“Tussi Awan ho? Yani Punjabi ho?” asks me a hurly burly gentleman sitting behind a passport control desk at the Jinnah International Airport. With a sense of a pride and an undefined discomfort, I reply in positive. His surname reads Baloch, he gives me a welcoming smile. An interesting start to my Karachi visit.
As I make my way through the golden glitzy corridors of the terminal, the sunrays filtering through the glassy corridors reflect back, glittering everything around. Allaho Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) of the Asr prayer welcomes me. Soothing sight and sound.
Its takes me a while to beleive that I am in a country, which I have not liked much so far. But, as I start my journey to Pakistan, I start yet another journey .. a journey within.
I come out of the airport and take a taxi. My Name is Khan’s “Noor-e-Khuda tu kahan chupa hai hamein yeh bata” attracts my attention. Its the melody coming out from my cabby’s stereo. Soon I start reflecting. Its difficult to beleive that I am in Pakistan. The only thing that separates Karachi from Delhi is the Urdu written on the walls.
Same humans, same spoken language, same rush of office closing hours.
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the financial capital of Pakistan. With a city population of 15.5 million, it is one of the world's largest cities and the 20th largest metropolitan in the world.
The city spread over 3,530 km2 in area, almost five times bigger than Singapore. It is locally known as the "City of Lights" and "The bride of the cities" for its liveliness, and the "City of the Quaid", having been the birth and burial place of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who made the city his home after Pakistan's independence.
People are very warm and nice and most of them hug you, notwithstanding your nationality.
Soon, I reach my cousins’ home. They all come and hug me one by one. It has taken two decades and one-and-a-half hour to meet my brothers and sisters. They all resemble me, speak my language.
Seeing is beleiving. Hence, I have started liking Pakistan.
Everyone is like me. Kamil waltz into trance on Indian music, Ali mesmerises everyone as he gyrates on Kajrare, they all dance in circle on Indian and Pakistani songs alike. I also widen their circle as I get into their herd, dancing my way, mixing up in them.
I am enjoying each and every moment in Pakistan. Not every youth is Kasab here. No one is bothered about the ongoing Indo-Pak foreign secretaries’ talk in New Delhi. All of them have risen above the politics- the politics of hate and disbelief.
As my trip moves towards an end, I visit the Mazar-e-Quaid, the mausoleum of Muhammed Ali Jinnah. I dont know whether to offer Fateha or not.
As I bid a tearful farewell to my brothers and sisters, I realise I have lived one of the best phases of my life in these 20 days, in a country which I used to think was bad. My perception is changed now. You need to feel Pakistan, spend time there to like it. I have covered a journey within.
Today, I can proudly say, I like Pakistan and I am not a terrorist.
