain that we decided to travel on the road that leads beyond the fort.With Indus on one side, itinerary snaked between the dilapidated fort walls and keekar trees. En route we passed by a village "Malahi Taula" on river bank and  a beautiful  old Mosque(named as Barli Masjid) at roadside. Soon we had in sight the grand girder of Old bridge and a lone date tree.Ragged Kala-Chittas and the gushing Indus water add beauty and color to this unique Railway Station . Wooden Benches,Benches that sooth the agony of 'Wait', on the stone slab platform  with Victorian station building in the backdrop is a romantic sight to behold.

Magnificent  stone masonry structure with beautiful Victorian architecture was built in 1885 in the days of British Raj.The Attock Khurd is a class "B" station on a single track provided with standard key interlocking. Besides the station lies the old Attock bridge, which was originally designed by Sir Gudford Molesworth in 1880. Later its structure was redesigned and erected by Sir Francis O Callaghan.Renowned British  builders Joseph Westwood and Robert Baillie, of the Westwood Baillie & Co, London, built the iron girder bridge in 1880 and it was opened to both rail and road traffic on May 24, 1883.It happens to be the last Railway Station of Punjab before Khyber Pk begins.With double-pitched slanting roof and a beautiful tri-arcade portico , station gives a genuine look of a doll-house placed in the wilderness. Portico consists of  stone pillars which carry the skewbacks that in turn support finely tapered arches.

Resort  served as fishing point and black Partridge hunting ground for Britishers. Bridge on the river is multi-purpose: overhead passes the Train and underneath is the path for wheelers and pedestrians. I hope the tourism department soon gets awake from the slumber and makes some endeavors to make it a lush-green resort. Plantation drive at La Exotica is much needed and "Bash Adventure Pakistan" comrades are planning some move in this regard.
Following photo is from BBC correspondent Mark Tully’s visit to Attock in 1993-94.

                                             A  Gallabaan(Bohemian Shepherd) with his Herd

 Bash Adventure Pakistan

                                           “Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don't be sorry.”
                                             Jack Kerouac

                                   Enchanting Attock Khurd Photography by Usman Safdar

                                        Plate form bench that soothes the agony of 'Wait'

                                                           Station in the Middle of Nowhere

                                                             Serenity surrounds the Beauty

Contd.....

Bash Adventures Pakistan

Allergic to the concrete Jungle that our cities have become, one always needs a way out from mundane routine life. Escape from workaholic routine is a sweet dream that keeps popping up incessantly. Moreover a quest to get back to nature evokes in us a resolve to trek and travel. Call it a catharsis or an excuse to give vent to our pent-up emotion we always like to be in state of travel. We are not a business group nor we are the fame-seekers. We are the "Bash Adventures Pakistan": Group of angel headed hipsters burning for ancient heavenly connections. We derive the inspiration from Jim Morrison for he said "Break on thru to the other side of the wall. We borrow the passion from Jack Kerouac for he says "Further". We follow no Discipline for we think discipline is the virtue of Bored. All we long is transcending beyond the  sanity and logic, to another realm of perception based on our sacred imaginarium.

There is no barrier to human fantasy and  we exploit the leverage to utmost elasticity. From a camel-ride to folkloric outpost of Timbuktu to a larger than life trip to Museum of shape and form:Concordia, variety of goals our comrades weave when they gather. Aesthetic genius of God is splendid and we have never been miser with appreciation. So far our dates with nature include:Babusar Pass, Chitta Katha Lake , Shauntar Valley ,Fairy Meadows , Nanga Parbat Base Camp, Hingol , Ziarat , Sharda and "Picture abhee baki hai meray Dost!!"

 In the photo above: Comrade Sibtain Akhtar  Tiring the Mountains -Relishing the diamond glint on snow

(Continued..... Complete Story yet to unveil :Police of 11 Countries caught with awe)
 

The Young Malang

Appreciate the vigor and confidence that gushes out of young Malang's face. Youngest Pakistani Nirvana seeker looks all set to break on thru to the other side of the wall for he is about to display a stunning show of "Dhamal". Kiddo belongs to a special lineage in Pakistan who are called Malangs. 

Dams Demand in Pakistan

Follow me my people, for i take you to the times primordial. Saga of homo sapiens and their evolution owes it all to the tetra assortment of air ,earth, fire and water. Let the focus be water, and i dare say that failing exploit this prezzie of nature, we would have long been dumped in the dustbin of history along with the fellows we commemorate in Jurassik  Park. Scan the history, from antiquity to this very moment, human beings gathered, lived and flourished wherever they found water. May it be the Indus-Sarasvati civilization or the East African Nile valley civilization, it was water the ultimate virtue, that came out to be the ultimate guarantee civilizations looked for survival. These were always  the  rivers , may it be Nile , Indus, Tigris or Euphrates, on whose banks grandeur of the civilizations saw its boom.  Switching to the times very recent, We the inhabitants of the country which happens to put on the tag of agrarian society on its worthy green face sit on the richest  of hydal resources available to any other nation. But the irony lies in the fact  that wheat and flour sometimes is something scarce to find. I have been listening to the epic tales of Panjnad and it gets hard for me to buy the situation once provinces are haggling and politicians are ranting over the kiosks of water being distributed to provinces. Boasting the might and capacities of Manglas and Terbelas have resulted in the load shedding which spans over 20 hrs a day in rural areas. Long chanted Faisalabad,  Manchester of Pakistan as we call it, is the mother of joblessness courtesy the load shedding, the policy makers and their economic wisdom.  Situation gets more perplexed once we observe that in a same very country few parts fight the flood catastrophe  and not very far I listen to incessant sigh from drought stricken Cholistan and Balochistan.  Badshaho!!! Build the dams for god sake.

Ferocious Afghan

May it be the snow-clad 'Pamirs' and 'Hindukush' or the rugged plains along the 'Amu Darya',the

very nature of afghan terrain defines the ferocity of thought and action in afghan psyche. They

crushed the grandeur of United Kingdom in Anglo-Afghan wars of 1839 and 1880, once the Union-Jack

was embossed on the face of half of the globe.They plundered the glory of communist Russia once

the ferocious bear was thought unable to surmount.21st century made them lock horns with the

'Yanks' and the legend lives on.

Youngest Pakistani Novelist

Writing a novel at a tender age of nine is really a feat very hard to achieve, but Aimen Rahman Baloch did it with a praise worthy finesse. I am all praise for the young lady that she has contributed something remarkably creative to softer side of Pakistan. Real point of appreciation lies in the fact that Female gender in Pakistan is coming to the fore. Comprising of 64 pages,  'The Dangerous Pet"  published recently is the first novel by the Baloch kiddo. Novel is a substantial piece of entertainment for young and old alike.It is great omen for the Pakistani literary scene that young generation has not yet disavowed the passion for literature. Aimen weaved a beautiful story about  the murdering vampires in the garb of pets. Girl seems all set to make a mark at national literary scene as she has got two more novels up her sleeve those are yet not published. Its really  a moment of pride for us Pakistanis that the young  Lady is destined to step in shoes of Bapsi Sidhwa. If a child describes rain as the “Tears of the Leaves- Pattay Ro rahay hain” that really is an indicator that she is far ahead of children of her age.No doubt she has claimed the title of “Youngest novelist of Pakistan” and Aimen deserves applause. She is indeed one more addition to the legendary Pakistani ladies such as Bapsi Sidhwa, Sharmeen Obaid Chenoy  and Naseem Hameed who have brought laurels to the name of Pakistan.