Pakistan – A Tourist Paradise: Almost Lost

I remember, in my early teens, hearing a song by US punk band, The Dead Kennedys, entitled “A Holiday in Cambodia”. The song was released in 1980, by which time Cambodia had already been ravaged for over ten years by civil war and genocide. Of course, back then nobody in their right mind would have considered taking a vacation in Cambodia. The Dead Kennedys single was a satirical swipe at the complacency of the youth of the US, and a condemnation of the despotism of the Khmer Rouge. Fast forward a few decades, however, and Cambodia has become one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Today, foreign tourists are about as likely to visit Pakistan as they were to visit Cambodia thirty years ago. If you ask someone who has never visited Pakistan what they think the place is like, they will probably tell you that it is a teeming hotbed of terrorism, extremism and anti-Western sentiment, where you are about as likely to be kidnapped and beheaded as you are to find a restaurant that serves a good steak.

A combination of a steadily deteriorating security situation, extremely bad press coverage and increasingly alarmist government travel warnings, has meant that only the most hardcore of travelers will even consider visiting Pakistan.

But it wasn't always this way. Back in the 1990s, Pakistan was home to a burgeoning tourism sector, with trekkers, mountain climbers, paraglider pilots and polo fans flocking in their thousands to Pakistan's spectacular Northern Areas.

Northern Pakistan, sitting atop a geopolitical and geographic fault line, is a very special place, where three major mountain ranges – the Hindu-Kush, the Karakorum and the Himalayas – meet, and where small mountain principalities, like Chitral and Hunza, have for hundreds of years navigated their way through the ebb and flow of the world's empires as they played out the “Great Game” along Pakistan's untamed frontier.

However, the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, which were carried out not by Pakistanis or by Afghans, but by Arab hijackers, decimated Pakistan's tourism sector, sending foreign visitor numbers through the floor and putting many tour companies out of business. Those companies which have remained in business have faced an uphill struggle to convince foreign tourists that Pakistan is a safe and worthwhile place to visit.

Unfortunately, the May 2nd raid  by US Special Forces on a compound in the garrison town of Abbottabad, in which the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was reportedly killed, could mark the death knell of Pakistan's tourism industry. Many tourists who were planning to visit Northern Pakistan have cancelled due to fears of reprisals against foreigners. I myself had been planning a visit to the Northern Areas for several months, and while I was a little apprehensive about traveling north so soon after Bin Laden's death, I was assured by friends in the area that it was safe to visit.

My plan was to attend the Joshi festival, a spring festival celebrated by members of the Kalash tribe who reside in the remote Kalash valleys of Chitral district. The Kalash are a distinct ethnic group who are believed by some to be the direct descendants of the troops of Alexander the Great. The cultural and religious practices of the Kalash are unique in Pakistan. They sacrifice animals on ceremonial alters and erect totem poles in ceremonial grounds on the upper valley slopes. They make their own alcohol, mostly from apricots, and the women wear distinct costumes consisting of black dresses decorated with day-glow floral and ethnic patterns and sea-shells, and long, colourful headdresses adorned  with shells, coins and brightly coloured feathers. Ever since my first visit to Pakistan, I had wanted to experience a Kalash festival first hand.

My trip began in Islamabad, from where I caught a domestic flight to Chitral. I had been planning to travel by road, but the route would have taken me through Malakand Division of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, where ongoing military operations are taking place, and reliable sources had indicated that it would be better to avoid traveling through the area by road, if possible.

As a foreigner, once I reached Chitral, I had to register at the “Foreigner Registration Office” next to the local police station. While waiting to be registered, I read the charts on the wall detailing the numbers and nationalities of foreign tourists over the past decade or so. The figures spoke for themselves, with several thousand visitors registered in 2000 and 2001, dropping to a couple of hundred in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. 

Unfortunately, in the past year, the police have begun to insist that foreign visitors to Chitral be accompanied at all times by an armed policeman. I was traveling with a group of friends, including another foreigner, so we were assigned two armed guards, who accompanied us around the city. Initially, the presence of armed police was disconcerting, but after a while I got used to it, and my guard turned out to be a pretty good guide, taking us to see a horseback polo match between two local teams.

The following day we headed for the Kalash valley of Rumboor, reluctantly accepting a police escort. I had been to the Kalash Valleys a number of times previously, without an escort. The area has always been considered safe for tourists, and is still safe enough, but the Chitral police force has decided to leave nothing to chance, and for this festival, the police presence was somewhat over-bearing.

Visiting Rumboor is like traveling into the distant, pre-historic past. At the time of my visit, there was no electricity in the valley, since the hydro-electric turbines were badly damaged in last year's floods, and at the time of writing, there are no landlines, let alone mobile phone services, in the valley. The Kalash people live almost entirely off the land, herding goats, growing wheat and harvesting an abundance of fruits and nuts. Upon arrival we were directed to a home-stay, run by a local teacher, named Engineer Khan, and his family. The accommodation was basic, but comfortable, and the hospitality of the host family was exceptional.

On the first day of the festival, we climbed a steep stairway, up to the ceremonial ground, where the locals had gathered to celebrate the arrival of spring. We watched as groups of brightly dressed women, arms linked, danced in circles around the male drummers who beat out an entrancing rhythm on their goatskin drums. The atmosphere was somewhat tempered by the large police presence, but  both the locals and the tourists kept their spirits high, aided by the local apricot moonshine known as 'Tara'.We were told that this was just a warm-up, and sure enough, the following day's festivities were even more euphoric and more intense.

As the sun began its descent in the late afternoon of the second day, the Kalash men climbed further up the valley, to the sacrificial alter overlooking the ceremonial grounds. Local shamans prayed around a juniper fire, and chunks of goats' cheese were distributed from goatskins, to be eaten with wholewheat bread as a collective ceremonial meal. The Kalash people have somewhat of a siege mentality when it comes to their non-Kalash Pakistani cousins, so only non-Muslim men are allowed to participate in this part of the ceremony.

Shortly afterwards, we returned to the ceremonial ground, but as the festivities were about to reach a climax, we were told that only Kalash people could be present  from that point on. We were directed to leave and to climb on top of a building overlooking the grounds. However, we were obviously not far enough away, and to drive their point home, some of the Kalash men began to fling rocks at the onlookers, sending both armed police and tourists scattering for cover. Once the final ceremony was completed, we joined the revelers on the descent back to the valley.

All in all, the festival was magical and euphoric, and our enjoyment of this unique event far outweighed the inconvenience of being surrounded by dozens of mostly courteous, but sometimes menacing armed police.

The following morning we made our way back to Chitral city, where my friend and tour guide, Ehshan, arranged a night of traditional Chitrali music and dance, to offset our negative experiences with the police. We were guests of honour, and after around half a dozen dance performances by our local hosts, it was our turn to dance. Thankfully, we had imbibed sufficient amounts of moonshine to dampen our inhibitions, and if the reaction of our hosts, including our police escorts, was anything to go by, our enthusiastic (if jerky and poorly coordinated) attempts at dancing, exceeded their expectations.

I would highly recommend a trip to Chitral to anyone with even the slightest sense of adventure. This destination has so much to offer, and I can guarantee you that the hospitality of the Chitrali and Kalash people, combined with the rich cultural experiences the area has to offer, will keep you coming back for more. I only hope that, like Cambodia, peace will come with the passage of time, allowing the revival of the area's flagging tourist industry and putting this unique location back on the path to prosperity.

How Can You Resist This Gift From God?

Ladies and gentlemen, mango season is almost upon us. I had my first mango of the season today.

For me, one of the highlights of living in Pakistan is access to an abundance of fresh mangoes for several months of the year.

Pakistani mangoes are the most deliciously messy fruits available to humanity. A colleague once told me that Pakistanis often say that it is best to eat mangoes while sitting in a stream, so you can wash the mess away.

Intellectual Loneliness in a "Post 9/11" World

I'm suffering from what I can only describe as "intellectual loneliness" these days.

Allow me to explain why.

I was raised in Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s. This was a period during which Ireland was enduring intense economic and political difficulties.

The conflict in the six counties, which were gifted to the UK in a botched deal hammered out after the War of Independence, was in full swing.

Terror attacks and civil rights abuses dominated the news headlines.

The full might of the Imperial British Armed Forces was brought to bear on a movement which was pushing for a better deal for the Catholic minority who had suffered decades of oppression and disenfranchisement at the hands of an establishment dominated by wealthy elites who were loyal to the crown, and who for many years boasted of having a "Protestant Parliament and a Protestant State" (Sir James Craig, Unionist Party, then Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, 24 April 1934). Northern Ireland, or "the six counties", as many Republicans refer to the statelet, was the most heavily militarized area in Western Europe.

During the conflict, atrocities were committed by all sides, by British Crown Forces, by the RUC and by Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries. 

Cases related to "terrorism" were tried in what were known as "Diplock Courts", courts which had a judge, but no jury, and thousands of innocent Catholics were routinely rounded up without charge and kept in "internment camps". Militant suspects were "disappeared" by state forces, and "informers" and "collaborators" were "disappeared" by Republican militants. 

In the UK, members of the Irish community were singled out for harassment by the police and intelligence agencies, and some were locked up for decades for crimes they didn't commit.

So, my formative years were spent in a country in which issues such as terrorism, civil rights, justice, sectarianism, equality and the rule of law were regular topics of debate on TV, in the local pub and in the village grocery shop.

As a result, I observe world events through a lens which is tinted with a strong belief in sovereignty and self determination, anti-Imperialism, justice and a yearning for peace.

For years I found myself surrounded by people who shared my outlook. My worldview could have been described as "mainstream", by Western European standards. In fact, the Irish Republican movement was viewed sympathetically by many Europeans and Americans (not to mention Palestinians, Libyans etc).

Thankfully, by the mid-1990s, a peace process was underway, and by September 11th, 2001,  it was already clear that, at least for the time being, armed conflict would have no meaningful part to play in the politics of my country.

After 9/11, as we all know, everything changed. The images of planes flying into the Twin Towers, and of a gaping, smouldering hole in the Pentagon, were looped over an over again on TV. 9/11 was an intensely traumatic event for people around the world, and especially for Americans.

However, instead of trying to minimize the impact of this trauma, governments and the media set out to nurture and capitalize upon the grief, fear and paranoia engendered by the attacks. The biggest culprits were the governments of the United States and Britain, who worked hand in glove with the corporate owned media to beat out a war march which would result in the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, and in the rise of National Security States in both countries.

The trauma of the 9/11 attacks was further exploited to erode civil liberties at home and to justify war crimes, illegal kidnappings, illegal detention, torture and extra-judicial killings across the globe.

In the beginning, most right-thinking people targeted their ire at the Bush administration and its associated cronies. Most of the people I spent time with during the Bush era shared my views on the "war on terror" , though there were always the die-hards who felt that the "sand-niggers" in the Middle East deserved whatever they got.

By the time the campaign for the 2008 US presidential election got off the ground, the majority of US citizens were crying out for change, and with the arrival on the scene of new kid on the block, Barack H. Obama, their prayers appeared to have been answered. 

Obama campaigned on a platform of "change", "hope" and a can-do attitude. He promised to restore peace to the Middle East and to shut the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in the US-occupied part of Cuba. He would, he said, bring the troops home.

The Obama brand was like nothing I had ever seen before. The man had his own logo, he had youth brigades, he had legions of US citizens hanging on his every word and chanting, as if under an hypnotic spell, the campaign slogan "yes we can, yes we can, yes we can". Almost everyone I knew loved brand Obama. Young, old, black, white, asian, American and non-American - they couldn't get enough of it. What I believed at the time was that the world was witnessing the rise of a cult of personality.

Now a cult of personality is a dangerous thing, since the tendency is for people to always give the personality in question the benefit of the doubt, and to interpret criticism of the dear leader's policy as criticism of the dear leader himself, which should obviously be dismissed out of hand. 

With the Left and the anti-War movement firmly onside (and effectively neutralized), Obama took over as President & Commander in Chief of the United States of America. However, instead of bringing the troops home, Obama escalated the conflict in Afghanistan, and increased the frequency of illegal drone strikes on Pakistani soil to three times the frequency of drone strikes under Bush. US troops remain in Iraq (where recent protests against the government have been brutally suppressed using live ammunition), and in the past couple of months, Obama has waged an illegal war on the sovereign nation of Libya, commandeering the country's Sovereign Wealth Funds and arming and training former Mujahideen fighters in the east of the country.

What has this chain of events meant for Obama's supporters? Well, many of them have decided to trade their ideals and beliefs for a simple allegiance to Brand Obama.  Such is their infatuation with this brand, that they turn a blind eye to issues which, under Bush, saw them take to the streets to voice their anger.

The recent raid on a compound in Abbottabad, in which around 70 heavily armed Navy Seals took on a single armed guard, and executed the world's most wanted man (along with several others) in front of his 12 year-old daughter, has been a milestone in the development of Obama's brand allegiance. 

Watching TV, reading Facebook status updates and chatting to friends, it has become clear that large numbers of people who would only a few years ago have been considered "Liberal", or Left Wing, or whatever you want to call it, have become ardent fans of extra-judicial killings. They tacitly approve breaches of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Conventions. They blindly support a campaign in Libya which involves the use of depleted uranium munitions in civilian areas and support for militants who had previously waged Jihad in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Former Yugoslavia.

So this is why I'm feeling somewhat "lonely". I find it difficult to converse about world affairs with people who now appear to believe, amongst other things, that:

• Invading sovereign nations and overthrowing their governments, without even seeking approval from the national legislature, is OK.
• Tracking people (including US citizens) down and summarily executing them, instead of arresting them and trying them in court, is just fine.
• Providing support for terrorists (including Jundullah in Iran and former Mujahideen in Libya), so as to destabilize their governments, is a great idea.
• Locking up and torturing whistle blowers who expose war crimes and corruption, is reasonable.

And the funny thing is, while people are focused on the war on terror overseas, at home, Obama's America is becoming less free and much less tolerant. If you want to hit the streets and wildly celebrate the execution of a national enemy, fine. However, if you want to hit the streets to protest or just to have fun, that's another story.

Over the weekend, police in full riot gear, along with SWAT teams and the Department of Homeland Security, attacked revelers at the the annual University of Illinois Block Party with tear gas, mace, batons, attack dogs and sound weapons.

I reckon it's time that people began to wake up to the fact that Brand Obama does nothing like what it says on the tin.

The World's Number One Punjabi-Gonzo-Punk Band

The Bumbu Sauce "Bistee Proof" EP is in my car stereo's CD deck these days. Nothing like cruising down Islamabad's highways, the air sweet with marijuana pollen, with Mojambo blaring out of the speakers at top volume.

Malang Party

There's a lot of ordinary, run of the mill music coming out of Pakistan these days. That said, there are also some pretty interesting and original bands emerging on the scene.

Here's a clip of fellow Malangistanis, Malang Party, an Islamabad based group, performing live at Kuch Khaas  in Islamabad.

Check it out.

The Lone Bin Laden Hunters Who failed

Last year, during a visit to Pakistan's Northern Areas, I travelled to the remote Kalash Valley of Rumbur, in "Kafiristan". The area is known as Kafiristan because the local residents, known as the Kalasha, are essentially animists, and since they do not practice Islam, they are not Muslims, but Kafirs. Kafiristan in Pakistan borders Nuristan in Afghanistan. "Nur" means "light", and the region was named Nuristan because a long time ago, the inhabitants converted from animism to Islam.

We had some difficulty getting into the valley, as we had arrived too late to register with the police in Chitral, and there had been a bit of a security incident involving a foreigner a few months before our visit.

The foreigner in question was named Gary Brooks Faulkner. Faulkner, an unemployed construction worker, from Colorado in the US, was arrested carrying a sword, some hashish, Christian literature, a pistol and nightvision goggles. He had slipped away from his police minders and was making his way over the border to decapitate Bin Laden with a Samurai sword and collect the $25 million reward.

Unsurprisingly, Faulkner was released without charge and sent back to the States (I wonder what would happen to a Pakistani man caught with drugs, religious material, a Samurai sword and nightvision goggles in the US).

According to newspaper reports, Faulkner is "overjoyed" at Bin Laden's capture, and relieved that he won't have to return to Pakistan to take OBL out.

However, he's also claiming credit for Bin Laden's death, and wants his reward:

"I had a major hand and play in this wonderful thing, getting him out of the mountains and down to the valleys ... Someone had to get him out of there. That's where I came in," he said. "I scared the squirrel out of his hole, he popped his head up and he got capped.

"I'm proud of our boys, I'm very proud of our government ... They were handed this opportunity on a platter from myself." (Samurai Sword-Wielding Bin Laden Hunter Demands Share of the Reward)

Another 30 year-old, anonymous American has been hunting Bin Laden in Afghanistan, and maintaining a blog about his efforts. Judging from the blog, the guy has been hiring locals to take him around to various caves, in search of the terrorist mastermind. He doesn't have any cash to support his mission, but as he points out in his Hunting Bin Laden Blog, he is an American, which means he has credit cards.

Hard luck boys, looks like you won't be getting your hands on the cash after all. I wonder how this 30 year-old guy plans to pay his credit card bills.

Welcome to Malangistani

Hey there. So, I've decided that Facebook is no longer really the place to express my opinions, for a number of reasons.

Instead I've decided to write a blog, which means that my random, stream of consciousness rantings will no longer populate people's Facebook news-feeds, and that those who are not so interested in being bombarded with my thoughts on geopolitics, media, culture, science, travel and life in general, will be spared the inconvenience.

I've just finished my job here in Pakistan, and I'm about to embark on an undefined journey.

I'll keep you guys up to date.

Cheers,

Malangistani