DESTINATIONS - Issue 12 - Pakistan's Premier Travel and Lifestyle Magazine

ISSUE #12

Lost in Time

Urwa & Mehwish at The Shahi Hammam

Pakistan Turns 70!

Stories from across the Land

The 7 Ages

of Pakistan

By Nadeem F. Paracha

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

Armeena Rana Khan Kiran Malik Team Farah Talib Aziz Qasimyar Tiwana

contents.

ISSUE #12

LOST

IN TIME

On the cover

p.44

7

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

The

28 The 7 Ages of Pakistan 44 Lost in Time at The Shahi Hammam 58 Mehwish Hayat - The Silken Enchantress 60 Trending Now: Urwatistic 64 A Royal Bathhouse of Yore

AGESof

p. 28

PAKISTAN p. 64

A

Royal

BATHHOUSE

of Yore

72 Giving Old Lahore a New Face 78 An Ode to Cultural Heritage 82 The Charm of Chowkandi 88 En Route to Gwadar 98 In God’s Country: Watching the Game of Kings 108 Chasing Water Falls and Riding Torrents

p. 156

IN GOD’S

COUNTRY: WATCHING THE GAME of

KINGS

p. 98

We Know

WHAT YOU DID THIS

SUMMER

That’s AMORE!

NEAR & AFAR 22 24

Dream Destinations Destinations Desires

STYLE RULES 116

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

from the

suitcase

of Shazah

Ayub

From the Suitcase of Shazah Ayub

126 132

140 144

p. 125 p. 116

Armeena Rana Khan’s Summer of Love How to Travel Like a Fashionista Kiran Malik Oh My, Chang Mai! QYT’s Tale of Two Cities

THE FASHION FIX 148

On the Beautiful Blue Danube

REFLECTIONS 156

That’s Amore!

TRAVELISTA 168

Summertime in Amsterdam

HERITAGE 174

The Last Maharaja

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASMA CHISHTY MANAGING EDITOR : MARIAM MUSHTAQ EXECUTIVE EDITOR : ZAHRA HIDAYATULLAH DESIGN & LAYOUT : USMAN MUNIR ZOHAIB AKHTAR OBAID-UL-MOHSIN MEDIA SALES : NAEEM ULLAH KARACHI CORRESPONDENT: YASMEEN HASHMI CIRCULATION INCHARGE : SHAAN ALI PUBLISHED BY : Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service Ltd. 231, Ferozepur Road, Kalma Chowk, Lahore, Pakistan +92.42.111.007.006 , +92.42.3583.5132 GM MARKETING & SALES (DAEWOO) : SHERIAR HASSAN CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER (DAEWOO) : USMAN HAYAT LEGAL ADVISOR : BASIT WAHEED WATTOO CONTACT (SALES) : +92 334 423 4681 (NAEEM ULLAH) naeem.ullah@daewoo.com.pk +92 333 488 8203 (KHAWAJA AMMAR) khawaja.ammar@daewoo.com.pk DISTRIBUTORS: NATIONAL NEWS AGENCY PRINTERS : TOPICAL PRINTERS

destinationspk

destinations.com.pk www.destinations.com.pk

destinationspk

contributors Fifi Haroon

Amna Niazi

Zain Mustafa

Nadeem F. Paracha

That’s Amore p.156

Summertime in Amsterdam p.168

In God’s Country p.98

7 Ages of Pakistan p.28

Armed with a degree from Parsons School of Design and a post graduate from Columbia University, Zain Mustafa leads an international award winning Architecture and Interior design studio in Karachi.

He teaches architecture, is an animal rights activist and is heading the team redesigning the Karachi Zoo. Zain finds solace and energy in the ocean and the mountains.

Nadeem Farooq Paracha is a columnist and cultural critic for Dawn newspaper.

He has also authored two best-selling books on Pakistan’s socio-political history: End of the Past and The Pakistan Anti-Hero.

Fifi Haroon has been a leading journalist and media producer for over 20 years. She earned degrees in politics (Bryn Mawr), law (Cambridge University) and Media Anthropology (SOAS, London University), the last as a Chevening Scholar. She has written extensively on travel, film and pop culture for many publications and websites including The Independent and Newsweek Pakistan.

Haroon works as a senior broadcast journalist and presenter for the BBC World Service in London in both Urdu and English.

She has sung with Junoon and tweets to over 63,000 followers as @fifiharoon.

Partner/Managing Editor at SiddySays.com and a celebrity stylist, Amna Niazi holds a degree in English Literature and previously a career in Marketing Communications.

An ardent traveller and a foodie, her love for discovering new things takes her to new places at home and abroad.

With a penchant for adventure, she immerses herself in her travels and puts her heart into every place she visits.

Mohsin Khawar On the Beautiful Blue Danube p. 148

editors note from the

This issue is a very special issue. As we mark the 70th anniversary of our Independence, leading journalist and socio-political commentator, Nadeem Farooq Paracha presents an overarching view of the seven ages of Pakistan in rich detail, listing key moments of honour and hardship, victory and struggle in the fields of art, culture, sports, music, politics, TV and film that have shaped much of the country’s history and national character through its existence.

In addition to that, there are heroic tales of adventure and captivating journeys of discovery from across Pakistan. In Punjab, there’s the Shahi Hammam, a 17th century public bathhouse dating back to the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is truly one of Lahore’s most spectacular historical monuments. In 2013, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, undertook the conservation of this ancient building and restored it to its former glory.

It was an absolute privilege being able to shoot our cover story at the magnificent Shahi Hammam. We meet Kamran Lashari, the man who made it possible. Tasked with preserving some of Lahore’s most iconic heritage sites within the Walled City area, he is someone on a grand mission.

Our cover stars this month are glamorous film stars – the sultry Mehwish Hayat and the demure Urwa Hocane. With their latest movie, Punjab Nahi Jaungi set to release in theaters nationwide on Eid ul Azha, we try and discover the persons behind the personas. In candid conversations, they both talk about who they really are, what they deeply love and what they excitingly look forward to.

Meanwhile, down south in parts of what is now Sindh, between the 15th and 18th century AD, a necropolis was set up. Chowkandi is one of Pakistan’s oldest heritage sites, however, surprisingly not much is known about it except that it possibly houses the graves of prominent warriors and women of the Jokhio tribe. Journalist Madeeha Syed makes another trip to this forgotten land that sits quietly behind a dusty road, in the shadow of tankers parked by squatters.

ASMA CHISHTY

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Seeking adventure, LUMS senior year student, Ahmad Altaf ventures far out into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with an intrepid group of 24 spirited participants as they attempt waterfall rappelling at Sajikot followed by a river rafting excursion at Garhi Habibullah.

There’s more adventure as Zain Mustafa pens a riveting narrative on one of the most intense sports rivalries – the Shandur Polo Festival, where the Game of Kings is played on the highest polo field in the world between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit. And then there is the ultimate road trip that the photographer-writer sister duo, Maryam and Zainab Altaf make from Lahore to Karachi and onwards to Gwadar, an upcoming coastal town that will soon be connecting China through Pakistan and eventually to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea via the colossal CPEC project.

Meanwhile, our stories from overseas should give you major travel goals. Leading journalist and media producer Fifi Haroon visits Florence, home of the Medici family and the Best City in Europe according to Travel + Leisure Awards for 2017, where she feasts on a treasure trove of Renaissance art and architecture, Italian high fashion and Florentine delicacies.

Film actress Armeena Rana Khan hops on a plane to Cuba and it is on this tiny island nation that her childhood sweetheart Fesl Khan proposes to her. Model and style icon, Kiran Malik, summers across Europe while fashion designer, Farah Talib Aziz and team find themselves traipsing across Chiang Mai, Thailand as they shoot their latest collection.

There is event planner extraordinaire, Qasimyar Tiwana holidaying in London and indulging in all things English and fashion photographer Mohsin Khawar’s beautiful photo shoot from Budapest, shot against the dramatic backdrop of an historic city.

As JRR Tolkein said, “Not all who wander are lost.” Get inspired and go out!

ZAHRA HIDAYATULLAH EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MARIAM MUSHTAQ MANAGING EDITOR

NEAR & AFAR

Whether you’re craving a domestic getaway or eyeing a more exotic trip abroad, we pick out the best places to help you plan your travels.

How to get there: Deosai plains are located 30 kilometers from Skardu City and it takes approximately 2 to 3 hours to reach via jeep ride.

Where to stay: Hotel One by Pearl Continental provides comfortable accommodation in Skardu, with all modern amenities. The hotel arranges jeeps for those wanting to go up to the plains.

22

What to do: The Deosai National Park is renowned for its vast plains covered with lush wild grass, beautiful flowers and numerous lakes. Sheosar Lake makes for an ideal picnic spot and local authorities offer camping facilities for tourists to spend a night under the stars next to the pristine waters.

There is an abundance of wildlife such as brown bears, snow leopards, red fox, the Himalayan ibex, golden eagles, vultures and falcons.

Deosai Plains, Skardu Deosai, also known as “the land of the giants,� is the second highest plateau in the world. Covered in snowfall most of the year, summer comes to the plains in July-September, when the melting snow reveals a land of lush beauty and serenity.

How to get there: The island is about 1,900 kilometers from Madrid, Spain. A flight from Madrid can take you to Las Palmas in about 3 hours. A flight from Casa Blanca, Morocco will take you to Las Palmas in about the same time.

Where to stay: The 5-star Hotel Santa Catalina is pure luxury; its magnificent building is something of a landmark in Las Palmas and regularly welcomes celebrity guests and even members of royalty.

It is close to the stylish marina and Playa de las Alcaravaneras.

Guests can take a complimentary shuttle service to nearby Playa de las Canteras, a beautiful stretch of golden sand and tranquil turquoise waters.

What to do: For an interesting historical tour of Las Palmas, visit Vegueta, its oldest quarter, where you can follow in the footsteps of Christopher Columbus as well as visit fashionable boutiques and trendy restaurants.

Explore the city’s stunning beaches, stroll through its atmospheric squares and take a break inside a tropical park, such as the Parque Doramas. Located on the doorstep of the city is a natural wonder called the Caldera de Bandama or the “Cauldron of Bandama,” a volcanic crater and geological wonder.

Las Palmas, Gran Canaria Sandy beaches, eternal sunshine, duty-free shopping and an eclectic mix of cultures ranging from African to Chinese to Indian, make the capital of Spain’s Gran Canaria Island a holiday favourite around the year.

23

NEAR & AFAR Our guide to what we’re currently loving.

1

Mantiq of the Mantis An age-old tradition of book making fused with MotM’s distinct character, an idiosyncratic craftbased language has been developed for creating these exquisite notebooks from ecologically sustainable materials. Experimenting with various traditions of binding, MotM use a range of book binding techniques such as Japanese and traditional Chinese stab binding, secret Belgian binding, Ethiopian/Coptic binding, kettle stitch and a few innovative binding techniques of their own using natural linen waxed threads; each notebook enfolds a unique experience and embodies a different character. Get yours at: http://facebook.com/MantiqoftheMantis http://instagram.com/MantiqoftheMantis Tai-Pan If you’re looking for authentic Chinese food in Lahore, look no further than Tai-Pan, with its emphasis on Szechuan cuisine.

Located in Pearl Continental the restaurant is back with a sumptuous menu; from their signature crystal prawn dumplings (dumplings filled with prawn, mince bamboo shoot and a touch of chili) to dim sum, steam Siew Mai and Chinese hotpot to a wide variety of noodles, rice dishes and heartier main courses. The Peking Duck, Szechuan prawns with spicy Wonder Sauce and their sizzling lobster with mixed vegetables are a trip for your palate. Enjoy it all with complimentary Chinese herbal tea throughout your meal.

24

2

3

White in the Flag Commemorating 70 years of Pakistan’s independence, photographer Mobeen Ansari’s latest book, White in the Flag, published by Markings Publishing, explores the diversity, depth and vibrancy of the multitude of religions, cultures, and subcultures that make up the fabric of Pakistan. The title of the book represents the white in Pakistan’s flag that symbolizes the country’s commitment to the rights of religious minorities. Available at Liberty Books and www.kitabain.com for PKR 3000.

4

798 Art District, Beijing If you happen to be in the Chinese capital any time soon, do stop by the 798 Art District, arguably the coolest space in Beijing, brimming with art galleries, artists’ studios, design companies, restaurants and bars. A former industrial complex with factories from the Mao era, the area has a unique and hip vibe and makes for an interesting half-day trip. Top sights around the district are 798 Space, Originality Square and Fodder Factory.

5

The Ned Hotel, London Looking for a place to stay for your next trip to London? We recommend the luxurious Ned Hotel on 27 Poultry that has become one of the hottest new destinations in the city. Set in a former bank and designed in 1924 by Sir Edwyn Lutyens, The Ned is just a short walk from St. Paul’s Cathedral. With its stylish 1920s Edwardian décor and a host of amenities ranging from a nail bar to a boxing ring, The Ned will not just be a place to stay, but a home away from home. Relax in the spa situated in the old underground bank vaults or take in the sights and sounds of London from the guests’-only rooftop pool, or enjoy trying out the 9 different restaurants – The Ned is as London as it gets.

25

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

28

7 The

AGESof

PAKISTAN

By Nadeem F. Paracha

For our 70th anniversary, leading journalist and socio-political commentator, Nadeem lists down key moments in the fields of art, culture, sports, music, politics, TV and film that have shaped the country’s history and outlook through the seven decades of its existence.

29

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

© Masoom Sawaira

1948

Jinnah passes away in September 1948.

In his first address as Governor-General, he had described Pakistan as a ‘Modern Muslim-majority country’ where the Muslims will be ‘free from Hindu hegemony’ and where the state will transcendent faith and treat every Pakistani as an equal citizen.

5-star

Pakistan’s first 1950 hotel, Hotel Metropole, opened its doors in 1950. The Shah of Iran was invited at its inauguration. The hotel had a huge ball room/dance hall; two bars; air-conditioned rooms and restaurants. Situated in Karachi, the hotel began being demolished in the mid-2000s.

Karachi, 1947 – The founder arrives: Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, reaches Karachi with his sister, Fatima Jinnah.

1949

Urdu

becomes Pakistan’s national language, creating commotion among the country’s Bengali, Sindhi, Baloch and Pushtun communities. In 1954 Bengali too is made a national language.

© Abdul Aziz Muhja

l

© Minwalla Dastur

Liaquat AliKhan 1951

Pakistan’s first Prime Minister

is assassinated in Rawalpindi.

1952

national anthem

The Pakistani penned by Hafeez Jalandhri in 1952, is adopted by the government and launched in 1954.

30

The last shot: The las t known photo of Pa kistan’s first PM Liaquat Ali Khan. It was taken minutes be fore he was assassinated at a ral ly in Rawalpindi

1954 A young and inexperienced Pakistan

cricket team squares its first series against England (a cricket power at the time).

© Dani Mehmood

Jewish-Pakistani girls at a reception in Karachi in the 1950s.

Karachi had a vibrant Jew community at the time. The last Jewish family to leave the country was in the late 1960s

Bhowani Junction 1956

Hollywood blockbuster

From 1953 onward, after experiencing a brief boom in 1950, Pakistan’s

Economy begins to nosedive.

Muslim League

Pakistan’s founding party, the

1956

losses its majority in the indirectly-elected national assembly. It, along with two other parties, pass the country’s first Constitution.

The Constitution proclaims the country as an ‘Islamic Republic.’

(starring Ava Gardner) is largely shot in Lahore.

Perturbed by the ‘bickering politicians’, a crumbling economy and rising corruption, military chief Ayub Khan and President Iskander Mirza (member of the Pakistan Republican Party) dismiss the civilian government and impose the country’s first

martial Law They suspend the 1956 Constitution calling it ‘an exploitation of religion to achieve political gains.’ The same year Ayub also ousts Mirza and becomes President.

1958

1958

Pakistan’s nascent film industry releases the country’s ‘first Urdu socialist film’ penned by famous communist poet, Faiz Ahmad Faiz. Called Jago Hua Sawera, it is banned by the censors

31

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

The Ayub regime renames Pakistan, the

1959

RepublicofPakistan

WIN

Pakistan its first hockey gold in Olympics (1960).

Pak-US relations are at their strongest between 1959 and 1965.

Between 1960 and 1966, Pakistan’s economy enjoys 8% growth and over 13% growth in industrialization (the highest in the region).

© DAWN

The economic growth sees the emergence of new factories, colleges/universities, hotels, cinemas, nightclubs and an inflow of foreign tourists

1962 After the Pakistan cricket team loses 4-0 to England in a Test series, Ayub debars the team from playing any more Tests ‘until it got its house in order.’ Pakistan did not play a single series in 1963. It again didn’t play any Tests in 1966 (due to the aftermath of the 1965 war against India).

1964 Ayub launches Pakistan’s first TV channel,

© LIFE

Ayub with the American First Lady, Jaqueline Kennedy, at a banquet held in her honor in Karachi in 1962.

32

PTV

From 1965 onward, Pakistan’s film © PTV industry (facilitated by the Ayub regime) begins to enjoy a boom, producing an average of 20 films a year.

war

1965

with India. The war ends in a stalemate but begins to negatively impact the economy.

Pakistan goes to

In 1967 Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) becomes one of the leading airlines of the world. It was also one of the first to introduce in-flight movies.

1966

Actor Waheed Murad’s Urdu film, Armaan becomes the country’s first Urdu ‘Platinum Jubilee’ film, running for 76 weeks © Abbas Collection

1967 A young minister in the Ayub regime, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, forms the left-leaning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He accuses Ayub of proliferating ‘crony capitalism.’

A 1967 PIA recruitment ad for hostesses.

1968 Pakistan wins its second hockey title at the Olympics.

1968 As the economy struggles to recover from the impacts of the 1965 war, riots erupt against the Ayub regime © Askari Khan

1969

•

© The Ec

onomist

Archives

Ayub is forced to resign. He hands over power to Gen. Yahya Khan.

Lahore’s famous ‘intellectual haunt’, the Pak Tea House. The café was often visited by poets, writers, journalists, painters and political activists. It offered tea, coffee, beer, light snacks and vigorous political and intellectual discussions. It became one of the epicentres of the leftist movement against Ayub in the late 1960s.

33

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

1970

general election Pakistan holds its first ever

based on adult franchise. The voter turnout is 63%. The Bengali nationalist outfit, the Awami League, sweeps the polls in East Pakistan, whereas the populist PPP wins big in West Pakistan’s two largest provinces, Punjab and Sindh. The religious parties are routed.

Thousands of Bengali and non-Bengali civilians are killed in the 1971

civil war in East Pakistan. The region breaks away to become Bangladesh.

© Khwaja Umer Farooq

Pakistan wins the inaugural Hockey World Cup in 1971

1971 Bhutto replaces Yahya Khan as President.

He begins to initiate ‘socialist’ policies (mainly nationalization of factories, banks, schools, colleges, etc.).

1973 Bhutto is elected Prime Minister by the National Assembly.

The National Assembly passes Pakistan’s third Constitution. It renames the country ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan.’ The Constitution promises to advance Muslim democracy.

The Bhutto regime bans consumption of alcoholic beverages in army mess halls. No such ban is imposed elsewhere

34

© Ghulam Nabi Kazi

1974 Religious parties agitate in the Punjab, demanding the excommunication of the controversial Ahmadiyya community from the fold of Islam. As the violence grows, the Bhutto regime allows the national assembly to constitutionally oust the Ahmadiyya from mainstream Islam.

The Bhutto regime opens the doors for blue and white collar Pakistani workers to travel to oil-rich Arab countries for work.

Urdu quwaali (Sufi devotional music) and folk music witness a surge in popularity.

Also, the government greatly expands the tourism ministry as the country sees an unprecedented inflow of foreign tourists.

1975 The government allows the construction of a large casino by the sea in Karachi and a hotel (also in Karachi) which is supposed to be the largest in the region.

The Pakistan film industry produces its first Urdu film, Doolhan Aik Raat Ki (Wife for a Night).

X-Rated

1974 Pakistan holds the second

International

Islamic Summit

in Lahore.

to es from behind ket team com ic . cr lia ra an st st ki Au , Pa 1976 The against the then No: 1 Test side s rie square a se

1977 The countr y’s Urdu film industry hit s a peak, now churn ing out an average of 30 to 35 Urdu films a year.

The urdu fi lm, Aaina breaks all previous box-office records in Pakistan . It would go on to ru n for a whopping 401 weeks!

House full at Karachi’s famous Nishat Cinema.

© The Cricketer

ain, Mushtaq mad, and capt th Sadiq Muham , an stralian soil wi m Au ts on ba n ni Pakista wler, n’s first Test wi ta bo kis st fa Pa g e un at br yo le e then Muhammad, ce ckground is th e match.

1976. In the ba 12 wickets in th ed gg a pint each in ba o wh l) we to a (in an Imran Kh

Colour TV

is introduced in Pakistan.

PTV is given an award by Japan for producing quality entertainment programs (mainly music shows and serials).

1976

© A. Willbanks

© Cinema Treasures

In March 1977, with the economy sliding (due to the lingering impacts of the 1973 international oil crisis and the regime’s own chaotic policy of nationalization), Bhutto’s rhetoric becomes increasingly jingoistic and authoritarian. An anti-Bhutto movement by right-wing parties turns violent and forces Bhutto to halt his government’s haphazard ‘socialist’ policies; ban the consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages (to Muslims); and close down nightclubs and bars.

Work on the casino too is halted.

In July 1977, Gen. Ziaul Haq holds his first public rally after toppling the Bhutto regime in a reactionary military coup. Gen. Zia orders a severe crackdown against the opposition.

He immediately began to impose various draconian laws in the name of faith.

35

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

1978

Zia regime introduces public flogging for ‘criminals.’

These include student leaders and journalists.

Pakistan wins its second Hockey World Cup title.

The same year cricketing ties between Pakistan and India are restored after a 17-year gap. Pakistan defeats India 2-0. Mushtaq Muhammad becomes the most successful Pakistani cricket captain.

1979

1979

The Zia regime strengthens laws against consumption and sale of alcoholic beverages.

hanged Zulfiqar Ali

through a controversial

Bhutto is

‘murder’ trial.

© Oslo Star

Pakistani scientist, Dr. Abdus Salam wins a Nobel Prize in physics.

1982 Imran Khan leads Pakistan to a thumping 3-0 victory against Australia in a Test series, and then to a 3-0 win in a Test rubber against India.

© Oriental Star Agency

The same year, the Zia regime asks PTV to not to show actors and actresses in western dress.

Pakistan wins its third Hockey World Cup title.

Playwright Hasina Moin’s light comedy serial, Ankahi, becomes the most watched serial in Pakistan.

1980

Disco Dewane

Teens Nazia & Zoheb Hassan release the country’s first Urdu disco album,.

It’s an immediate hit.

© Akhbar-e-Watan

© PTV

36

Pakistan hockey captain is received on the plane in Lahore after Pakistan won its third Hockey World Cup title in 1982.

Violence 1983

erupts in Sindh against the Zia regime.

Dozens are killed.

© New York Times

1984

‘Sharia.’

The Zia regime introduces hardline draconian laws in the name of faith and

1985 Heroin addiction skyrockets in Pakistan. Much of the heroin is being brought in by Afghan refugees arriving from war-torn Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s film industry begins its slide.

Sale of VCRs reaches a peak. But cinemas begin to close down.

1986

1986

© Squas

h Talk

A teenag ed Jahangir on his wa Khan y to win the 1981 British Open. H e soon became th Squash W e orld No:1.

In 1986, Zia introduces a new set of reactionary laws.

Imran Khan becomes Pakistan’s most successful cricket captain.

Pakistan wins its first major cricket ODI tournament, dramatically beating India in the final.

A plane carrying Zia

crashes

© Archives 150

Zia dies. Sabotage is suspected. Elections are held which are won by Benazir Bhutto’s PPP. She becomes Prime Minister.

An obscure pop band, Vital Signs, makes its debut on PTV with a video of a national song, Dil Dil Pakistan. It becomes a huge hit.

1987 Pakistan hosts its first cricket World Cup event (along with India).

A car bomb goes off in Karachi, killing dozens of shoppers. This is the first major terrorist attack in the country.

Benazir Bhutto strikes a defient pose after she returned from exile in 1986 to directly challenge the Zia dictatorship. She was elected PM in 1988.

37

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

1988 Benazir Bhutto became the first woman Muslim head of government in the world.

1990

Ethnic tensions and violence in Sindh that had first errupted during Zia’s regime, returns to haunt the Benazir government.

© Indian Express

Benazir’s regime is removed by President Ishaq on charges of corruption.

1989: PM Benazir in Lahore with Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi.

Rajiv was assasinated in 1991 and Benazir in 2007.

Government allows a semi-private TV channel, STN/NTM, to begin operating.

Nawaz Sharif

1993

The President

is elected as new PM. 1990 The Sharif government accuses the fallen Benazir regime for ‘spreading obscenity ’ and ‘undermining Pakistan’s interests.’ It also promises to protect ‘Zia-ism.’

dismisses

the Sharif regime on charges of corruption. Benazir is elected PM again.

© PA Photos

1992

Pakistan wins its first Cricket World Cup title.

1992 – the big win: Imran Khan led Pakistan to lift their first Cricket World Cup. It beat England in the final.

© Umer Faro

oq

Priences Diana with Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif during her 1991 tour of Pakistan.

38

1993 Jansher Khan supercedes his countryman Jahangir to become the new Squash World No: 1. © Getty Images

1994 Pakistan wins its fourth Hockey World Cup 1997

Nawaz Sharif’s

PML-N wins the 1997 election.

1998

Sharif tries to buldoze a controversial Sharia Bill in the national assembly. The bill passes but is defeated in the senate Sectrian violence errupts in Pakistan.

1996

, Signs in 1988 f by the Vital of e ed ar ck ) ki TV e scen s (on The local pop and pop show ld s of pop acts ncerts are he en co oz D p s. po nd n ze do expa e fiv t ds. Almos doing the roun in 1995 alone. y tr un in the co

MurtazaBhutto Benazir’s brother

a former self-claimed Marxist revolutionary, is killed in a controversial police raid on his convoy in Karachi.

Benazir’s second govorment is dismissed.

nuclear 1998

Pakistan tests its first

device.

© PTV

1999 © Ripley’s Believe or Not Gallery

A tall tale: Between the late 1980s and 1997, Pakistan’s Alam Channa was considered to be the tallest living man in the world. A year after this picture was taken, Channa passed away.

The Sharif regime is toppled in a military coup by Gen.

Musharraf

39

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

England batsman Marcus Trescothick having a stroll outside the shrine of Sufi saint Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Karachi.

The England cricket team was touring Pakistan in 2001.

© DAWN

Gen Musharraf

becomes ‘Chief Executive’ of Pakistan after toppling Sharif.

He exhibits himself as a

moderate

2000 and promises a crackdown against relegious extremism that has been brewing in the country ever since the 1980s.

Musharraf becomes.

President

2002

His party the PML-Q becomes the new ruling party.

The Musharraf regime allows the mushrooming of

© PakPassion

2003

‘war on terror.’

Terrorist Pakistan joins America’s

attacks in Pakistan by extreme groups increase.

private TV channels

r, ’s bowle Pakistan htar, was Ak Shoaib stest d the fa d. re la c e d orl w in the bowler

2004

The Musharraf regime introduces rapid economic liberalization. The economy begins to pick up.

The regime tries to facilitate the revival of Pakistan’s film industry and cinema culture. It allows the exhibition of 2004

Bollywood Films in Pakistani Cinemas.

Indian films were banned in 1965.

thly

cket Mon

© The Cri

The country’s pop and concert scene begins to fade away.

© DAWN

In 2004 9-year-old Arfa Karim became the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) ever. But eight years later, the young child prodigy passed away, aged just 16.

2005 A devestating

earthquake

hits the country’s northen areas. Thousands die.

Pakistan’s supremecy in hockey and squash begins to erode.

40

© AP

2007 Shoaib Mansoor kickstarts a ‘new wave’ of Urdu cinema by directing and releasing

Khuda KayLiay n ilgit-Baltista Pakistan’s G e th m o fr b 06. w leopard cu x Zoo in 20 Leo, the sno York’s Bron ew N to d te if area, was g

Musharraf fires the

Chief Justice the of the Supreme Court on charges of corruption. Lawyers respond by starting a movement against Musharraf.

2007 © IMP Awards

Extremist groups team up to form

2007

2007

Musharraf orders militray action against extremists hiding inside a mosque in Islamabad.

Benazir is

assasinated

Thereek-e-TalibanPakistan (TTP)

by extremists.

TTP begins to target civilians and law enforcement personnel through suicide bombings.

The economy that had been bloated like a bubble, bursts. Sharif and Benazir return from exile.

2008 2009

Pakistan won the T20 Cricket World Cup.

The PPP wins the election. PML-N becomes the second largest party. The embattled Musharraf is forced to resign.

Asif Ali Zardari

Benazir’s husband

2009

becomes President

© Dunya News

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nd frequency a y it s n te in e ard, th n From 2010 onw igh that foreig h o s e m a c e b acks of terrorist att g Pakistan and n ri u to d e p p to ss sporting team d already been a h t a th y tr s u the tourist ind mbled. struggling, cru

Imran Khan’s PTI experienced a sudden surge in popularity.

2013

PML-N swept the election, ousting the PPP regime.

2011

© : PTI Archives

In 2012, Karachi became the sixth most populous city in the world.

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© : Dolman Mall Gallery

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Malala Yousafzai Nobel Prize 2014

became the second Pakistani to win the.

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In 2016 Pakistan launches its own cash-rich cricket super league.

© Hindustan Times

Pakistan comes from behind to defeat India in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

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LOST

IN TIME Photography: Hair & Makeup: Models: Styling: Coordination:

Guddu & Shani Fatima Nasir Urwa Hocane & Mehwish Hayat Haiya Bokhari Team DESTINATIONS

Urwa’s Outfit: Mehwish’s Outfit: Jewellery: Shoes:

HSY Tena Durrani Gold by Reama Malik Charles & Keith

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Outfit: HSY Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

Outfit: Nomi Ansari Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: Sana Safinaz Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: Tena Durrani Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: HSY Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: HSY Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: Tena Durrani Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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Outfit: Nomi Ansari Jewellery: Gold by Reama Malik Shoes: Charles & Keith

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MEHWISH HAYAT

The Silken Enchantress

By Zahra Hidayatullah

With her latest film Punjab Nahi Jaungi set to release in theatres nationwide on Eid ul Azha, Mehwish Hayat is gracing our cover this month. The star who is almost always talked about in relation to her work sits down for a candid conversation with DESTINATIONS. Here, she talks about her films, her passion for singing, her perhaps lesser-known but deep love for animals, and what it means to be a total bombshell.

Somewhere close to noon, Mehwish Hayat waltzes in to the makeup studio. It is a hot, sticky day with the monsoon season at its absolute peak. The crew is already growing slightly impatient expecting a star who will not be easy to deal with in humidity like this especially when the location is a historic, 17th century monument in the Walled City of Lahore with obviously, no air-conditioning.

She is dressed simply in a pair of black distressed jeans, a tank-top and a lightweight jacket that can only be explained in this weather as the hallmark of a film-star.

She has pronounced cheekbones, a beautiful dusky complexion, but her most striking features are her catlike eyes. She has an air of natural steadiness and grace but it is the way she moves – nimbly – that she reminds me of a cheetah.

The quiet dignity that surrounds her aura is reassuring.

We introduce ourselves. She’s not warm or particularly friendly but in turn, polite and professional. It almost seems like she is wary of interviews or perhaps, worse case, bored of them. I wait for her to get ready before we can sit in the car and have a conversation en route to the site.

As we weave our way through late afternoon traffic, I begin the conversation on a personal note, trying to set a non-judgmental tone for the rest of our talk.

I tell her I heard she has two birds and two dogs.

“Three Chihuahuas and two birds…” she corrects me, “out of which, one bird has been set free and I am waiting for the other to grow its wings back before I can let that one go too. Both were rescue birds so I wouldn’t call them pets. They belong to the open skies.” Respect. “At some point in my life, I would like to set up an animal shelter.” More respect.

There isn’t much on the gossip circuit about her being an animal lover and wanting to help strays. In fact, I tell her, apart from her official Instagram account, there isn’t much on the internet about her as a person, at all. “I like to keep my private life very private. Enigma and mystery are part and parcel of being a star. Well, at least at one point it was. In the olden days, catching a single glimpse of your favourite star was a lifetime experience. People would talk about it for days on end, share the story with their friends. I belong to the old school of thought.

Feeding this internet-appetite and growing fan frenzy by taking pictures and selfies everywhere I go is not my style. My PR and publicist tell me I have to do it so I try.

It puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on me. I am one of those who say if there are fireworks in the sky, I won’t instantly take out my phone to make a video of it… instead, I would just let everything go and live in that moment. That is who I am.”

Her adaptability is inspiring. She comes across as someone who wants to do the right thing and stick by it. Whether it means taking a photo and sharing it on social media, because it is required or helping animals in distress despite hectic schedules. With this positive determination, it is little wonder Mehwish has blazed past every marker of performing arts to stardom in little time, and there’s little sign of slowing down. She is a critically acclaimed theatre and TV actor, a film star and a music artist. With each medium varying and overlapping in turns, what does she enjoy doing most, I wonder out loud? Her response is self-contained and she picks her words carefully. She will answer any question but it is as if she is resisting dialogue. “Honestly I cannot pick and choose any one. Every medium has its own magic. I love each one because all are inadvertently linked to art.”

all the attention. People still message me about that song, which is amazing since it has been three years now and people still remember it. In this day and age, for something like that to happen is incredible given how people have such short-term memories and they are overexposed to all sorts of screens and media. Also, nothing compares to the experience of seeing myself for the first time on the big screen. There can never be a first time again so that was very special.”

“Jawani Phir Nahi Aani was an ensemble cast and we were shooting in a foreign location. We had to travel together and learnt how to become one family unit.

That was a learning curve. Then, for Actor-in-Law, I played the role of a Parsi girl for which I had to be mindful of my accent and performance. So again, it is difficult to choose one experience over another.”

With a portfolio as diverse as hers, this bright star seems to have played her cards well. “Pakistan’s film industry is at a very initial stage of revival. Filmmakers are not keen on experimental risks. So naturally one has to be smart about it and choose characters wisely. If I am playing the same kind of role in every film, people will get bored.”

Although by now it is certain that Mehwish is someone who knows how to assert herself, landing a Coke Studio gig is not easy on a show that almost single-handedly has set the bar for credibility and authenticity of musical talent in Pakistan for a decade now. I ask her how that happened, and her eyes lit up as she narrated this tale.

“It is a very interesting story. There was this film being made and the director asked me to be a part of that film. I told him I wasn’t sure about doing that film and he told me that he would still like me to sing the songs for it. I was initially sceptical but then the director told But it is films that presented Mehwish the stairway me that music producer and artist, Shiraz Uppal, who to stardom heaven. She was primarily noted for her was working on this project, was in town and he would provocative song-dance performance in one of the like us to meet. I went ahead. We practiced a bit. Shiraz genuinely rare hits from Pakistan’s new age cinema, Na made me sing some high-pitched songs, then some in Maloom Afraad, post which she has often been labelled low pitch. Towards the end, he asked me if I would like as a siren. I seemed to have struck gold. Mehwish finally to sing on Coke Studio. I was over the moon. ‘Why not!’ I opens up and riffs away! “I like it when people find me said. And that is how it happened.” hot. In fact, it is an amazing feeling to be acknowledged for your good looks, but what bugs me is when some So is music her calling? “Well, if I wasn’t an actor, I’d be a people tend to objectify and cannot look beyond that music artist. Which is funny, because in a way I still am,” to recognize my actual talent. I put in a lot of hard work she is proud to declare. It seems there are not enough into my acting too. And I think skill also makes a person frontiers for this mighty power to conquer. “Well, to be beautiful.” honest, there is a long way to go. That animal shelter has to come up and yes, I too, dream of Hollywood!” she So which of her projects to date has she enjoyed doing smiles. The car ominously comes to a halt as we reach most, I ask? Ironically, she comes back to the same our final destination, the Shahi Hammam. She puts on character that stamped the bombshell label on. “Na her pure black, matte finish Rayban wayfarers and a Maloom Afraad was my first movie! Although it was a pout as she steps out. Her instinctive film star charisma special appearance, that was what got me blessed with is back on and she makes many a head turn.

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TRENDING NOW:

URWATISTIC

By Zahra Hidayatullah

With a hugely successful drama serial in 2016, Udaari, and two big-budgeted films slated for release this coming Eid, Urwa Hocane seems to be in a cosy place as far as stardom is concerned. Hailing from the infamously sleepy capital city, she talks about her journey to the media world and becoming famous, her soulmate Mawra, the love of her life, Farhan and how her omnipresence on social media brings her great energy and positive vibes.

In the past four years, she seems to have hit bull’s eye every time and has managed to chart a career trajectory that has led to much fame and applause.

On a personal level too she has conquered love and married the man of her dreams. Next month’s blockbuster, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, will be released simultaneously with Na Maloom Afraad 2; a sequel to her original 2014 blockbuster. With these two big films lined up for Eid ul Azha and another one scheduled for later this year, Urwa Hocane has got to be the fastest rising star on the media circuit in Pakistan. She seems to have made all the right decisions and bagged all the right projects.

So how does a doe-eyed beauty from the infamously sleepy capital city manage to steal the limelight and become so famous, I ask before I encounter the smug response. “It’s not a sleepy town; just a peaceful one. I absolutely love it. I mean, I grew up there and that is where I launched my acting career.” Really? In Islamabad? The incredulity was sincere as the home of the state is not best known for being home of the stars. “To be honest, I never really planned on becoming an actress. It all started when I tried to audition for a theatre play that was happening in Islamabad but failed it. Not wanting to leave the sets, I persevered and took on a role in the backstage production team to see how it is done. And then in the next play, I not only cleared the audition but won the lead role – Mary Poppins.”

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In her usual happy-go-lucky lilt, she goes on to explain how she was ‘discovered’ by someone in the TV world during the play and landed her first electronic gig as a VJ. “It was an exciting time. I used to go to college in the morning and record the show in the evening,” that is until Urwa got called to Karachi for ARY Musik and since then, there has been no looking back.

While most millennials are struggling with entry-level employment or navigating their way to find the right job, at 26, Urwa Hocane has not only skyrocketed out of obscurity but has sealed her fate as an industry staple now. “Life is good when you do what you love. Acting makes me happy. For a scatterbrain like me, it is also a form of meditation. When I am acting, I am not thinking about anything else. I am totally immersed in that moment and all my energies are focused towards the job at hand.”

For Urwa, the jarring juxtapositions between real and reel is softened by the fact that she is surrounded by two people who are not only her family and her best friends but also people who understand the inherently bizarre pressures of being a media personality. “I am a homebody. I relax when I lounge around in my PJs, spending downtime with my sister, Mawra, or my husband, Farhan.”

A music artist and an actor. It’s a coupling that is universal in its appeal and occurrence. Having met Farhan at a mutual friend’s get-together about four years ago, the two instantly clicked and before long were inseparable. After a refreshingly unhidden romance, he announced their engagement on Instagram in a Murad Osmann-esque #FollowMeTo photo against the iconic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, Paris. A rock star in his own right, Farhan, the former lead vocalist of the music band, Jal now performs solo and is also pursuing a career in acting. “Farhan and I talk about anything and everything. He is also my best critic. He advises me, motivates me and gives me strength to be the best in my field.”

With a strong support system, Urwa manages to keep it real.

She is also very close to her sibling, Mawra. The friendship between the two sisters, two years apart in age and both actresses, presumably vying for similar roles transcends the ugly stereotypes of an industry notorious for pitting females against one another. “See, it doesn’t work like that. Above anything else, Mawra is my soulmate. She and I are very different in terms of our personalities, how we dress up or emote. But once in a while if something does come along that suits both and one of us bags it, the other cheers on. One way or another, the project is coming home!”

It was the widely acclaimed TV drama series from 2016, Udaari, that confirmed Urwa’s coming of age as an actress. A double-barrelled success that enjoyed critical applause and audience popularity, with key social messages at the heart of it, incidentally it was also the one that saw her sharing the screen with her husband, Farhan. However, much of her fame can also be attributed to the ever-growing power of social media. In an undeniably new celebrity frontier – one marked by a relentless pursuit of stars in the age of omnipresent phone cameras – Urwa has managed to keep her fans well engaged. She has 1.5 million fans on Instagram and three hundred and thirty four thousand followers on Twitter.

“It all happened because of Mawra. She convinced me to set up my social media pages and advised me to stay connected to my fans. And now this rolling snowball has become so big that my entire wedding was shared on Facebook and Instagram – the event went viral. Times have changed. Every person has a cell phone with a camera. Obviously we couldn’t stop our guests from using their phones so we decided we would let people shoot videos or take photos as they please. As a result, I see my wedding from different vantage points. It’s actually a lot of fun!”

Imbibing the culture of clicks and likes, she seems to have mastered a fine balance between deliberate sharing and unabashed over-sharing; sifting fans from followers. Little wonder then that her relationship remained rock solid throughout and she manages to ward off any unnecessary pressure on her marriage. “I share a post when I want to, not because I have to. And I don’t mind being open about my life.

If I can inspire other people to own each other, it’s great. This world only needs love.” True. With a punchline like that, she certainly knows how to create headlines for after all is said and done, Urwa Hocane has the star power to do so.

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UP CLOSE &PERSONAL Read on as we get up close and personal with our cover girls this month, Urwa Hocane and Mehwish Hayat, about who they are, what they like, their thoughts on love and what they wish for, in a round of quick questions.

Hi… what are you up to?

Urwa: I just got ready with my makeup for this shoot.

Mehwish: I am promoting my upcoming film Punjab Nahi Jaungi.

What’s your favourite place on earth?

What makes you go to sleep?

Urwa: Pakistan. It’s home.

Urwa: Good thoughts.

Mehwish: At the moment, Cape Town.

Mehwish: The pressure of waking up early.

What do you love to eat?

This month of yours in three words?

Urwa: Daal chawal (Lentils with rice).

Urwa: It’s raining promotions!

Mehwish: Thai food. Anything spicy actually.

Mehwish: Lots of madness.

How do you like to travel?

What’s on your playlist right now?

Urwa: In luxury.

Urwa: Love songs.

Mehwish: First class always!

Mehwish: Luis Fonsi’s Despacito and Attention by Charlie Puth.

Your best friends – animals or people?

Urwa: My sister, Mawra.

Mehwish: Animals, any day. My three Chihuahuas – Oreo, Fluffy, Bruno.

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Books or movies?

Urwa: Movies. They tell you a story in three hours.

Mehwish: Both.

The one thing you can’t live without?

You dream about?

Urwa: Family.

Urwa: Hollywood.

Mehwish: My mother.

Mehwish: Having my name on the Walk of Fame.

What keeps you awake at night?

Tell us about love.

Urwa: Nothing. I sleep a lot.

Urwa: It’s essential

Mehwish: The pressure of waking up early.

Mehwish: Love makes the world go round.

Describe your living space to us Urwa: All white Mehwish: It’s basic – all white, with a yellow wall and plenty of animals.

A talent of yours lesser known?

Urwa: Singing Mehwish: I can sketch very well.

What’s a perfect day for you?

Urwa: A perfect day is a creative day at work!

Mehwish: Any day spent at home is happy time – hanging out with family, bathing my dogs and playing with them.

How long does it take for you to decide what to wear?

Urwa: Forever.

Mehwish: Depends on the occasion – sometimes two minutes; sometimes two hours.

Who runs the world?

Urwa: Uhh girls?

Mehwish: GIRLS! What’s the best song to sing to when you’re getting ready?

Urwa: I just listen to my playlist.

Mehwish: “You just want attention – you don’t want my heart.”

What’s your favourite colour to wear?

Urwa: Depends on my mood.

Mehwish: White.

If you were a superhero what super power would you like to have?

Urwa: Teleporting Mehwish: I think I’d like to be invisible.

Your inspiration?

Would you rather be predictable or spontaneous?

Urwa: My mother.

Urwa: Spontaneous.

Mehwish: My mother, Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, so many.

Mehwish: Spontaneous!

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done?

Urwa: Sky-diving Mehwish: Holding a black eagle, which weighed almost 4 kilos, on my arm, and we were looking at each other.

It was quite scary but yeah, it was cool also!

If you could travel back in time, when would it be?

And who would you hang out with?

Urwa: Princess Diana and Nazia Hassan.

Mehwish: 1950s and hang out with Marilyn Monroe.

So what is it like to be you?

Urwa: It’s good – I mean yeah really good!

Mehwish: It’s perfect!

What are you doing for the rest of the day?

Urwa: Promoting my film Punjab Nahi Jaungi.

Mehwish: I am doing this cover shoot for your magazine. I will be shooting with Urwa, with Guddi Shani; the clothes are amazing and the location is the Shahi Hammam, so I’m looking forward to it!

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HERITAGE

Photography: Ubaid-ur-Rehman

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A Royal BATHHOUSE of Yore

By Nadeem Dar

The Shahi Hammam, a 17th century public bathhouse dating back to the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, is one of Lahore’s most spectacular historical monuments. In 2013, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, undertook the conservation of this ancient building that was suffering from neglect and it now stands restored to its former glory, a feat of design and engineering that reflects the Mughal era’s cultural richness.

HERITAGE

A

ncient legend has it that the king who defeated and finally killed the mighty Mongol Changez Khan, Veer Dada Jashraj, was born here in Lohargadh, as it was known back then. Old Lahore, or the Walled City as it now known, is a cultural hotspot in the historical landscape of Pakistan. While myths and legends abound regarding the actual history of this 2.6 kilometre city state, architectural marvels from hundreds of years ago lay testament to the glory of its past.

Passing hands between Hindu, Muslim and Sikh rulers, most of the town structures contained within its 13 gates are design gems that reflect a foregone era of cultural richness and financial prosperity. Intricately carved wooden balconies, cobbled streets, grand monuments, ancestral havelis, the food and festivals, the hustle and bustle of the bazaars all lead one back into a past when the Walled City of Lahore was the prime hub of culture and trade.

Having served as the capital seat for numerous empires, the city demands more than a mere perambulation if one is to explore the tradition and folklore it holds within its historical walls.

It was on one such expedition, during a photo walk inside Delhi Gate a few years ago, that I first came across the Shahi Hammam. I was quite taken aback by my lack of knowledge regarding this unique piece of heritage we possess. Although remains found in the Lahore Fort, the Shalimar Gardens, Wah Gardens and some of the larger havelis in the Walled City indicate that smaller, private baths may have been popular during the Mughal and Sikh eras, this royal monument is the only structural bathhouse from the Mughal era that continues to survive in the entire Indian subcontinent.

During its history, the building was converted into a boys’ primary school, a girls’ vocational school, a dispensary and was used as offices by various government departments. Makeshift structures, to provide residential accommodation for some of the staff, were added on the roof. The north-western rooms were rented out as shops by the Department of Auqaf while additional shops were allowed along the building’s northern, western and southern façades. These occupations resulted in the structure of the hammam being subjected to numerous alterations and modifications without any regard to its historic or cultural sanctity, besides leaving it without proper maintenance and upkeep. Lack of maintenance also resulted in the deterioration of the building. It was not until 1955 that the Shahi Hammam was recognized as a cultural asset and declared a protected monument by the Department of Archaeology.

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HERITAGE

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In 2012, the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) took over the restoration of the Shahi Hammam as part of The Royal Trail Project, carried out in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

Within three years, the ancient bathhouse stood restored to its former grandeur.

As one crosses mounds of colour in varying degrees through Akbari Mandi, a historical spice bazaar set up by Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (1542-1605) that continues to serve its original purpose to this day, and passes through Delhi Gate, a security landmark also built by Emperor Akbar, a small inroad towards the left will lead you to a side entrance of the Shahi Hammam.

Upon entering the hall, one is astounded by the quiet elegance and regal splendour of the space. The vibrant colours of painted fresco serve as a gentle reminder of the rich opulence of Mughal architecture.

As a photographer and a visual artist, I found it difficult to pull my eyes away from this surviving marvel that transports one back into a time when this region was amongst the most splendid in the world – when the magnificence of the Mughals outshone the brilliance of the outside world.

It is a collection of 21 inter-connected rooms offering all the facilities found in a public bath. An additional room is set at an angle facing Mecca for offering prayers. The entrance gateway on the west and the main hall in the northern part of the building are exquisitely decorated with frescoed panels depicting angels, animals, birds as well as floral patterns and geometric designs.

Tourist guidebooks available inside the hammam outline its unique form and function, explaining how wood logs were used to heat water and convert it to steam which then passed through pillars or channels and heated up the entire place. This expansive heating system was destroyed during the Sikh rule.

WCLA, with the help of the Aga Khan Cultural Services Pakistan and in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, carried out extensive restoration works for the exposure and display of the original waterworks, drainage and heating networks, as well as the levelling of the original floor that had been covered over in 1991.

“Looking at the newly restored interiors of the splendid structure fills one with awe and wonder at this ancient design and engineering feat”

An engraved plaque near the entrance reads as follows: “The Shahi Hammam was originally built around 1634 AD by Hakim Ilmuddin Ansari, the Governor of Lahore, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628-58 AD). It was designed as a public bath for the travellers as well as the inhabitants of the city. Hakim Ilmuddin Ansari, who was granted the title of Wazir Khan, was also responsible for the construction of the famous mosque The Wazir Khan Mosque inside the Walled City which now bears his name.”

The hammam is a single storey structure covering an area of 1110 square meters, built on the pattern of Turkish and Iranian bathing establishments of its time (which consisted of hot, warm and cool plunges, sweat rooms and related facilities). Designed as a public bathhouse not only for the inhabitants of the city but also for travellers visiting it, the monument serves as an example of a Mughal community space that provided opportunities for social interaction in the lives of the citizens. Travellers would enter Lahore via Delhi Gate and would freshen up at the hammam, before continuing onwards into the city.

On the western side, the hammam’s original entrance has also been restored, through which the bathhouse is accessible now. The centuries-old frescoes inside the Hammam have been cleared and restored with the help of fresco conservation experts from Sri Lanka.

I had the good fortune of meeting the team in charge of the conservation project while it was being restored. I was informed that the aim for the conserved monument was not only to serve as a display of the ancient tradition of public bathhouses as a space for social interaction, but also to extend it as a space for promoting art, culture and literature through hosting talks, art exhibits, poetry recitations and traditional storytelling activities.

Looking at the newly restored interiors of the splendid structure fills one with awe and wonder at this ancient design and engineering feat, a feeling of pride and honour for our association with its history and culture and a deep sense of responsibility and ownership for preserving this spectacle for generations to come.

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HERITAGE

Who was

Hakim Ilmuddin Ansari?

Hakim Ilmuddin Ansari, the Governor of Lahore built the Shahi Hammam in 1634 AD. There is an interesting tale that comes to light when one goes into the backstory of who this Hakim was and why he was attributed with such a grand title.

According to an old tradition, Jahangir, the Mughal Emperor (r. 1605- 1627 AD) was extremely distressed with the untreatable illness of his beloved wife Noor Jehan when he was advised to call upon one of the great physicians of the time, Hakim Sheikh Ilmuddin Ansari, to his court for her treatment.

The physician was able to diagnose and then cure the illness by making the queen walk over burning sand. The Emperor was considerably pleased with the successful treatment of his queen thereby inviting Hakim Ansari to serve at his royal court and awarding him the title of Wazir Khan, meaning “high court official.�

Wazir Khan continued to serve at the Mughal court as the throne later descended from Emperor Jahangir to his son Emperor Shah Jahan. As before, he remained close to the successive monarch, during whose reign this stately structure was built.

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VISIONARY

Giving

OLD LAHORE

a New Face

By Mariam Mushtaq

Kamran Lashari, Director General of the Walled City of Lahore Authority, is a man on a mission, tasked with preserving some of Lahore’s most iconic heritage sites enclosed within the ancient heart of the city.

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VISIONARY

T

he Walled City of Lahore, once the seat of the Moghul Empire, was protected zealously by its rulers, who enclosed it within a formidable wall and 13 impenetrable gates. Through the ages, as the rule of the Mughals gave way to the reign of the Sikhs, colonization by the British and eventually to present day Lahore, the gates were thrown open, many destroyed and the sanctity of some of the region’s most ancient heritage sites and cultural monuments lay unguarded.

Hence, the setting up of the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) by the Punjab Government in 2012 was hailed as a much-needed step. The body was given only one mandate – the conservation, protection and maintenance of the Walled City – and the authority to do it autonomously, without getting caught up in governmental red-tape.

The organization is faced with a behemoth task, but the man chosen to head it would have it no other way. Kamran Lashari, Director General of the WCLA, is a civil servant with an illustrious career that has included prestigious positions such as Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, Director General of the Parks & Horticulture Authority, and Chief Commissioner of Islamabad. Known for his passion for the arts and heritage, he is no stranger to taking on public service projects that are enormous in their scope and vision. He is after all responsible for giving Lahore its first food street back in the day when the concept of a pedestrian-only zone in the congested heart of the city seemed like an impossible dream.

In an exclusive conversation with DESTINATIONS, he sheds light on the WCLA’s expansive plan for the conservation of the Walled City, which not only includes restoring old buildings but also giving the clogged network of streets, shops and residences a much-needed infrastructural uplift.

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The restoration of the Shahi Hammam has garnered international acclaim by winning the UNESCO Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation. However, the hammam was but one important section of a wider restoration process. Can you take us through the entire project and its process of evolution?

The WCLA launched the Royal Trail Restoration Project in 2012. The Royal Trail is a passage inside the Walled City leading from Delhi Gate to Masti Gate. It was the route used by the Mughals while travelling from Delhi to Lahore and going up to the Lahore Fort. As a pilot project, the first phase of restorations focused on the area between Delhi Gate and Chowk Kotwali and the work was completed in 2015.

This section of the Royal Trail included two main monuments – the Shahi Hammam and Wazir Khan Mosque.

Encroachments were removed from both these sites, which was one of the hardest parts of the entire process. Over the years, shops had sprung up outside both places; in fact, you could hardly see the face of the hammam due to the shops encroaching on it.

The WCLA achieved this uphill task with the collaboration and support of the community. Our social mobilization teams held several awareness and negotiation sessions in this regard.

in 2016’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation held in Bangkok.

How has the restoration of the Shahi Hammam benefitted the Walled City as a whole?

I think this project is one of its kind in the Walled City. Imagine a building hidden by encroachments, with there being very little knowledge about its importance as a heritage site, suddenly being revealed in all its glory. Tourists have started coming in and the local community has benefitted economically. Local boys and girls have been hired as tourist guides and trained as curators of the hammam. Moreover, I feel that the Walled City is receiving attention from all corners of the world since the successful completion of this project. In fact, famed writer and historian William Dalrymple recently tweeted about the site, calling it “the best new architectural restoration project I’ve seen anywhere in South Asia.”

I think a lot remains undiscovered inside the Walled City yet.

Every day, we explore something new.

The conservation of the hammam’s interior was carried out by the WCLA in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The funding for this project was provided by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. During 1991, the archaeology department had covered up the ancient hypocaust system by laying down marble floors in all the rooms. These floors were excavated and the building’s ancient foundations were revealed, exposing the original waterworks and re-establishing this monument as a historical bathhouse and heritage site for the world to marvel at.

On 1st September 2016, we received news that the project had been awarded the Award of Merit

How challenging has it been to find craftsmen with the necessary skills to restore ancient monuments to their former grandeur?

It has not been an easy task but thanks to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which has experience of such projects, we were able to put together a team of skilled craftsmen. For the restoration of the hammam’s ancient fresco artwork, fresco experts were called in from Sri Lanka and they toiled with the students of the National College of Arts. This was a wonderful training exercise for our own resource in fresco. It is important that the local labour was provided a chance to learn and gain knowledge from skilled international artisans, allowing us to build a pool of local talent for future conservation projects.

What monuments and heritage sites is the WCLA working on next?

We are currently working on the conservation of the world’s largest picture wall here at the Lahore Fort, again with technical assistance from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

A second project inside the Lahore Fort is the conservation of the Royal Kitchen, which will be completed by October this year.

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VISIONARY This was the kitchen used in Shah Jahan’s time and had been turned into a no-go area. We’re reopening it as a night restaurant for tourists so they can enjoy royal recipes in a heritage setting.

My conservation team is also working to conserve the two main mosques of the Walled City, the Wazir Khan Mosque and Mariam Zamani Mosque. The conservation of Wazir Khan Chowk as well as the mosque’s northern wall and its façade has already been completed. We will soon be opening up this chowk (square) and have planned numerous cultural activities here.

The conservation of Lohari gate is almost complete and other existing gates are next on the agenda.

The very important trails of Bhaati and Taxali Gates are now being documented and you will soon see a marked change in these areas.

What are the major hurdles facing the organization in the restoration works within the androon shehr, some of which may be decorative but a lot of which involve major infrastructural changes?

In such a densely populated area, carrying out development works can be no easy task.

The Royal Trail project was designed to improve the living conditions of the residents of the Walled City, as we believe that people living around heritage sites are equally important. It includes not only cosmetic work on building façades but major infrastructure improvements, such as taking the electricity system underground, separation of sewerage and storm water pipes, better provision of sui gas and telecommunication services.

Absolutely, this was not an easy task and a lot still needs to be done. We have been able to restore just 4% of the Walled City and we have huge targets ahead. We have to work in congested streets and during any infrastructure or façade improvement works, we try our best to ensure that business continues unhampered. That is why the project is time consuming.

What are some of the Walled City’s best-kept secrets?

I think a lot remains undiscovered inside the Walled City yet. Every day, we explore something new.

The area is unique in its own way, a cultural hub of an ancient empire that has managed to survive in its original state. You can find havelis that are hundreds of years old, and mosques that date back to the Lodhi period and Mughal era. Then there are some of Asia’s largest markets here: Akbari Mandi, from where the East India Company originated with the trade of spices; and Azam and Pakistan Cloth Markets. I can say that every nook and corner has a story. Scholars, sportsmen, writers, singers, artists and poets have been born here.

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Dr. Muhammad Allama Iqbal was a resident of Bhaati Gate. Similarly Ustad Daman, Shah Hussain, Noor Jahan, Mehdi Hassan, Shahid Kardar, Gama Pehalwan, Rafi, Maulana Rohi and many others belonged to this city of wonders within a city.

As a civil servant, many of your projects, such as the Gawalmandi Food Street and now the Royal Trail, have involved giving a new face to the city of Lahore and uplifting it. Is there perhaps a personal motivation behind the undertaking of such projects?

I think it’s my personal passion. Nothing creative or different can be done without passion and love for it. Anything that makes people happy motivates me.

The Gawalmandi Food Street was a culmination of my desire to bring joy and happiness to the masses.

What are your fondest memories of growing up in Lahore?

Riding a bike to St. Anthony’s school every day.

Cycling on Temple Road and staring up at the huge exotic billboards of Regal Cinema. Going to the King Edward Medical College swimming pool in the summer and swimming for hours. These are the memories that I cherish – of a city that was peaceful, where children had freedom to move around. We played on the streets with abandon and cycled wherever we wanted. I also remember the enthusiasm with which we celebrated Eid and Eid Milad-Un-Nabi. I feel that is missing from the lives of today’s children.

Does travel inspire you?

Travelling is my greatest passion and I have seen more than sixty countries. I think I have learned less from academics and more through travelling.

What is your favourite city in the world?

Venice. I am mesmerized by its history and setting amidst a water body of many winding canals.

Its heritage has been preserved wonderfully and presented to the world. It’s a dream city.

Through the duration of your illustrious career and the various public administration projects that you have undertaken, is there a particular one that stands out?

My fondest memories are attached with the Gawalmandi Food Street project. It was a new concept back then in the country to pedestrianize a thoroughfare and establish sitting spots by the roadside. It became a place where all social classes merged as one family, one people. It not only uplifted the standards of living of the local community in Gawalmandi but also became a major tourist attraction as a place to enjoy traditional Lahori food amidst illuminated heritage buildings.

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HERITAGE

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HERITAGE

By Sonya Rehman

As the Aga Khan Cultural Services Pakistan enters its third decade of operations in the country, the organization’s mission to improve socio-economic conditions of rural and urban communities by leveraging the transformative power of cultural heritage has only strengthened. With numerous award-winning projects in the high valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan under its belt, AKCSP is currently involved in restoration works within Lahore’s ancient Walled City.

HERITAGE

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onstructed in 1635 by the then Governor of Lahore, Ilam-ud-din Ansari, the Shahi Hammam stands as the last remaining hammam (built during the Mughal era) in Lahore’s Old City, close to the Delhi Gate. However, with the collapse of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century, the once grand and picturesque hammam slowly fell into damage and ruin under the British rule.

But in 2015, after a painstaking two-year restoration process, the Shahi Hammam was unveiled for public viewing. Carried out by the Aga Khan Cultural Services Pakistan (AKCSP) in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) with generous funding from the Norwegian government, the ambitious project was no easy feat. Decades of damage had chiselled away into the structure. In fact, during the restoration process, it was found that significant parts of the hammam had been destroyed for the Delhi Gate’s renovation during the 1860s.

Exactly one year after the AKCSP’s renovation of the building, in 2016, the project bagged a UNESCO Award for bringing the hammam back to its former grandeur and glory.

“Our focus from day one has always been development through cultural restoration,” states Wajahat Ali, the Manager of Design and Conservation at the AKCSP in Lahore. “We believe in community-based conservation where we engage with the community for our restoration projects.”

Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP) is the Pakistan arm of the Historic Cities Support Programme (HCSP) of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) based in Geneva. The programme has been involved in urban regeneration projects in nine different settings in the Islamic world: Afghanistan, BosniaHerzogovina, Egypt, India, Mali, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Zanzibar through the restoration of historic structures, the creation and rehabilitation of public spaces, parks and gardens and support for communitybased planning and upgrading projects.

Since its inception, the AKCSP’s efforts have gone a long way in the preservation of Pakistani art, culture and heritage, paving the way for future generations to both enjoy and learn from.

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Apart from its extensive work in Lahore since 2007, the AKCSP has also worked closely with Gilgit-Baltistan’s tourism and culture department on four projects in the area, namely the Baltit Fort (which was one of the AKCSP’s first projects in the 90s that was eventually completed in 1996, and went on to win the UNESCO Award of Excellence in 2004), the Shigar Fort, the Khaplu Palace (that received an Award of Distinction by UNESCO in 2013) and the Altit Fort (that also received praise from UNESCO in 2011 with an Award of Distinction).

“Did you know the economy of Gilgit-Baltistan runs on the AKCSP’s four projects? They have approximately 50,000 tourists on an annual basis,” Ali says. “This year the expected footfall is one million; there has been an enormous increase in employment in the area.”

For Ali, having been in the field for sixteen years and counting, cultural heritage can be used as a powerful development tool to address poverty and unemployment.

“Take a look at Hunza,” he goes on to explain. “Thanks to travel and tourism they’re thriving.”

Having been operating in Lahore since 2007, Ali reveals that the AKCSP has been heavily involved in the strategic planning of the Walled City, in addition to the conservation of landmark projects, such as the Gali Surjan Singh (a residential area located inside Delhi Gate), and the Wazir Khan Mosque, apart from others.

“Conservation is much more than the drawings,” Ali says.

“We have archaeologists, chemists and microbiologists on board with us too! Also, you have to understand, in our field, time is a given – conservation is not an overnight process.

Conservation must have impact, and most importantly, it must be long-lasting.”

But in a country that has never seen consistent socioeconomic stability, how does one make the public aware of the importance of their heritage, and most importantly, their identity?

Take a tour down to the Lahore Fort, and you’ll be greeted with filth, litter and pen markings scrawled across walls.

And that’s just one example.

However, Ali believes that when change and development is tangible, that’s when there will be a shift in society for the respect and appreciation for Pakistan’s cultural identity.

“People need to see one project… just one demonstrative project,” Ali goes on to say. “Everyone, including the government needs physical proof and evidence of a project that has been refurbished – it really is the only way to make our people value their heritage.”

Having enjoyed a booming travel industry in the 60s and the 70s, it is time Pakistan reclaimed its space in the sphere of both local and foreign tourism. Besides, initiating and then cultivating a connection with one’s art, literature, and history truly does go a long way in inculcating a spirit of patriotism to one’s rich and diverse homeland.

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At the end of a dusty road, hidden behind tankers parked by squatters, lies one of Pakistan’s oldest known heritage sites.

Photography: Madeeha Syed

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ome of the greatest and most-preserved archaeological artefacts of history that Pakistan possesses are situated in the unlikeliest and most neglected of places – in the outskirts of Karachi, deep within squatters’ territory and hidden behind a legion of tankers and trucks. A dusty old sign on the way to the National Highway tells you were to turn. You won’t notice it unless you were actively looking for it.

The drive has evolved over the years. From being a barren empty space, to the tanker mafia taking over with chai dhabas (tea stalls), dull men giving hostile looks to any ‘outsiders’ that dared venture into ‘their’ territory to them ‘softening up’ a bit to ‘tourists’ visiting the heritage site – the area has definitely changed from how it once used to be.

At around 30km from the centre of Karachi, the tombs at Toti Chowkandi (literal meaning: four corners) were named after Malik Tota Khan, a Kalamati tribal elder who is also buried there. The site predominantly contains tombs that were built for the Jokhio and Baloch tribes between the 15th and 18th centuries.

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On every previous visit, one would encounter the smiling, somewhat enthusiastic and kind-eyed former caretaker of the Chowkandi Tombs, Allah Dino. He would speak passionately about the importance of preservation, how the presence of squatters affected the artefacts, the people and the society that created them in the first place and have long discussions on life and nature. He would point to king ants that have slowly built their own communities and highways in the area. Allah Dino had spent almost 40 years of his life taking care of the Chowkandi Tombs and he seemed to be one with the place. Unfortunately, he passed away last year. His nephew has now taken over.

The tombs themselves have been intricately carved into unique designs that can be found on the printed ajraks (traditional block-printed chadors) of Sindh. Each tomb is designed according to the gender of its occupant — men’s tombs have a tiny turban and swords on top of them whereas the women’s tombs have jewellery carved on to theirs. “Not a single design is repeated,” stressed Allah Dino on my first visit.

You will find similar carvings on tombs in Makli, Thatta. That’s not the only place.

During a camping trip in interior Balochistan, one was surprised to come across similar grave sites dotted across the province.

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PAKISTAN TURNS 70 Local people have held many superstitions as far as these tombs go. The graves belong to the rich and privileged – not everyone could afford to have their tombs intricately carved this way. So thieves often believe that hidden inside these beautifully carved graves, buried alongside their occupants, is ancient gold. And every few years, some miscreant or wannabe ‘tomb raider’ attempts to ‘rob’ them.

Unfortunately, this results in them destroying some of the tombs and there’s little the caretakers can do to stop them. It’s only their own persons between the robbers and the graves — the last time I visited, the site didn’t even have a wall protecting its boundaries.

than 60 countries. “Back home, we wouldn’t even be allowed to come near a structure as old as this. It blows my mind how easily you can simply walk up to it and touch it.”

He looked around at the open sky, the dust rising from the occasional tanker that would take a ‘short cut’ through the site (yes, that actually happens) and the factory emitting fumes in the distance.

“It’s crazy that this even exists, standing so exposed in a place like this,” he added. Unbelievable and crazy indeed.

Every few years, some miscreant or wannabe ‘tomb raider’ attempts to ‘rob’ these tombs.

“I would have preferred they put a bullet through me instead of harming the tombs,” said Allah Dino, the last time this had happened nearly 5-6 years ago. “I spoke to the media. Our directors came to inspect the place.

The police don’t know whom to catch.

What can they do anyway? It was dark when it happened and this place is open from all sides. Anybody can just walk in. This place is very vulnerable to anyone who wishes to harm it.”

I’ve taken many travellers to Chowkandi and every one of them has been completely spell-bound by the beauty of the tombs. Personally, I feel the best time to go is either around sunrise or sunset as the stone from which the tombs are carved changes hues according to the light from the rising/setting sun. “The access is unbelievable,” said Gerratt, an American travel blogger who has been to more

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There are many factors that pose risks to Chowkandi. The approach to the site is littered with trash and squatters increasingly populate the surrounding area. Increasing commercialization is encroaching on the area right outside Chowkandi – not only leading one to miss the location from the main street but also exhibiting the indifference shown to an important heritage site. That is a disturbing revelation considering that Chowkandi is an important and established heritage site in Pakistan.

While leaving the tombs and the ancient people buried in them, Allah Dino’s dying wish was that we should save this place.

Although at the moment Chowkandi is completely preserved and in far better shape than Makli (especially after last year’s rains), I’m not entirely sure I can say with complete confidence that we have lived up to this promise.

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En Route to

GWADAR

By Zainab Altaf

Journalist Zainab Altaf makes an unconventional road trip from Lahore to Karachi and onwards to Gwadar with her sister and a group of friends. On the way, they see amazing sights, meet amazing people, and hear amazing things about the area which will soon be connecting China through Pakistan and eventually to the warm waters of the Arabian Sea via the colossal CPEC project.

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PAKISTAN TURNS 70 he Makran coastal highway from Karachi to Gwadar could easily be the perfect postcard for the phrase ‘the road less travelled.’

Mile upon mile of arid landscape accompanied our coaster as we sped towards Gwadar, the brown punctuated by sudden glimpses of the vivid turquoise of the Arabian Sea. A visit to Balochistan’s pristine and unexplored beaches had been on my sister’s and my bucket list for a while, and when the chance for a road trip from Karachi to Gwadar came up, we rejoiced that we had found the perfect sister-trip to start the year off right. To take the adventure level up a notch, we decided to cover the Lahore to Karachi leg of the journey by road as well.

No one in our social circle had done this particular road trip through southern Pakistan, and our travelling plan was met with equal parts excitement and scepticism. While Pakistan’s northern areas are enjoying a revival of tourism, the south is still largely unchartered tourist territory. The idea of two Pakistani women travelling via road across Pakistan’s south with a group of strangers, without a male relative or a police escort was, as our mother succinctly put it when she first heard of it: pagalpan (sheer craziness). Two isolated blasts deep within Balochistan a couple of days before our departure did not help our case either. Goodbye messages were more along the lines of ‘stay safe’ rather than ‘enjoy yourselves.’

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Gwadar? “Who goes to Gwadar?” Road trip? “Who does a road trip from Karachi to Gwadar?!” From Lahore?? “Who travels from Lahore to Gwadar by road?!?” “How long will it take you to reach Gwadar?”

We, however, banished thoughts of blasts, boredom and fatigue, and imagining ourselves to be some intrepid explorers, set off from Karachi for our 653km long drive excitedly, sun hats and all. For long stretches of time, our coaster was the only vehicle on the Makran Coastal Highway, moving under bright sunlight that shimmered like a mirage on the metalled road. Passengers of the rare van or truck that crossed our path smiled at our touristy awe as we posed in front of the famous Princess of Hope and the Sphinx-like rock formations of Hingol.

All of us had seen photographs of the rugged landscape of Hingol National Park, but nothing had quite prepared us for the play of sunlight and shade on terrain that is remarkably similar to the famed fairy chimneys of Turkey’s Cappadocia region.

A group of fishermen cleaning their day’s catch of blue crabs at Kund Malir beach, also known as Agor, were the first locals whom we met.

Throughout the rest of our travels around the district of Gwadar, we were to chat with locals whose lives are bound by a common thread – fishermen, ship builders, fishmongers – all men whose livelihoods are sustained by the Arabian Sea. The strong association with the sea shone through each weather-beaten face, with every person proudly asserting possession by referring to it as humara samundar (our sea).

Not all of them were aware that the warm waters of their sea are the raison d’etre for the ambitious CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) plan. Ever since an international port at Gwadar was unveiled as the centrepiece of the mega project between China and Pakistan, economic opportunities and lucrative real estate have become as synonymous with Gwadar as its unspoilt beaches. When my sister and I first shared our travel plan with family and friends, many of them had jokingly asked whether we were going to scout out the real estate market and buy a piece of land before it was grabbed up by CPEC investors.

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CPEC has been termed as the ‘game changer’ for Pakistan’s economic growth, and though the $46 billion project is far from completion, it has started to alter the face of Gwadar. In anticipation of the economic boom promised by CPEC, billboards heralding the imminent construction of upscale housing colonies X, Y and Z followed us all the way to Jiwani, the last Pakistani port town before the Pakistan-Iran border. Our local guide remarked that it would be easier to find a suitable land deal in Gwadar than a bar of chocolate! We counted more real estate offices than shops selling any other kind of merchandise! It was telling that the chocolates and snack items that we found at Gwadar City’s largest ‘department’ store were all Iranian imports.

The highlight of our trip was camping on a strip of pristine sand that had zero trace of plastic and was studded with sea shells that would crumble under our flip-flop clad feet. Bird-watching coastal drives along the Pishukan River were the stuff that traveller dreams are made of – no tourist hordes, no trash, and no man-made edifices obstructing the view of the river joining the Arabian Sea. Crabs scuttling in the sand and sea gulls were the only living creatures on the beaches apart from our party of fifteen.

Future campers will, alas, not be treated to such a paradisal version of Gwadar’s gorgeous shoreline.

Diggers and cranes stood like gigantic yellow sentries behind our campsite, reminding us that brick and concrete structures will soon stand amongst the sand in place of camping tents.

Flattening of a natural pier and sand removal at certain points of the beach had started by the time we bid adieu to the city.

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Crabs scuttling in the sand and sea gulls were the only living creatures on the beaches apart from our party of fifteen.

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PAKISTAN TURNS 70 The international dimension of the CPEC project ensured that army check-posts greeted us after every couple of miles. The port is located to the west of the city and there is a strict protocol for gaining entrance. Our visit to the economic miracle-in-the-making port was restricted to longdistance viewing from the top of the hammerhead cliff. Local opinion about the CPEC’s impact was mixed. Some, like a fisherman named Sajera Jam, were apprehensive that huge fishing trawlers would put his small wooden boat out of business.

Gul Muhammad, a ship building labourer, on the other hand, was enthusiastic about the supposed development that CPEC will usher in his town. His eyes gleamed as he envisioned the availability of better, and more, schools, medical facilities and job opportunities for his community. Interestingly, while everyone in Gwadar was aware of work on infrastructural projects, most were not familiar with the name ‘CPEC’. The acronym represents the largest project of its kind ever undertaken in Pakistan, and is in stark contrast to the simple, unhurried lifestyle of the local community. But, financed by the Chinese, economic development with its attendant urban sprawl is coming soon to Gwadar anyhow. My sister and I will keep our fingers crossed for the preservation of those breathtakingly beautiful beaches.

And no, contrary to funny memes, the city is not swarming with Chinese people.

The Balochi-Urdu language barrier was a bummer but not insurmountable by a friendly smile.

The influx of outsiders into Gwadar is bound to affect more than the infrastructure of the area. For now, the sparse greenery in and around Gwadar is matched by the small population. The people of Gwadar (read men, as the presence of women in the public space was next to non-existent) are friendly and hospitable. The Balochi-Urdu language barrier was a bummer but not insurmountable, especially by a friendly smile. The Baloch fishermen would proudly show off their day’s catch, informing us in the same breath that none of it is consumed by their community. Our request for prawn tempura at PC Gwadar was met with a hesitancy that was later explained by the local populace’s unfamiliarity with urban tastes. Increased tourism and economic activity will no doubt alter that soon. As the proprietor of a local hotel pointed out, demand for a more varied menu has made him enroll his chef in cooking classes for international cuisine.

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The Baloch fishermen would proudly show off their day’s catch, informing us in the same breath that none of it is consumed by their community.

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In GOD’S COUNTRY: WATCHING THE GAME of

KINGS

By Zain Mustafa

Architect and interior designer Zain Mustafa finds himself drawn to the mountains of Northern Pakistan as he attends the Shandur Polo Festival on the world’s highest polo field. The vibe, the atmosphere, the journey and the game lend a welcome break from the hectic city life and help him channel inner peace through the physical, emotional and spiritual experience of it all.

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estiny had decided that the time had come. I had decided that this was the year it was going to happen. There was no force in the world that was going to stop me.

No human force. The Universe was on my side. It knew I was ready. I knew I was ready. Physically, mentally, emotionally, one has to be ready for the Polo Festival at Shandur. The mountain call had a rhythm, it gained momentum, grew louder, the heartbeat faster, the draw stronger as months turned to weeks and then into days. Intuitively I accepted this magnetic pull – to the roof of the world. The once-upon-a-time dream was about to turn into a tangible reality. But, in actuality, I had no idea what I was heading into or what challenges to expect; what inner demons I was to face en route.

I had to surrender. The journey had begun. With two female friends, one with three pre-teen sons, and two drivers from Hunza, we packed ourselves in two boxy old-school Landcruisers as we drove off from a hot and humid Islamabad. Luckily for us, respite from urban infrastructure did not take long to set in as we gradually made our way up north.

Life in technicolour followed as soon as we turned corners and left behind the ever-devolving filigree of modernity’s soulless noise and visual pollution.

Our eyes started seeing colour and objects in sharper contrast, what the computer geeks would call ‘higher resolution.’ Everything seemed crisper, clearer and brighter. A cleaner air searched for spaces on our skin in between pores clogged with city-life soot. Even the Khaleeji reggae lilt of the Pashtu radio station seemed to flow in from the raw terrain through the car AC vents and into that empty armchair within our archival room of an auditory comfort zone.

A cleaner air searched for spaces on our skin in between pores clogged with city-life soot.

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Having sat back to witness this enigmatic rollercoaster ride through a new kind of Puccian opera score, the notes of a symphony that revealed themselves through a slowness from district to district, town to town, village to village, face to face, our first port of call was through Malakand, the Swat Serena. A warm and professional welcome received us within the sensitively renovated colonial buildings, a sweet memory of our imperial past. The perfect pseudo-urban pit-stop, laden with creature comforts to break journey and rest up before the challenge ahead.

Satiated with breakfast fit for royalty, we left the idyllic Swat Serena compound. Winding our way through the romantic, narrow, organically, whimsically unplanned, overflowing, quaint markets of Swat, into the vast openness of the understated, yet most dramatic Khyber Pakhtunkhwa landscape, humbled by the sheer scale of the distant surrounding peaks and their pinched horizons.

A few hours into the drive northwest, skirting the boundary of the Wakhan Corridor on our side of Afghanistan, the terrain begins to get more austere, less flat, rocky, more animated and dynamic. The curtains seemed to be drawn as we began our ascent up the 10,900ft of the Lowari Pass to its top, through rugged, narrow, backbreaking 24 tight, U-shaped switchbacks. This was the stage. The performers were signature gauche-art-adorned, colourful, heavy, cargo-laden, trucks. One sees them all over our cities but never imagines how nimble they might be, until one sees them on this steep winding uphill dirt track. All four wheels moving separately in response to the mountain earth underneath them. Crude chassis’ now almost gliding these mammoth giants gently and effortlessly past each other. An unbelievable, delicately poised vertical performance, sliding flashes of richly painted machines, up and down the pass, as colourful as any opera set, as majestic and as hair-raising as any too. I was transported to another world, by these mass transporters. Their choreography and conversation with each other, driver to driver, felt only through the sounds of the revving engines negotiating the unrelenting climbs, the horns and the music that would stream out of the cabins every so often, wafting across the valley below into silence.

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Albeit not an experience for the weak of heart, or weak of spine (that fine bone structure will be rattled in all directions) leaving one almost unable to stand or walk after getting to the base of the other side, received graciously by the only dhaaba in 10 hours; dark, dingy, no restrooms or straws for bottled drinks, charpoys carrying a hundred years of stories from the tired traveller whispering into their weaves, the much-needed rest stop for a slow, wood-fire cooked mutton stew, melting off the bones and dissolving into the mouth – perfectly aromatic, gently spiced. A hush fell over the place as we walked in. Truckers’ heads turned to see this motley city slicker crew standing out like a sore and very tired thumb. I was even cordially invited into the kitchen to taste the food, approve it, before they made men move around the dhaaba to make space for my ‘family’. A scene out of a book.

After the forty-eight switchbacks and ten hours of the most intense, magical and humbling experience ever, we checked in to the beautiful Hindukush Heights Hotel in Chitral. Owned by a very special soul, one of a kind, of which no more are made, a grounded, no-airs member of the Chitrali royal family, Siraj Ulmulk; it felt like a homecoming, to a family I’ve always known, complete with Polando, the mild-mannered, handsome, chestnut Rhodesian Ridgeback as their mascot. With a page out of a fairy tale design, character-infused corners of the warmly terraced interior, scented local woodwork, singing, dancing to live music, world-class cuisine and perfectly professional service, this oasis was the culmination of good things at the end of the arduous journey rainbow; it also marked the beginning of the final crescendo.

Having rested, showered, fed and pampered we then set off to Mastuj. This 4-hour drive through the upper mid-section of the mighty mountain ranges revealed extraordinary colours from natural mineral deposits in each peak. The terracotta earth and the ochre slopes were my favourite through this 104

series of corridors, where a gasp-inducing vista awaited us at every turn. Continuing our climb, hugging rugged mountainsides for protection from the torrential rapids below, we reached the grassy opening where time stopped, again. This time for Alice in Wonderland, through the looking glass we too had slipped. This is where we spent the night, in cosy, charming wooden chalets. An unexpected comfort, style, décor and service at par with any international luxury resort. Lilac in the air, fireflies and crackling bonfire included.

With anticipation building up, the last leg of our challenging journey brought us to the top of the world, the plateau of the Shandur Pass. The air was thin, oxygen low, light angelic, temperature dropping as the day faded, clouds started rolling in, and rain fell in sleets all around us. We drove past the polo field, the players’ tents and stables, past a practice game by the lake and found our stream at a distant higher location to set up camp, pitch our tents and prepare ourselves emotionally for how far back in time we were going to be taken the following day.

Chaperoned by Chitral Team A polo captain Shahzad, we were escorted through the stables, the players’ tents, met with both teams, had a cup of tea and then sat in the best seats possible to watch this historic game. The mountains looking down at the polo field, cradled in Zeus’ chalice, many a game won and lost, many a horse and a player suffered, stories, myths, legends of heroism in battles, tribal issues resolved, for centuries. We were in a film. Like a set from National Geographic’s History Channel. A hint of Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago set amidst the Lord of the Rings.

Hair-raising moments. I was so moved by an overwhelming sense of awe, witnessing something truly extraordinary, out of this world.

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The game began; on the highest polo field in the world. As if watching a Merchant Ivory film in 3D with the world’s best Dolby surround sound, hooves raking up clouds of dust, layered with belts of adrenalin, charging and chasing the ball through the mythically sculpted muscular horses, a fervour, shared not only between the competing players and horses but also between them and the audience; there was a buzzing energy in the air that I’ve never felt before. Or since. An excitement only this sport could inspire, at this location, in God’s country.

Chitrali supporters on one side, Gilgiti supporters on the other, facing each other as the tribes have always done. The ensuing game between them has helped resolve any issues that had no other way of coming to a resolution but now it’s a purely friendly sport. Every so often, as I try to take it in, my thoughts are interrupted by audience members

standing to applaud, holler supportive anthems for their teams. I look and I see some horses collide; the ones that fall are immediately tended to by a vet; a player is hurt, he is taken off the field. And the fast-paced game continues. A flutter of energy, colour, thumping hooves and glistening horses, left to right and back. Free form. Goalpost to goalpost, the matches are quick and exhaustion levels at this altitude high. But the momentum stays.

An overwhelming experience by any stretch of the imagination. No photo does it any justice. No video captures its essence. The purest form of a bird that cannot be captured. It can only be felt, seen, touched, in this form, without blinking. But easily lost in the blink of an eye.

I will return, this year, to find that song, that bird, again. To find myself again.

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CHASING WATERFALLS & RIDING TORRENTS

By Ahmad Altaf

Ahmad Altaf is a senior-year student at LUMS and a member of the LUMS Adventure Society. In his signature journal style, he pens a compelling narrative of a two-day trip that saw 25 spirited participants of this intrepid group venture out to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to attempt waterfall rappelling at Sajikot, followed by a river rafting excursion at Garhi Habibullah.

PAKISTAN TURNS 70

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he LUMS Adventure Society (LAS) has been my constant outlet for everything outdoors for the past 4 years – while our experience lies in trekking, our members possess a penchant for exploring other activities that might provide a source of unprecedented exhilaration.

In that vein, we decided to make river rafting a regular feature of our calendar year in 2015.

Pretty soon, we began to team it up with waterfall rappelling to make it a worthwhile weekend trip. I accompanied 25 participants on a rafting trip this March, which was to be my 5th such experience with LAS.

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DAY – 1:20pm

We started off a little late – troubled by the delay in itinerary, we hurriedly ushered the rest of the students into the bus and left LUMS close to midnight on Friday. Our coaster roared to life, I put some mainstream house tunes on the stereo and the nerves began to settle. We were to travel to Sajikot which was our destination for waterfall rappelling.

Sajikot is located near Havelian, which is situated off the G.T. Road, some thirty minutes before Abbottabad. Starting our journey in Lahore, we spent the next fourteen hours in an uncomfortable trance. Most of us were fast asleep and seldom disturbed by the jerks of the bus as it ran over the many potholes encountered on the G.T. Road.

We stopped for a quick break at Mianjee, Lala Musa, a place that serves as a mainstay for most of our trips. Nearly 5 hours later, around 7am, we stopped at yet another Mianjee restaurant, this time at Hassan Abdal, for breakfast. Groggy faces left the bus for a quick meal of omelettes, parathas (fried bread) and chai (tea).

Without wasting much time, we continued off to Sajikot. Just before Abbottabad and a little after Havelian, a road to the right leads to Sajikot. A 90-minute drive later, we stopped at a junction, supposed to lead us to the waterfall but which was blocked for construction. The bus was hence unloaded at that very point and our group of some 14 male and 11 female participants walked another ten minutes to reach an undulating countryside.

Dotted with swamps and marshes, it led us to a cliff where the waterfall came to a momentary rest before plunging into a pool below.

The waterfall itself is nearly 200 feet above the ground at the highest point but we were to rappel from a step nearly 80 feet above the landing area.

One of the LAS members, Mian Hamza, went first.

I saw him walk gingerly to the rappelling point, receive instructions which were drowned out by the noise of the incessant plunge – a minute later, he was gone. The face of the vertical wall was such that we could not see him rappel below and this added to the uncertainty. I felt queasy; I was next.

The starting point for water rappelling - 80 feet above the ground

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Water rappelling - the ideal technique is to lean back at a 90 degree angle

I walked up to the station, almost slipping on a wet rock, steadied myself and put on my harness.

The instructor gave me an overview of rappelling – something I was familiar with already. I looked down one last time, put on my helmet and leaned back at a ninety-degree angle, cautiously loosened the hold on my rope and took a step backward.

Then another and another – I was beginning to grow in confidence when I found myself in the midst of the waterfall flow. A strong blast of cold water battered my face and helmet and took my breath away. I forced myself out of the panic, steadied my hand and got out of the line of fire, nearly jumping now to get down quickly. It took me no more than five minutes to reach the ground. Triumphant, I leapt into the pool below and swam my way across the other side. The whole process was surprisingly euphoric, albeit very short.

I am sitting atop a small cliff now, watching the other participants struggle and make their way down the rock-face. This is going to take a while…

The weather is pleasant though and there is some delicious smell of biryani (rice cooked in spices) wafting through the air. I might just take a nap!

A participant struggles to maintain their balance amidst the strong water flow

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DAY – 4:00pm

I am sitting at a small clearing in the vicinity of Garhi Habibullah, an area that acts as a link between Muzaffarabad and Balakot. The road to this mid-sized town runs alongside the river Kunhar, downstream from Balakot and nearly 23km away.

Our whole lot is huddled together, near a makeshift camp, gobbling up some daal chawal (lentils with rice) prepared by our tour guides. Our coaster is waiting in the distance, ready to get back to Lahore. Unlike the previous day, we got off to a very quick start.

We had stayed up late the night before in Balakot – however, true to their word, the LAS members in-charge woke everyone up early in the morning to avoid any delays in the timeline. Groggy and confused, the participants went through their breakfast and sat in the coaster which took us to the point near the bank of the Kunhar River – the rafts were waiting for us there; and the coaster was to follow our trajectory on the road.

After a small debriefing session, we were divided into four teams and were instructed to fill our rafts with air. Having completed the task, we heaved the rafts towards the riverbank and received some final instructions regarding rafting techniques. Forward and backward movements were paramount to our rafting success; everything else was secondary at the moment, given that most of the participants were exposed to this activity for the first time.

Without further warning, we were pushed into the river – a large majority of the group failed to register their captain’s commands as they struggled to come to terms with the freezing water hitting at them with surprising force. However, we soon recovered and began rowing in earnest, trying to achieve synchronization. Our rafts glided along the undulating waves, which were at this point relatively tame. The rapids are divided into levels in proper rafting terminology. We would be attempting no more than a level three rapid, given our inexperience.

Our rafts glided along the undulating waves, which were at this point relatively tame.

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Going through the rapids without mastering the art of turning - the calm before the storm

The process of going 23km downstream and battling the rapids was a unique experience. At times, the rapids surged to a level where the rafts were completely submerged in the water. The cold water sent a chill down the spine and was perhaps the most uncomfortable aspect of the whole activity.

The initial lack of sunlight deprived us of some much-needed warmth. However, when it did come out, the sun was our best friend, sending soothing rays of warmth through our shivering bodies.

And so, all is well that ends well. River rafting was an exciting adventure – for me, it had not lost its charm despite the fact that I had done it several times earlier. What amazes me is that most Pakistanis do not yet realize that there is massive potential for such sports and activities in our own backyard.

I made a silent vow to publicize these activities properly as soon as I got back home to Lahore. After all, there’s nothing like the great outdoors!

And so we kept on rowing – past the first pedestrian bridge after Balakot, turning almost expertly past the protruding rocks at the riverbank and watching in awe as we crossed quaint clearings and tiny rock caves. The locals watched with interest as we passed by, while some took their phones out to get footage.

Nearly 16km into the journey and after a few breaks, most of us looked visibly tired. The cold had seeped into our cores and the activity was threatening to become a monotonous bore. At that point, it was nearly midday and the sun began to peep through the clouds which served to lift everyone’s moods.

Past the 16km mark, we had experienced the last of the bigger rapids (level 3+) and from then on it was smooth sailing. It had already been 3 hours and it took us another half hour to get to Garhi Habibullah.

Drenched but exhilarated, we stepped out of our rafts and onto the clearing, immediately rushing to change clothes and put on something warm.

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STYLE RULES

from the

suitcaseof

SHAZAH AYUB

By Yasmeen Hashmi

Photography: Ali Warsi Make up: Sofia K Hasan Hair: JY The Style Studio Coordination: Yasmeen Hashmi Creative Direction: Arianna Khan

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STYLE RULES

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he’s the girl-next-door who loves her couture: meet Karachi’s leading fashionista Shazah Ayub.

Shazah first made her mark on the local fashion scene when she appeared in Vogue online’s style features whilst still in college in Toronto, Canada.

Known for her eclectic styling abilities, she currently serves as Creative Head at Umaima Mustafa. When she’s not busy working at the fashion label, she’s frowing at fashion weeks, taking red carpets by storm or being featured in the best dressed lists of fashion glossies. DESTINATIONS decided to take a peek inside her suitcase and her personal space to discover some of her style secrets.

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STYLE RULES

Travel Essentials

• My Phone + Charger • Perfume • Korean Sheet Masks

Highly recommended for long-haul flights as they

are super hydrating. I swear by SK-II and Dr. Jart+

• • •

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Lip Balm + Moisturizer Hand Sanitizer My Favourite Magazines

Describe your personal style.

SA: When it comes to my wardrobe, I have multiple personalities. I’m like a fashion chameleon – forever evolving and experimenting with my style. My aesthetic is eclectic, but there is always a polished element to it.

What is your go-to travel outfit or signature holiday look?

SA: When I’m travelling, I need to be super comfortable, but at the same time I refuse to look like a hobo! My go-to travel outfit would be a pair of comfortable well-fitted pants paired with an oversized cashmere sweater and trendy flats, finished with a blowdry and minimal make up.

What helps you relax?

SA: Catching up on my favourite TV shows in my PJs! What do you like to buy while on holiday?

SA: I don’t really have a shopping preference; if I’m on holiday and I like something or if I need it then I’ll just buy it. However, if I had to pick one thing then I’d pick clothes, I’m forever searching for fun outfits.

Name a famous person you would like to take on holiday.

SA: I won’t pick someone famous.

When I’m travelling, I need to be super comfortable, but at the same time I refuse to look like a hobo!

I put in a lot of effort and time planning and perfecting my holiday looks.

Everything, from my accessories to my shoes, is listed down so I know exactly what I have to wear and on which day. I don’t think I have a signature holiday look because I’m always experimenting and try to come up with different looks every day. It’s the only time I feel I can really have fun with my clothes, without any restrictions!

Name your favourite travel destinations, both local and international.

SA: Locally, Lahore has my heart! Internationally, I would say Toronto, NYC, Bangkok and London.

Adventure bug or comfort puppy, what do you like to do while on holiday?

SA: Adventure bug! I’m all for exploring.

Who are your favourite designers for resort wear?

SA: Missoni, Vita Kin, Solace London and Dolce & Gabbana.

Are you an adrenaline junkie? Any extreme sports on your bucket list?

SA: Sky diving, cliff jumping and kayaking.

A language you would like to be fluent in?

SA: French and Arabic.

You have an unlimited travel budget and 24 hours – give us your itinerary.

SA: I’d fly to Paris (cliché, I know!) and just shop, eat and have a really good time. Since it’s only for 24 hours, I would opt for a city I’ve been to before and absolutely love!

Your travel pet peeve?

Flight delays and turbulence; both are brutal!

You have won the lottery; tell us where you would like to live/retire.

SA: I love nature, so either Lake Como or somewhere in Switzerland.

What is your favourite cuisine?

SA: I love anything and everything related to food so picking a favourite is tough.

Travel

Tips

Always pack an extra set of clothes in your hand carry.

Invest in a high-quality suitcase; it makes all the difference.

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STYLE RULES Your summer playlist consists of…

Anything that sounds good to me and gets the summer spirit going!

Your message to young fashionistas on how to get it right?

Dress according to your body type.

What is your fashion archetype – bombshell, girl-next-door, couture crazy or athletic?

Girl-next-door, who loves her couture.

How would your bestie describe you in 3 words?

Loyal, fun and dependable.

You need to stop buying…

Clothes – my closets are overflowing!

Your favourite type of jeans are...

High-waisted mom jeans and skinny jeans.

You have 5 minutes to get ready; what will you throw on?

A crisp white shirt, blue jeans, oversized sunnies and a pair of flats.

Patterns or solid colours?

Solid colours.

Androgynous or feminine?

Mostly feminine, however my androgynous side does come out once in a while.

Asia or Europe?

Europe.

Spring or fall?

Fall, my favourite season!

Appetizers or desserts?

Thank god for appetizers! Can’t imagine waiting for my main course without having anything to nibble on.

Fill in the blank: I am having a ____ moment: biker, grungy, edgy or lawn.

Lawn, but nothing OTT or heavily embroidered; just a simple boxy cut kurta paired with white cigarette pants.

What are your two favourite colours?

I have three, white, blue and emerald green.

What is your favourite souvenir that you’ve collected during your travels?

My evil eye and Hamsa bracelets from Turkey; I never take them off.

What are your thoughts on the male romper as a summer trend?

Senseless and traumatizing! I read somewhere that it’s going to be a huge trend amongst men this summer – god forbid if I spot a man in one!

Who are your favourite local designers?

Lately, there are a few local designers who are really stepping up their game by thinking out of the box and experimenting with different trends. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Sana Safinaz, Elan, Faraz Manan, Umaima Mustafa, Shehla Chatoor and Rizwan Beyg.

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this

Armeena Rana Khan Kiran Malik Team Farah Talib Aziz Qasimyar Tiwana

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Armeena Rana Khan’s

SUMMER of

LOVE

This summer, actress Armeena Rana Khan decided it was time to strike one item off her bucket list and catch a flight to Cuba, an island nation frozen in time that had for long fascinated her.

The fact that the journey ended with a surprise proposal from her childhood sweetheart Fesl Khan made this a truly special holiday. She shares some of her favourite moments from her Caribbean adventure exclusively with DESTINATIONS.

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

Grabbed a vintage car in Old Havana to begin our tour of the city, in this case a 1959 Impala. Here I am in front of the Parque Centrale ready to set off. I remember it being sweltering hot and my hair sticking to my face.

of s and a variety tonishing colour as ld of -o ll ar fu ye is 0ba 20 Cu und For example, I fo d lle ca is e on is flora and fauna. . Th a national park Banyan trees at ons. as re s ou vi ob r fo the “flame tree”

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Did you k no of the hig w that Cuba has one hest doc tor/patie ratios an nt d literacy ra world? Yo tes in the uc and there an’t buy Coca C ola is no McD or Starbu onald’s cks. This is a the revolu tion in 19 ll due to 59. While Revolutio in n Square , I couldn help but ’t think abo u t what happens when pe ople rise and say up “enough is enoug h.”

The months of July/August are the rainiest in Cuba, com plete with mosquitos and Thunderstorms are commo dengue. n and the thunderclaps are enough to scare a grown lightning orchestra in the man. The sky would often wake me up at nights but made for It’s about to rain here and an amazing watch.

I only just managed to clic k the famous mural called Evolution” commissioned “Progress of

by Fidel Castro in the 196 0s, before running toward s shelter.

n in western Vinales, a tow h to offer. We Cuba, has muc mango trees, came across s, odd shaped tobacco farm d d undergroun mountains an the to in at bo a caves. I took of the earth. dark recesses

Exploring the streets of Cuba, sampling local cuisine as I went along. The staples here are black beans with rice (reminded me of daal chawal) and an abundance of fresh fish. In addition, the lobsters were huge and most items were organic, even the chicken.

Exploring Havana from rooftops.

The view here includes the National Capitol building (El Capitolio) fashioned after the Capitol building in the U.S. It was extremely hot and I decided to cool off with fresh orange juice.

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WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

e perfect ying to take th tr s ar e ye t en I’ve sp me pretty clos oto. I think I ca t ph on fr e in tim tay gh aw ni Fesl posing s e’ er H e. ). on with this cted in 1748 hedral (constru of Havana Cat the remains ld he that it once it s ha nd ge Le fore they were Columbus be of Christopher ain. returned to Sp

No trip to Havana is complete without a visit to the famous National Hotel. This place was frequented by Hollywood’s finest, and Francis Ford Coppola filmed “the conference” scene here from his Godfather trilogy. I enjoyed my lunch at their film corner restaurant.

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After four days in magical Havana, we set out towards Varadero, Cuba’s resort island.

I woke up to this view the first morning and I couldn’t help but think that I’d died and gone to heaven. The aquamarine waters took my breath away; this picture does NOT do the place justice.

g to do ve anythin lo d n a rine y b a b to be a ma I’m a water lly wanted a u ct a se I u . a ca e b with the se rowing up hen I was g e Little h T ’s ey biologist w n is hins and D tail to go I loved dolp I wanted a l, e ri can A e ik L dolphins. I Mermaid. im with the as I sw t d lis n t a e g ck n u explori is off my b th e. ss o m cr o kissed now happily e and it als n o h it w got to swim This is a forced s happy th mile. I w at I a improm was to get read s not ptu pho y fo r an toshoot,

by Fes arrange because l. I was actually d I cou mad at him had to h ldn’t understa n ave a p hotosho d why we had so o t when many b we eautiful photos.

It all made sense finally! This is what he was building up to. As we strolled towards the “location” on the beach, he suddenly got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. I remember the words as clear as day, “Armeena, will you marry me?” I put my shaking hand forward and answered... Well, the rest you already know!

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WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

HOW TO like

Fashionista

a

Kiran Malik

By Mariam Mushtaq

From model to online entrepreneur and now a movie star in the making, Kiran Malik embodies style and individuality in all her various professional personas. Add to that her role as a hands-on mom, a constant traveller and one of the industry’s most well-dressed women, and you have a true style icon.

In a candid conversation with DESTINATIONS, the modelturned-actress discusses her upcoming big screen debut opposite Shaan, what makes her a typical Lahori at heart and which trends to embrace this summer.

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ou’re known and admired for your distinct sense of style. Who/what are your inspirations when it comes to fashion?

My mom remains one of my biggest inspirations and I remember watching her as a child as she would sit on her dressing table and apply lipstick. That’s one of my first coherent fashion-related memories. My stint as a stylist for asos.com, the online store, also honed my taste in fashion, as it introduced me to edgy style. I like to stand out with my sartorial choices; you will never see me wearing designer brands head to toe. It shouldn’t be the label that does the talking; but your individuality.

Whose style do you admire?

I’ve grown up looking up to Queen Rania; she epitomises classic style. I also admire how Victoria Beckam has evolved herself from a pop star into a true fashionista. From our part of the world, I’d pick Zeenat Aman – sexy yet elegant.

Your online store Styleberri is an extension of your own quirky sense of fashion. How and when did you launch it?

It’s a recent venture that I started when I moved to Dubai. People would always admire my wardrobe choices and often asked me to pick out stuff for them. I realized I was spending my time and effort selecting clothes for others and I thought, why do it for free? Having worked for Asos, I knew the ins and outs of online retailing and I had a Korean friend whose dad worked in the garment industry. Just like that, Styleberri was born – from an Instagram account that I created from my sofa. The idea worked so well because of the affordable pricing and the exclusivity, as I only keep 30 pieces per item.

You currently live in Dubai, but you’ve grown up in Lahore and worked in London. Has the exposure to multiple cities helped shape/inspire you?

I think the international exposure has shaped me into the woman I am today – strong, confident and ambitious. I grew up in Lahore and went to school here, and if my childhood friends saw me today they wouldn’t recognize me as the shy and quiet Kiran they knew back then! I moved to London for my higher studies and started work at JP Morgan and that’s when I really came into my own. I travelled across Europe as a single girl and met so many amazing people from all over the world.

Those experiences and friendships have stayed with me. Dubai is yet another multicultural city and my job as an HR consultant at Oracle exposes me to amazing talent not just across the region but around the world.

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How do you juggle your corporate life with your career as a model?

I started modelling while in London as a hobby. My first gig was completely unexpected – my family is closely associated with the LRBT Foundation as my grandfather is blind and we work a lot with the organization. I was helping them during a fundraiser that Sheru (HSY) was choreographing and he asked me why wasn’t I one of the models!

In fact I ended up walking for him for that very show. Once I realized how much fun it would be, I registered myself with a modelling agency in London and landed some fabulous assignments.

I was the face of British Airways and also did a campaign for Emirates. In Pakistan, it was Ather Shahzad that I began work with and I also did the first few seasons of PFDC. I’ve left modelling now because my focus is needed elsewhere; I only do the odd assignment if a close friend like Faraz Manan or Umar Sayeed asks.

You’re making your big screen debut with the action thriller Zarrar, alongside a superstar like Shaan. Tell us about the experience.

Never ever in my life did I think I would be in a film! When Shaan first offered me the role, I took a good 6 months to make up my mind. But I finally overcame my apprehensions and took the plunge and I must say, I enjoyed it tremendously. I read a lot and follow current affairs and politics closely; my role of a journalist in the film is a reflection of that.

It’s a big-budget, slick production; not your typical masala film but quite edgy.

As a first-time actress, what was the most challenging aspect of being on set?

For someone as organized as I am, and who is used to a 9 to 5 corporate life, the long hours and waiting on set were frustrating to say the least! Plus the pressure to perform with hundreds of people watching you can be unnerving.

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Top places

on your bucket list.

1. L.A. 2. Cape Town 3. Brazil

You’re also a mom; how do you maintain a work/ life balance?

My daughter Imaan is 9 years old and turning into the biggest diva on earth! It’s freaking me out that my baby is suddenly interested in fashion and girly things. Honestly, I have a great equation with Imaan; even though I travel a lot for work, we are very connected. I’m lucky that my husband Farooq is a hands-on parent. We are very organized as a family and plan everything well in advance so that everyone’s needs are taken care of.

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Top travel essentials

Not many people know Dubai beyond its glitzy malls.

As someone who 1. Sunscreen in the summer resides there, what / moisturizer in winter experiences would you 2. Lip balm recommend to visitors 3. Wipes who want to enjoy a truly local flavour?

There is so much to Dubai beyond the malls and beyond Zuma, to which I feel most Pakistanis limit themselves. The old city and the port make for a great outing; there’s the gold souk, you don’t have to buy gold but traversing the streets is an experience. I always take my visitors there.

Dubai has a thriving local theatre scene, with performances every Wednesday. There are so many art fairs; wonderful parks, gorgeous beaches and now we have our very own opera house. Honestly, it’s all about your mind-set and thinking out of the box. You can do so much here.

How often do you travel together as a family?

At least twice a year. My in-laws live in Oxford, so we spend every summer with them. Apart from that, Farooq, Imaan and I try and fit in an annual family vacation. We like our space too, so we also do separate trips. My husband went on a boys’ trip to Cape Town earlier this year and I’m just off on my girly trip to St. Tropez.

What’s your favourite city in the world?

Paris, because it has so much to offer – history, culture, art and oh, the fashion! One can just sit at a roadside café and people-watch for hours.

And then, of course, there’s Lahore, my first love.

What’s the most Lahori thing about you?

That I’m an out and out foodie.

The style trend that you’re loving this season?

A lot of colour. I’m currently in London and I see people have rediscovered their love for yellow. I’m incorporating a lot of lemon, coral and green into my summer wardrobe. Also, headbands are having a moment.

And the one trend you never want to see again?

Culottes. I just don’t understand the point.

They’re a style no-no for me. Also, head to toe designer wear, and then tagging the brands on social media! Just, NO! Describe your perfect vacation.

Good food, vibrant culture and lots of sunshine. I’m not a winter person. Also, the destination should be off the tourist track.

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Kiran’s Style

6

Must-haves

My wardrobe choices range from classic to quirky – there’s no middle ground. I believe in investing in timeless pieces, such as a Chanel bag or a white silk shirt that will stay on trend for seasons.

When it comes to having fun with fashion, my go-to brand is Styleberri.

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1. This ruffled Styleberri top can be dressed down for the beach or dressed up for a night out with the girls.

2. I love me a good pair of denims no matter what the season.

3. This beauty from Christian Louboutin is one of my most favourite summer buys.

4. Headbands and oversized sunnies make the perfect summer accessories.

5. I’m a Chanel kind of girl when it comes to handbags.

6. A little bit of bling can add oomph to any outfit.

7. A classic white shirt never goes out of style…

8. … Especially when paired with a slinky pencil skirt 9. When in Greece, don’t forget to splurge on a pair of handmade leather gladiator sandals, which is exactly what I did.

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UK

Diaries

Whether it’s spending time with family in Oxford or chilling out with all my Pakistani friends who make London their annual summer destination, my UK holiday is always a blast.

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Time Out in

GREECE

This summer I visited Athens and Mykonos. Athens, one of the world’s oldest cities, packs a lot of history and ancient culture yet it’s small and manageable, hence easy to navigate. It’s also one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been to; my first taxi driver became my guide throughout the trip and showed me around the whole city. Mykonos has an amazing vibe and is a great place to hang out with friends. Again, it’s small – there are only 24 cabs on the island! That’s what gives it an authentic, local flavour.

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6 1 & 2: No trip to Greece is complete without a visit to the Acropolis, which stands guard over Athens and is visible from almost everywhere in the city. 3. Enjoying a 360-degree view of beautiful Athens. 4. Plaka is one of the prettiest neighbourhoods in the city, and has some really fun shopping to offer. 5. The Changing of Guard in front of the Parliament building happens almost every hour. 6. With friends from around the world in Mykonos. 7. The best seafood I’ve ever tasted, seasoned only with salt and pepper and grilled to perfection. 8. Night out at Interni, one of Mykonos’ hippest restaurants. 9 & 10. Beach life at its best.

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WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

Oh My,

CHIANG MAI!

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Designer Farah Talib Aziz and her team were recently in Chiang Mai to shoot for their Eid collection, where they discovered a charming city on the footsteps of forested hills, offering the best in Thai hospitality, culture and food.

WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

Last month Team FTAxLSM headed to the mountainous city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Staying at the Dhara Dhevi resort, the team explored the neighbouring hillsides, ancient temples, the local bazaars and the Lanna culture unique to this region of Thailand. Removed from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and the overcrowded tourist beaches that are scattered across the country, Chiang Mai provides a serene escape. When visiting Chiang Mai, one cannot leave without trying a traditional Khantoke dinner and cultural show and taking a morning tour through a Buddhist temple.

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QYT’s TALE of TWO CITIES

London

Event planner extraordinaire Qasimyar Tiwana, or QYT as he is fondly known, spent part of his summer in London with wife Sana and daughter Rania.

“While I prefer New York in the summer, I like London because it speaks to the lover of all things classic and opulent in me,” he tells us. From enjoying traditional English tea to staying at the iconic Ritz to browsing through Portobello for vintage finds, QYT shares glimpses from his holiday.

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1. My home away from home. 2. One of my fave things about London is hanging out with childhood bestie Sadia Siddiqui.

3. Looking for antiques at Portobello Market.

4. Richmond Park, a sight for sore eyes and the ideal place to while away a lazy afternoon. 5. One of my favourite restaurants in the city, and not just because of how gorgeous its exterior is. 6. Their seafood is to die for. 7. Catching up with Gina, pop icon Zohaib Hassan’s wife and my classmate while growing up in Isloo. 8. With my girls Sana and Rania. 9. Putting our feet up after yet another crazy day of shopping and socializing.

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WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID THIS SUMMER

Village Muzaffarabad “When the madness of city life starts to take its toll on me, I escape to my village near Sargodha, named after my great grandfather Malik Muzaffaryar Tiwana,” says QYT. Home here is a 200-year-old haveli built

by Qasim’s ancestors, which boasts a rich heritage, including serving as the birthplace of Sir Khizar Hayat Tiwana, Prime Minister of pre-partition Punjab. “My late mother was deeply attached to this house and its grand interior is a reflection of her taste. My brothers Asimyar and Ali Abbas and I keep it unchanged to carry her legacy forward.”

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THE FASHION FIX

Outfit: Ali Xeeshan

Beautiful Blue

On the

Danube

In an exclusive editorial for DESTINATIONS featuring some of Pakistan’s most exciting contemporary designers, photographer Mohsin Khawar captures the charm of Budapest, a city rich in architectural marvels, historical gems and vibrant culture.

Photography: Model: Styling: Makeup:

Mohsin Khawar Fruzsina Aysha Mohsin Vanda

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THE FASHION FIX

Outfit: Hira Ali 150

Outfit: SairaShakira

THE FASHION FIX

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Outfit: Generation

THE FASHION FIX

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Outfit: Hira Ali

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That’s

Amore!

By Fifi Haroon

Leading journalist and media producer Fifi Haroon visits Florence, the Best City in Europe according to the Travel+Leisure Awards for 2017, where she meets the most desired man in the world – Michelangelo’s David.

As she feasts on a treasure trove of Renaissance art and architecture, Italian high fashion and Florentine delicacies, she can’t help but fall in love with the Tuscan capital.

Photography: Fifi Haroon

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t was the best of vacations and the worst of vacations.

I arrived at Florence’s tiny Peretola airport to a double-whammy. My suitcase it would seem had proven reluctant to leave London and the Florentine shops in the centre of town had closed their doors for the night. The weather was hot and clammy, and my temper was far from temperate. The lost luggage department at Peretola was run by a man with a hard heart and little empathy for my predicament. Not the most propitious way you would say to start a 3-day trip to the Tuscan capital that was meant to be my birthday present to my older self.

And then it happened. That moment when Italy reaches out and encloses you in sweet embrace and you feel you belong, that somehow all this Renaissance of beauty has been keeping itself intact for centuries just for you. Past the squareness of Piazza della Republica which was once the site of the Roman forum, through the narrow, cobbled Florentine lanes I heard a distant sound; a few errant strains of a violin playing a siren song. I turned a corner, and there in the fading light of the evening, amidst the lofty columns of the Mercato del Porellino, was an impossibly elegant street busker in a floor-length black gown, playing a sonata for an impromptu street audience. We were all, it would seem, feeling that first flush of romance with Florence; the city was already tugging at the heart-strings despite my weary traveller feet.

I am not sure anyone can remain unhappy in this “open-air museum of a city” as its official website aptly describes it, for too long. “You may have the universe if I may have Italy,” the opera composer Giuseppe Verdi is known to have said in unabashedly patriotic prose.

And in that charmed moment, when despair turned to delight, I was inclined to agree.

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Love is everywhere in Florence to the extent that falling into it in the city has become a sort of cliché. It was Florence which provided the picturesque backdrop to the romantic awakening of Lucy Honeychurch (Helena Bonham Carter) in James Ivory’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s coming of age novel, A Room with a View. The film which probably launched a thousand romances in the 90s is a paean to Florence’s centro storico and the Italian-ness of emotions, which overwhelms the young English woman so much that she faints into the arms of the handsome George Emerson after witnessing a rowdy fight on Florence’s streets.

If you are looking for similarly irresistible eyecandy, you don’t have to look far. Welcome to the most desired man in the world – in stone that is. The biblical hero David stands tall at the Galleria dell’ Academia, where hundreds queue up around the block to see his famous nakedness and almost incidental slingshot for his impending tussle with Goliath. He might look well-toned but the most famous statue in the world isn’t a lightweight.

He looms approximately five meters tall and weighs over five tonnes. Then only 26, the artist Michelangelo Buaornatti won the commission over artists such as Leonardo da Vinci to carve him out of a single gigantic block of Carrera marble thought to be veined and imperfect by many of his contemporaries. “Just look at that six-pack!” gushed a pushy woman as she brushed me aside en route to a

closer view to the statue. What she missed in that fan-girl sprint were probably the most poignant artefacts in the hall. The moving St Matthew and four “Priogioni” (Prisoners or Slaves), also by Michaelangelo, were meant for the tomb of Pope Julius II but never finished. To me these incomplete works, which will forever remain hauntingly bound to their original stone are far more complex than the sleek lines of the beautiful David and hence infinitely more intriguing.

Once you’re done with the David and the Hall of the Prisoners skip most of the remaining sculpture collection at the Academia (except perhaps for Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women, which is a renaissance art theme which I personally find troubling) and ditch the first floor entirely to make time for a quick walkabout of the Grand Ducal collection of about 50 musical instruments in the wing belonging to the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. It is brief but delightful.

Welcome to the most desired man in the world – in stone that is.

Take the precious time you save to the Uffizi gallery; if there’s any gallery in the world that will both fascinate and exhaust you in equal measures this is it. Florence’s premier repository of Renaissance art sits in the Palazzo degli Uffizi, built initially in the mid to late 16th century as a government office building. The stunning art collection it now houses was gifted to the city by the Medici family in 1743 on the condition that it never leave Florence. There is much to see in the 101 rooms that radiate from its distinctive U-shaped corridors but first on your list should probably be the 18 Botticelli paintings that attract the largest audiences. You may have to tussle with the selfie crowd to truly appreciate the exquisite Birth of Venus (1485) and Primavera (1482) but you really must get up close and personal.

In the seemingly endless maze of exhibition rooms you will find Renaissance masters aplenty, from Leonardo da Vinci to Titian and Bronzino.

Caravaggio’s scintillating, grotesque Head of Medusa (1599) will certainly catch your attention; it is said to be a self-portrait of the artist. The architecture too is noteworthy: perhaps you will be as fascinated as I was by the octagonal Room 18 (La Tribuna) with 6000 shells of mother-of-pearl beset into its crimson domed ceiling.

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As if it isn’t already vast enough, the Uffizi is undergoing a €65 million refurbishment that should see its space doubled. The famed 1 km long almost secret Vasari Corridor (built by the artist Giorgio Vasari in 1564) which links the Uffizi via the Ponte Vecchio bridge to the Pitti Palace on the other side of the Arno is part of the refurbisment and scheduled to re-open in 2018. The Vasari passageway contains over 1000 paintings from the 17th and 18th centuries, including self-portraits by non-Italian artists such as Rembrandt, Velazquez and Delacroix. If you’re really desperate you can get a ticket for 85 Euro with one tour agency which has exclusive rights to the corridor but if you have really explored the Uffizi to it’s full potential you probably already have a belly full of art and should be quite sated. By the way, the Ponte Vecchio, which is one of Florence’s most photogenic sights is no Rialto and quite disappointingly plain face to face.

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Despite the vastness of its art collection and its reputation as the birthplace of the renaissance, Florence is tiny; the kind of city you can fit into the palm of your hand or in a valve in your heart. After the vast, monumented cityscape of Rome or the picturesque splendour of Venice’s Grand Canal, Florence is a pleasingly intimate journey and easy to navigate on foot, making it the perfect choice as a weekend getaway. But getting away in Florence can be a tall order. It is a fish-bowl of a city replete with love-struck admirers in a way I have never before encountered. Even in early spring when the hordes of American tourists in search of the Tuscan dream haven’t arrived to full capacity, central Florence seems overwhelmed by foreigners who visit it as frequently as Italian cities twice its size. It has just been voted the Best City in Europe yet again in the Travel + Leisure Awards for 2017, taking the number one spot for the tenth time in eleven years.

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Despite being overrun by tourists, it is easy to spot the local populace in Florence. Even on a bicycle (a handy way of passing quickly through the city’s infinite traffic jams) the Fiorentini are impeccably attired. Summer t-shirts are accessorised with chunky necklaces or a designer scarf. And shoes, in the city which nurtured Gucci, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli and Ferragamo are invariably never scruffy or pedestrian. If you’re a well-heeled fashionista head to the Museo Ferragamo which is housed in the Palazzo Spini Feroni. Here you can see where Salvatore Ferragamo first set up shop and browse through the 10,000 pairs of shoes that form the museum’s permanent collection. It’s literally what you’d call history in the (shoe)making!

Though currently closed, one hopes the Museo Gucci will open its doors once again to the fashionably late. Dedicated to all things Gucci, the museum is lodged in a building in the city’s civic heart, the Piazza della Signora. From the flora design made specifically for Grace Kelly to glam jersey dresses from Gucci’s sexed-up Tom Ford era to a custom-made Gucci Cadillac – the exhibition provides you with ample pages from the annals of the quintessential Italian designer brand. Gucci’s Executive Director and CEO Patrizio de Marco described the museum when it first opened in 2011 as “an homage to the city. Although Gucci is a truly international company, we are a Florentine success story.”

Gucci’s romance with Florence continues unabated – they recently announced a donation of Euro 2 million to restore the city’s historic Boboli Gardens to their former glory. In May this year Gucci took over the Palatina Gallery in the Pitti Palace across the Arno for their Renaissance inspired Cruise 2018 Collection. Before the show guests were shown around the Botticelli rooms in the Uffizi. Sandro Botticelli’s Venus, quite spectacularly on display as she came out of her shell would seem a confident 15th Century precursor to the Gucci girls on the catwalk.

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Ferragamo Museum

Gucci Museum

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Church of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried

When you’ve had your fill of fashion I would pick and choose a few rooms of art at the Pitti – which is a task in itself as the museum is gargantuan.

If time is short, do see the Titians and catch at least a glimpse of the royal apartments including Napoleon’s bathtub. Then head back across the Ponte Vecchio bridge to the Medici chapels where the beautiful new sacristy built by Michelangelo between 1520-1534 is a sight to behold. After all that, I for one felt it essential to visit the Church of Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried to pay my respects and say a reverent thank you for all the art he has blessed us with.

Santa Croce has a vibrant young scene and is dotted with small little restaurants which offer slightly different fare when you’ve overdosed on pasta and parmesan. I’d suggest girlinflorence.com for a blog of the best new eats around. I took her advice and tried out the small but perfectly formed Tehran restaurant in the centro strorico – yes I know, eating Iranian food in Florence is almost food blasphemy but it did serve the most buttery, rich and sophisticated Zeresh pulao with chicken that I’ve ever come across. For a more local treat try a gourmet foccacia or panini sandwich for lunch in one of the dozens of sandwich bars peppered around the city. I seriously believe that the world’s best sandwiches are made in Florence; the bread is baked fresh, the meat fillings are of superb quality. And the flavours simple but divine.

I had a wonderful turkey and mozarella foccacia with mushroom paste, chillies and salad leaves at All’ Antico Vinaio which has received over 8000 reviews on Trip advisor!

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Church of Santa Croce

If you’d rather sit down and watch the world go by, Café Irene at the Savoy in Piazza Republica has great deals for lunch. My friend, Zainab Khaleeli swears by the quality of food at the hugely diverse Mercato Centrale and my Twitter friend @Hawkesbay speaks highly of the cafés on the opposite side of the river Arno in the Oltarno or San Niccolo area. But for a real treat you may want to dine in a silver Florentine workshop which transforms into a restaurant after dark. The large worktables are set with Pampaloni’s Due Sicilie silver cutlery and candelabra and the silversmiths don white gloves to serve you a gourmet dinner on communal tables where you can make friends quickly. Far more casual but equally friendly is La Cite, also on the other side of the river where you can listen to live jazz and pick a book off the shelves to read in the comfy armchairs. And do forget the calorie count (you’re on holiday!) and dive into Cafe Gilli for the most scrumptious sweet stuff in Florence!

CafĂŠ Gilli

Šwww.restaurant.pampaloni.com

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Church of Santa Croce

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For me the best time to see the Duomo is these late nocturnal hours, when the teeming crowds have abated and you can almost feel like you have the place to yourself.

You may want to keep it for last, but I doubt you will be able to stay away from Florence’s most iconic sight for too long – every major street in the city seems to lead to the doorstep of the Santa Maria del Fiori cathedral or Duomo as it is more commonly known. Tuscan architect Arnolfo di Cambio began work on the main building and the campanile in 1296, but construction took almost 150 years and it wasn’t consecrated until 1436. Florence is not separated from its spiritual centre. The building seems integrated into city life and isn’t just something to gape at. Children are still baptised in the octagonal Baptistery on the first Sunday of every month. Most Fiorentini will pass by it several times a day, perhaps they may have even gotten used to its towering solidity, the delicate mix of white, green, pink and black marble in the inlay work. Perhaps the surprise of Brunilleschi’s terracotta cupola may have paled somewhat, but I doubt it. You can climb to the top of the dome and more adventurous friends of mine like the photographer Tapu Javeri have done it and recommend it highly for a bird’s eye view of Florence rooftops. But for those of us who may squirm at the tight staircase and dizzying heights the cupola looks just as good when on steady ground.

If you’re travelling alone try to get a hotel close by so you can just go admire this most beautiful of buildings a dozen times over. Every night, after I had traipsed around the city’s multiple attractions I would rest my weary bones at a table in the piazza and just spend hours watching the Duomo, reflecting on life, of loves, past and present and inhaling the Florentine air. For me the best time to see the Duomo is these late nocturnal hours, when the teeming crowds have abated and you can almost feel like you have the place to yourself. This is the time to admire the delicate inlay work of the beautifully lit Gothic building with its terracotta dome set against the darkened sky. I don’t think any human, religious or not, could ever tire of this sight. It assails the senses, it stimulates the mind. It makes you think of the possibilities that life can offer you.

It’s difficult to explain that feeling in words. You just have to go there.

Santa Maria del Fiori Cathedral

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TRAVELISTA

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Summertime in AMSTERDAM

By Amna Niazi

Celebrity stylist and Partner/Managing Editor of SiddySays.com, Amna Niazifinds herself back in Amsterdam this summer. Why is the capital of Netherlands so easy to love and what are some of the things you can do once you get there; penned in her signature style, we get a flavour of the city that continues to inspire the world with its eternal joie de vivre.

TRAVELISTA

Meet Amsterdam:

Preparing to meet Amsterdam:

Amsterdam is known for many things. The windmills, canals, bridges, architecture, bicycles, tulips, easy access to things that may be prohibited elsewhere and my favourite pvart, frittes. While there is a lot people will tell you about what Amsterdam is, the more important question is, who is Amsterdam?

I have only visited the place in summer, the winter is just too cold for me, but while packing, keep a light jacket and windbreaker in your bag for chances are when you land, you will need one handy.

More than a city, it’s a feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to go all philosophical on you, but I feel that there are cities that are alive, and cities that are dead.

Let me explain.

Every place has a vibe, a personality. Rome, for example, is a historian and a storyteller, Paris is a grand pretentious snob, Brussels is a confused leader, Venice is a mysterious lover and Amsterdam, well it is a generous big-hearted friend.

It is a place that embraces you, no matter who you are.

The colour of your skin, the size of your bank account, the way of life you want to choose, Amsterdam will treat you as one of its own and make you feel very welcome.

So the moment you get there, be ready to feel at home

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with warm smiles, generous strangers, the beauty of the small city, the bustling centre, the breath-taking nature in the outskirts, the food, the shopping, the happiness. Basically, the more you want to feel at home, the more you will fit into the place, a feeling that very few cities I have visited give. Needless to say after that endorsement, you must visit the place as many times as you can in life (this was my third time there).

If you know how to ride a bicycle, get in the habit of paddling before your trip because the cyclist culture here is unparalleled in the world. You will see more bicycles than birds in the city, which makes it very easy to get anywhere. Don’t worry about what you will be wearing, I’ve seen some bespoke designer suits on bicycles on their way to high profile jobs.

Do some research about what you want to do in the city beforehand. Divide your time wisely so you don’t miss out on anything.

Pack a pair of walking shoes and ditch the heels, for they might not be the best choice on cobbled streets (and no one cares if you are wearing sneakers under your dress). This also means build some stamina to walk, cars aren’t the best way to get around.

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TRAVELISTA What to do with AmDam: The reason I chose Amsterdam as my first base when I travelled across Europe for the first time was fairly simple: the visa. As a Pakistani it is easier to get a Netherlands visa (the list of things to submit is fairly long though). However, after the first trip, it was for the love of the city that I kept choosing Amsterdam as my first place to land in Europe.

A good tip is to start travelling from Amsterdam towards east or south to other European cities and the city you intend fly out of, for Pakistan will always be closer and a cheaper flight.

Even for a whirlwind trip, 4 days are good enough to enjoy the city. It is rather small, but still has some of the best assortment you will find anywhere in the world.

For a traveller like me who likes to immerse themselves into the city and culture, you will find the Dutch very open and very kind. When you talk to someone they are more than happy to answer and help, so you can feel comfortable talking to people, which might not be the case in many European countries (I’ve realised that’s more due to a language barrier than anything else).

If you are travelling with friends, and do not care for luxury, book a hostel. The Stay Ok chain is great for youngsters. In fact wherever you stay, if you are close to a tram/train station and don’t want to cycle/walk, you won’t find it hard to get anywhere. I was staying with my friends and their apartment is right above the end of the tram line, which took me to the centre in just 20 minutes.

If you are travelling with kids, you will need a stroller.

Unlike Pakistan, most of the European cities, especially Amsterdam, are very stroller-friendly (don’t think of buying one there, only because they are expensive).

Waste time at Dam Square: If you have a few hours at leisure, the first stop you make should be Dam Square. This is the centre of the city. The place is bustling with life and if you are a people’s person you will see a great mix of peeps here, doing their thing. It’s also a great place to witness some street acts, grab some food, stroll around and do some shopping. Basically for me it’s the gist of the city and even if I have a day, I’d spend it at and around this area. It is very busy in the tourist season, so if you aren’t one for crowded areas with selfie sticks all around, then it’s best to avoid it.

Rembrandt Plein: For its nightlife, especially on weekends. Walk around and find a spot (lots of bars and restaurants) to chill out on a Saturday night. There is a club or two in the vicinity; even though I’m not big on clubs, they are said to be promising.

RonGastrobar: For dinner, try RonGastrobar, a Michelin-star restaurant that delivers on taste and value for money. Do not go without a reservation, and sit outside. Take out time to enjoy the meal. I highly recommend the Wagyu Burger and the Lambostine on the menu, however they keep changing things around so ask for the specials. The area around the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous for a stroll after dinner, with beautiful streets lined with romantic buildings and houses that are worth having a look at.

Boat ride: You must take one of the boat tours or hire a boat if you have a good GPRS and can steer. There is no better way to take in the architecture of the city than by riding on the canals and going under the bridges. It is especially romantic and awe-inspiring.

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Museumplein: Even if you aren’t a history buff and think museums are boring, the Rijks Museum will change your mind.

The collection is dedicated from ancient to modern art featuring works of artists such as Rembrandt, Frans Hais and Jan Steen.

If you are inclined towards contemporary stuff, Stedelijk Museum is an active centre for modern arts, performances and lectures.

Artis Zoo: Don’t miss this one. Even though I’m not an ardent animal lover and I went for my kids (my younger one is obsessed with them), it was really an experience.

Imagine a boutique zoo – yes that’s exactly what it is, with the look and feel of a beautiful resort. The vegetation and animals are so beautiful and well taken care of, it almost makes one sad how dismal things are back home. Two hours in the place are sufficient, with some great sights, good cafés and clean facilities. It’s better than the famous Berlin zoo in my view... cleaner, smaller, nicer.

The Butcher: For the best beef burgers you will ever taste, The Butcher is a must visit. It has a couple of branches but the Albert CUYP is the smallest and somehow the best.

Pannenkoeken Boerderij Meerzicht: A bit of a tongue twister. Situated in Amsterdam City Forest BO, it’s the place to visit on Saturdays for pancakes. Settled in the lush green forest, spend some time here walking around, savouring pancakes, chilling out and enjoying nature. It’s a good break if you are having a hectic trip and want a vacay within a vacay. Take a taxi here, there is no other way.

Remember, how much you enjoy being anywhere depends on what you want from the place. I recommend Amsterdam because of the variety it offers as a city – from art, culture, history to the best nature has to offer. Most importantly, it’s the way the city will embrace you and make you want to keep going back to meet Amsterdam that wins my heart every time.

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HERITAGE

Last MAHARAJA

The

By Hassan Tahir Latif

The recent international film The Black Prince seeks to bring to light a part of our history that is rarely heard of – the story of the last Maharaja of the once mighty Sikh Empire, Duleep Singh; a tale of intrigue, deception and most importantly, a struggle for identity and independence.

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HERITAGE

T

he history of the subcontinent is an epic saga, ripe with glorious battles and invasions, magnificent palaces, extravagant courts that would have been the envy of Marie Antoinette and fascinating secrets and intrigues to rival the fictional ones in Game of Thrones. History, however, is written by the victorious and many tales have been lost in the annals of time or swept up under the rug by the powers that be.

It is one such story that the new movie The Black Prince aims to revive. Directed by Indianborn British director Kavi Raz and starring Satinder Sartaaj, Amanda Root, Jason Flemyng, Rup Magon, Sophie Stevens and the incomparable Shabana Azmi, it is the story of a prince abducted from his home in the Punjab as a child and raised by the British under instructions of the Crown. It is the story of Duleep Singh, youngest son of Ranjit Singh and the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.

Despite being part of our heritage, it is a story rarely heard.

With numerous Sikh influences in our culture, several historic sites dedicated to Sikhism in Pakistan and even the Samadhi of Ranjit Singh juxtaposed with the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, this is a story that should be taught with vigour but is somehow glossed over in our history curriculum. The Fakir family of the Fakirkhana Museum in Lahore, a family with deep connections to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, held a screening of the movie in Lahore in July to shed light on this story.

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Duleep Singh was born in 1838 to Rani Jindan, the seventeenth wife of the then Maharaja, Ranjit Singh.

Ranjit Singh came to power as ruler of the Sikh Empire established with the support of the Khalsa warriors following the death of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and the subsequent decline of the Mughal Empire. Through decisive battle victories, Ranjit Singh expanded his empire all across Punjab, shaping it into one of the most formidable and grand empires of the time. With several legitimate and illegitimate offspring, however, his empire faced the same challenges that its Mughal counterpart did: contentious successions.

Palace intrigues led to the untimely demise of his successors until Duleep Singh, his youngest son, became the Maharaja of the Sikh Empire in 1843, at the mere age of five. Defying rules of the time and surprising the Durbar, his mother Rani Jindan announced that she would rule as Regent.

Consequently, there was a constant power play in the Durbar that the British took advantage of to infiltrate the Sikh Empire. Following the first Anglo-Sikh War, the British defeated all Sikh opposition and took control of Punjab.

Through the 1846 Treaty of Lahore, the British ensconced themselves as caretakers of the Sikh Empire, declaring that they would stay until the young Maharaja turned sixteen and could rule for himself. However, barely a year later, they separated Maharaja Duleep Singh from his mother, Rani Jindan, as she had been resilient and vocal in her hatred of the British, encouraging her son to do the same.

In a brutally underhanded manner, Duleep, aged nine, was snatched from his screaming mother and placed under the care of Dr. John Login and his wife in Fatehgarh. There he was converted to Christianity and thoroughly anglicised before his exile to Britain in 1854. Duleep acclimatised to his new life in Britain, becoming a favourite of Queen Victoria. He was given the title of the “Black Prince of Perthshire” after his move to Scotland and the extravagant lifestyle he enjoyed there. His future marriages were with Christian women and his children were also brought up in the same Christian values.

However, his efforts to contact his mother, who had moved to Nepal, remained persistent, but were always obstructed by the British. Finally, he managed to meet his mother in Calcutta and bring her back to Britain with him; her old, frail state was not deemed a threat to the British Empire anymore.

Rani Jindan accompanied her son to his new home, but being the strong-headed woman that she was, continued to implore her son to renounce the sympathies of the British and reclaim his throne. After her death, he tried to return to India to perform her funereal rites according to Sikh custom, but was not allowed to enter Punjab by the British, who feared his return would stir rebellion against them.

The Black Prince does this valiantly. The idyllic landscapes, the costumes, the dream sequences all serve to appeal to period drama buffs.

Perhaps it was the reunion with his mother, or the mature mind of a Maharaja who could judge the intentions of those around him, but during the latter part of his life, Duleep struggled with his identity.

His encounter with a cousin from India in 1884 strengthened his resolve to connect to his roots.

The British ensured any attempts at reconversion to Sikhism were foiled and refused to sanction a trip to India, let alone the Punjab.

In 1886, however, Duleep Singh left for India; his journey was cut short in Yemen and he was forced to return, but not before he again became a member of the Sikh community through an informal ceremony. The Maharaja spent the remainder of his life in Europe, falling out of favour with the Crown and trying to regain his lost glory and empire, despite the entreaties from his family to seek a Royal Pardon.

He passed away in a French hotel and his body was not returned to India as per his request. The Maharaja was buried with Christian rites, next to his first wife, the Maharani Bamba Müller and the last vestiges of a great empire were laid to rest with him.

We know Ranjit Singh, and perhaps Duleep Singh, but cursorily, mostly in connection with the Kohi-Noor diamond. Their empire, however, ruled decisively over Lahore and the province of Punjab.

It is through the arts, especially the cinematic arts, that we can hope to reignite debate and bring the lesser-viewed pages of history to light.

The Black Prince does this valiantly. The idyllic landscapes, the costumes, the dream sequences all serve to appeal to period drama buffs. What the movie lacks in a compelling performance by the lead, it makes up for by the memorable rendition of Rani Jindan by veteran Shabana Azmi and the equally impressive performances of Rup Magon and Sophie Stevens. However, the movie leaves you wanting for more. It plays out as a special two-hour pilot to a new TV series; but perhaps that’s an asset here as it begs us to want to learn more about a Maharaja who could never rule.

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TALK OF THE TOWN LAHORE

The Black Prince Premiere

The premiere of The Black Prince, an international film based on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh, the last heir of the Sikh dynasty, was recently organized in collaboration with the Fakirkhana Museum.

Lahore, as the seat of the mighty Sikh Empire in Punjab, made an apt setting for the screening, which was attended by the film’s international cast and crew as well as some of our country’s leading stars.

Sadaf Fawad and Fawad Khan

The Fakir family of Fakirkhana Museum

Sophie Stevens and Rup Magon Sam Ali Dada

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Asifa Nabeel

Kamiar Rokni and Rehan Bashir

Umair Fazli and Ali Fazli

Mishalle Hira

Rana Noman Haq

Zehra Gilani and Sahar Noon

Ushna Shah

Muiz

Ahsan Ahsan

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TALK OF THE TOWN ISLAMABAD

Café Aylanto Launch

A perennial favourite of foodies in Lahore and Karachi, Café Aylanto was recently launched in the capital city by Sobia Nazir.

Now open in Islamabad’s F-7 Market, the restaurant’s launch provided a taste of what’s on the menu - scrumptious treats in an elegant setting. The event’s PR was managed by Rezz PR and Events.

Sobia Nazir and Fawad Khan

Rezz Aly Shah and Sarah Raza

Zain, Sobia and Hamood

Tariq and Faiza Amin

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Farwa , Anooshay and Nimra

HSY

Nazia and Ambreen

Juju Haider

Nadia and Sania

Vaneeza Ahmed

Abida and Natasha

Sarah and Fatima

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TALK OF THE TOWN KARACHI

Adeel Uz Zafar’s Microcosm

Microcosm, a current survey of contemporary art, curated by renowned artist Adeel uz Zafar and featuring the works of 13 young, upcoming artists from Pakistan, was held at Ghandara-art Space.

The exhibition offered a rich, intricate, multidisciplinary exploration of art in a variety of media - ranging from drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, illustration, photography and video.

Arsalan Nasir Hussain and Adeel uz Zafar

The featured artists were Amna Rehman, Arsalan Nasir Hussain, Arslan Farooqui, Fahad Saleem Faridi, Haider Ali, Hassan Raza, Haya Zaidi, Noman Siddiqui, Onaiz Taji, Razin Rubin, Safdar Ali, Samya Arif and Sufyan Baig.

Zeeshan Muhammad

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Amin Gulgee and Adeel uz Zafar

qui, Razin Rubin, Samya Arif, Noman Siddiqui, Arslan Faroo m Faridi, Haya Zaidi, Salee d Faha , Raza an Hass Adeel uz Zafar, an and Haider Ali Rehm Onaiz Taji, Arsalan Nasir Hussain, Amna

Amna Rehman

Haya Zaidi

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