Facebook0Tweet0Pin0 Hameed Shaheen Alvi ISLAMABAD: Sardar Sikander Hayat Khan, ex-president/premier of AJK, has opted to supreme-head All J&K Muslim Conference
February 7, 2021
Despite some shortcomings, Sameer Khatlani’s book is an adequate attempt at breaking down Indian stereotypes of Pakistan
It’s only after one leaves Lahore, Pakistan, and meets Indians, that one realises the place Lahore holds in their imagination. I have met several South Indians who had a family anecdote about Lahore to gloat over. So it’s understandable why Sameer Khatlani would’ve pined for a most hospitable, colourful place that boasts of having produced or welcomed famous names, not to mention a memorable time his elders had spent there. But Khatlani has another fish to fry too: to humanise Pakistanis because Indians have changed and they “watch nothing that humanises Pakistan.” It never fails to amaze me to see how easily normal, decent people can be fooled into hating another religion and a people, even their fellow citizens.
The regions history remains buried today under its hollow structure
Zaina Kadal, the heart of old city Srinagar, was once popular for politics as Mujahid Manzil was located here. The Manzil was considered a “shrine of resistance politics” against Dogra regime, and which was later on taken over by National Conference. Once being a hub for political activities fighting against Dogra’s, Mujahid Manzil was a focal point as people from all walks of life in Jammu and Kashmir would visit the place to meet political leaders like Sheikh Mohamamd Abdullah, Maulana Masoodi, Chowdhary Ghulam Abbas and others to get glimpses of Kashmir s topmost leaders and first hand information of regional politics.