Abhishek Behl, www.merinews.com
What happened at Lal Masjid in Pakistan haunts the world, but all Pakistani youngsters do not subscribe to this fundamentalist approach. They love to live life kingsize – movies, songs and cricket gives them a high.
THE YOUTH in Pakistan is much like that of India; they work hard and party harder and those living in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other urban centers are experiencing an urban and chic lifestyle. Not only this most of the people in Pakistan particularly youth are opposed to the Jihadi culture being promoted by different sectarian political parties.
This was disclosed by Taimur Banday, a visitor from Pakistan, who often visits India and has plenty of friends on this side of the border. Banday, whose forefathers hail from Kashmir represents the typical youngster, who wants to enjoy life to the hilt while doing his bit for the society and the people.
Interacting with Merinews, he gave an insider’s insight into what the youth in Pakistan thinks and what are the aims and aspirations of the generation Y in that country.
The ubiquitous call centers which dot the Indian city landscapes have sprung up in most Pakistan cities, says the strapping young man, adding that a large number of boys and even girls work in these offices.
“The girls do work in night shifts and stay with friends like in India,” he said, but the similarity does not end here. Like India, there is a very serious disconnect between the urban and rural people, particularly the youth in Pakistan, says Taimur and he reasons that this happens because 90 per cent of the children go to Urdu medium schools.
Only 6 to 7 per cent of children study in English medium schools which is often a passport to success in South Asia. Surprisingly, the youth in Pakistan are supportive of the military rule and they appreciate the steps taken by President Musharraf in reviving the economy which has entered the bullish phase.
Again there is a hitch in the economic story like India, said the Pak visitor, “there is no trickle down of the economic growth in rural areas and villages of the country,” adding that a distinct middle class has emerged in the country which lives very much like its Indian counterparts.
“The credit culture and easy loan facilities have given rise to consumerism in the Pakistan and people are ready to live on credit and enjoy life,” he said. The people in Pakistan particularly the kids and youth brigade is sold out on Indian movies and cricket, Banday said,
Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya, Amitabh are hot topics of discussion. Parties are incomplete without the Indian songs and people enjoy them to the hilt, he said. When asked about the rising wave of fundamentalist politics and violence in Pakistan, Banday was forthright in rejecting the religious parties and he says that majority of the people in the country do not support the fanatics.
“Religious parties won only in frontier areas and the hinterland but faced defeat in Punjab and other major provinces,” he said. On the return of democracy, surprisingly the opinion in Pakistan is mixed, while the people want to have free government but they are disillusioned with the manner in which political parties lead by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharief mauled the country.
“Army is considered to be clean and more active and it was only the military which could take action against the fundamentalist elements,” said Taimur. Minorities, particularly the Hindus in Pakistan are facing problems which a minority will face anywhere in the country, he opines, but agrees that their lot must be improved.
President Musharraf has allowed the Hindus to contest and vote in any constituency of their choice which earlier was not allowed in Pakistan and they were restricted to reserved constituencies, he added. When Kashmir was mentioned, he turned nostalgic and with visible pain said wistfully, “we will never be able to visit the land of our ancestors.
” His ancestors were closely linked with Hazratbal shrine in Kashmir prior to partition and the family longs to visit the shrine, but for India-Pak standoff which will never give them a fair chance to relive old memories.