Nawab Follies

The set up "peace talks with the Taliban" has run into a dead end, literally, before the first talk could even start. More deadly attacks on security agencies, twenty three soldiers from the Frontier Corps beheaded and in Peshawar all cinemas closed for the time being, as two of them were hit by bombs which left at least eighteen visitors dead. The cinemas have no budget to install walkthrough gates  and detectors for explosives, the police understaffed and fighting militancy in the capital city of this area bordering Khyber Agency - hence, another one of the few and simple pleasures gone.
A suicide bomber in a police uniform targets the Iranian Consulate in Peshawar and many security persons lose their lives preventing him from entering the premise. Iranian border guards are abducted into Pakistan by the militant group Jaish-ul-Adl, the same group that killed fifteen guards in October last year, prompting the Iranian government to demand that Pakistan secured its borders.

The Army attacks several hideouts of militants in Khyber Agency, killing at least ninety suspected militants affiliated with different groups of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The ISPR (Inter Services Public Relation Offices) of the  Pakistan Armed Forces releases a statement according to which 460 people, including 152 security personnel, had been killed by the Taliban during the last five months only.
The Interior Ministry warns of serious terrorist threats - in Punjab from the TTP and LeJ, in Sindh from Al-Qaeda, TTP LeJ and crime syndicates, in Balochistan from Al-Qaeda, TTP, LeJ, Belochistan Liberation Army, in Gilgit-Baltistan from TTP and LeJ and adds that Islamabad had become an extremely dangerous city because of the presence of several banned organizations and groups with sleeper cells of Al-Qaeda, TTP and LeJ. But at least the city is full of wonderfully blooming marigolds.

The Prime Minister's Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, announces - for the first time publicly - that the launch of a  military operation in North Waziristan is being seriously discussed by the cabinet after the talks with the Taliban have collapsed.

All schools and universities in Islamabad have been put on high security alert, considering the danger of retaliation from the TTP as their hideouts in KP are being shelled by the armed forces.

And the journey through the desert continues, leaving the world of the hunting sheikhs I go back in time and enter the very different one of the Rajasthani royal houses of Jaisalmer and the Amirs of Bahawalpur who still own some of their once splendid properties.

The mild winter sun shines through the now airy roof and creates new patterns on the crumbling terra cotta floor, illuminating the once permanent semi darkness of the elaborately furnished and decorated rooms. A gentle breeze blows through the last shreds of mosquito nets in beautifully carved wooden window frames and evokes the image of waving curtains, women sipping honey sweetened tea and picking baked sweets, having lifted their veils in the intimacy of their private salons, chatting and whispering, sharing secrets on a hot summer afternoon. 

A group of teenage girls runs laughing through the hallway of the estate, flattering their scarves and balance skillfully in their sandals over the ruins, the rough terrain, the high steps.

Blue ceramics, as this area is still famous for the production of tiles and pottery, decorate the walls and floors of palaces, shrines and tombs. Whole tea services, plates and vases of every size and shape find their way in our luggage, slowly filling the trunk of the car, as we are generously gifted by every host we meet on this trip. During the visit of a small local factory in Multan, a photographer catches what seems at least a hundred photos as proof of our presence and I am wondering and tempted to ask, if he is on Facebook. No, it turns out, he is the "official photographer" of the shopkeeper and we will spend over an hour over tea admiring the several photo books about every single visit to this store - including a colleague from Great Britain who left a while ago... No hidden treasure, that store - I am afraid.

The ride on the small country road is peppered with rustic encounters, as the sugar cane harvesting season is in full swing and there must be a secret competition among the drivers, who manages to load the biggest amount of canes on their trucks. Quite impressive, the result. Not every waggon is sharing the enthusiasm of its driver and simply unloads the excessive load over board, every couple of hundred meters another one, blocking the passage for a considerable amount of time...

Why not use the unexpected break for a full treatment at the barber parlor right along the road?

Or a snack at the open rest area of an only too familiar provider of delightful refreshments??

The sun is setting, as Derawar Fort appears on the horizon, a major fort of the Nawabs, the Amirs of Bahawalpur. Keeping his autonomy under the Raj, the Nawab was the first of the princely rulers to join Pakistan, giving a substantial part of his fortune to several institutions of Punjab and creating a Refugee and Rehabilitation Fund in 1947 as a central organization for the relief of refugees during partition.

He died in 1966 and his nephew currently holds the title of Amir without any political or administrative power - and without his immense wealth as his ancestor was considered the second richest man on earth during his time.

Not only elephants had to suffer headaches as they would be forced by potential invaders to try to slam the doors of the fort, but British car dealers of the noblest kind. The story goes, that as the Nawab was disdainfully rejected as a potent customer by a Rolls Royce dealer in London, he simply sent his elegantly dressed valet to buy all the cars exhibited in the showroom - only to equip them back home with brooms at the front and use the prestigious symbol of British elegance as street cleaners and transportation of waste in the city of Bahawalpur. Photos of this special type of vehicle were provided to the press all over the world. 

The company immediately offered a Rolls Royce of his choice - for free! - in exchange for the promise to relieve the cars from their unusual duties.

The highly respected Nawab of Bahawalpur joined his antecedents at the site of family sarcophagus in Derawar Fort after a tenure of 59 years. 

 Sic transit gloria mundi…

Shifting Ground

Arriving at the familiar austerity of "Rawal Lounge", as usual at the last dark night hour just before dawn and after a travel that carried me through time and space for two days, a bodyguard is waiting for me with a friendly smile. I suspect this is not just a gesture of an extra heartwarming welcome - things must have gotten worse over the last days. The road from the airport to the city is deserted and the guards at the gate to the Diplomatic Enclave wear helmets now, chilling the temperature and I wrap a shawl from Kashmir around my shoulders, silence the iPod, Leonard Cohen, music from another world that I leave behind.

After a period of relative peace at the end of the year, the new leadership of the TTP started the new year with a series of deadly attacks that cost over a hundred lives in January in one week alone. Shias, policemen, soldiers, journalists, vaccine workers and their guards are the main victims. A massive law enforcement operation by the Frontier Corps and the police in Belochistan and bombardments by the Pakistan Air Force prompts TTP to announce that they will retaliate in going for "soft targets"now, meaning civilians, children, foreigners - anytime, anywhere.
Even seasoned colleagues appear nervous and the Prime Minister holds a high level meeting on internal security, signaling willingness for military operation. Thousands flee from their villages in the tribal area, fearing an imminent military offensive against Taliban insurgents in North Waziristan.

But again, political tactics take another turn and Nawaz Sharif announces to give peace a "final chance", offering dialogue to the Taliban. Negotiators are being nominated, their power and mandate immediately put into question by both sides - the government team asks for direct contact with the TTP Shura and limit the talks to geographically critical areas, the Taliban committee wants meetings with the army chief, director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence and the prime minister and insists the purpose of dialogue is the enforcement of Sharia law throughout Pakistan. This the road to peace? Or a detour to unite the country for much demanded military action against the militants?
Arriving in Islamabad more than three years ago I was told that the Pakistanis are a debating society, which I can vividly and willingly confirm, as they include without hesitation foreigners in their open, dynamic, analytical and sometimes heated discussions - and it will certainly continue to be so, including all levels and topics.



General Musharraf remains confined to his country he choose so enthusiastically to return to for a revival of his abruptly interrupted political career. The prosecution before the special court on high treason comes step by step closer to a trial, as his request to seek treatment for his heart problems in the US has been turned down and a warrant on bail issued, after having failed to appear at court.


The prime minister stays determined to approach and solve the dispute with India over Kashmir, addressing the continued misery of the Kashmiri people and their right to self determination, he extends a new invitation for talks to India, promoting to include the Kashmiris. Pakistan has recently taken steps to open the Line of Control (LoC) to ease reunion of families from both sides and facilitate trade.


Pakistan offers its hidden gems only to the patient and persistent guest and many of them remain elusive  even to the Pakistanis themselves. Cholistan desert in the Southern part of Punjab is one of them and friends of friends of relatives of friends open the many gates - to the decaying beauty of the palaces of past princes and nawabs, and to the secret world of modern sheikhs who arrive with their Jumbo Jets and falcons on private airbases in the desert.
Fog in Lahore delays departure and allows an extended tea time at Rawal Lounge in Islamabad with several cups of tea and plates of cookies - no more tea, or cookies on the plane, thank you. PIA reaches a new level of service during the flight in replacing the air conditioning with an aerosol spray type "peach blossom" - the airport of Rahim Yar Khan is under a starry clear sky upon arrival and the doors finally open for a deep breath of cool air .

Splendor of marble and gold awaits at the guest house of the Arabic hosts, the many sofas neatly lined up against the walls and every table in the house, large or small, carries a tissue box. Who would deny the practical value of this ever present accessory, as snacks, fried or sugared or both are generously offered as soon as one takes a seat.

Southern Punjab is being described on the same trip by some as a haven of security, that managed to stay free of the Taliban so far, by others as a newly infested militant ground. The concern about security is visible and taken seriously by the police of the district and the province and the ISI, each of them providing their own vehicle with armed guards and as the army seriously hesitates to let us pass through their territory, one can only guess if the guests or the accompanying escorts are the reason of concern.

Large alleys through lush greenery lined by palm trees, blooming rose gardens, an oasis of Arabic imagination in the middle of the desert and as the cool night is falling, the warm glow of huge burning fire logs reflect on the colourful silk dresses of dancing transgenders, who move ecstatically to the beat of local tabla players. Again and again, one of them swallows large sips of gasoline and throws fire flames into the air, a dangerous performance and nothing we can do to stop this potentially hazardous dance.

The desert holds many more surprises - dry and dusty during daytime, all shades of grey and beige in the shimmering white winter light and a cloud of powdery sand arises behind the car during the fast drive through knee deep shifting ground. The right season for hunting birds and the sheikhs are expected for their winter pleasure - as we are expected for teatime in the wide bed of Indus river, that luckily for our picnic carries hardly any water at this time of the year.

The camels walk gracefully, crossing the desert along with their growing shadows, towards a simple natural water hole. Most of them live uncared for and breed and feed their baby camels on their own. But still, a few pastors prepare a camel for a ride, hopefully a tame one, for the guest…

Yes!! Safely back on the ground and happy the smile on both faces!

                                                                               To be continued...