A R Bhat
Had his house been located just a few kilometers East, Haider’s father would not have to undergo the agony of selling his land to arrange for additional three lac rupees. Had Haider been living just a few kilometers East, his fellow passenger on the long overseas flight would not have ignored his presence…..and Haider would have not been held embarrassingly at the airport in US for five hours…. and he would have easily got a room on rent …..and he wouldn’t have to undergo the ignominy of being looked upon as a terrorist. Had his house been located, just a few kilometers East, across the line of control; on the Indian side, his life would have been so much better!! But it was his bad luck that he lived in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) where things had always been pathetic….be it development, job opportunities, health care, electricity, water or civic amenities. Haider thus tried his luck for visa and by the grace of God, got it. He then went from pillar to post in Lahore to buy dollars he had to carry with him. When he finally got them, to his horror, he had to pay Rs 230 for one dollar. Had his house been a few kilometers East, he would have got dollars much cheaper and even saved his father’s land. People say that he was lucky to have managed these dollars because influential people had been hoarding dollars and sending them abroad. In Lahore, he heard people saying that soon either martial law or national emergency will be announced in Pakistan. It was because of the pitiable political and economic situation. In spite of winning Punjab elections, the Tehreek-E-Insaaf party was not able to get its Chief Minister nominated and in a mockery of parliamentary democracy, the Prime Minister’s son was declared as the Chief Minister. Resultantly, Khan sahib had started mobilizing people for protests. It is said that even if PTI gets a Chief Minister of its choice, Khan sahib will still protest for early elections. Haider’s uncle who stays in Lahore told that the life of a common man had become miserable because of unprecedented inflation and that they all wanted Sri Lanka type of peoples’ coup against their corrupt leaders. People were apprehensive that the wobbly political situation will accelerate the impending economic collapse. IMF does not want to risk its money in a country which is headed the doom’s way; where bickering politicians are just worried about themselves & power and where influential people have two passports. Haider’s father was right when he said that there was no national character in Pakistan. His father also always felt and that average Pakistanis do not consider Kashmiris as equals. Kashmiris are a burden for them….best kept in far away; to fend for themselves. Punjabis are only treated as authentic Pakistanis and people from other provinces were just step children. That is why the Baloch people were fighting for their independence and Sindhis & Pashtun were seeking their own country. That is why massive protests were taking place in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Haider now works in a hotel called ‘Delhi Durbar’ in California. The restaurant is owned by a Pakistani. He named his restaurant Delhi Durbar because had he wants people to think that it is owned by Indian and not a Pakistani; otherwise he will not get customers. After 9/11, people from Pakistan are seen with suspicion and even treated badly. Haider has thus been advised not to tell people that he is from Pakistan. Haider has made some new friends. They all make fun of Pakistan leaders who roam around with a begging bowl in their hands and Haider feels humiliated to hear it.
In his free time, Haider keeps a track of the happenings in Pakistan through YouTube and feels embarrassed on seeing common people abusing their nincompoop and corrupt leaders. Haider agrees with people when they say that Pakistan is in this pathetic situation because it used terrorism as a state policy to gain advantage in Afghanistan and Kashmir. The jehadi culture that Pakistan created for Afghanistan and Kashmir is now killing its own people. TTP is the biggest example of this phenomenon wherein it has become a force to reckon with.
Life goes on for Haider. He is worried about his parents because when in other parts of Pakistan things were so bad, what must be the situation in POK which in any case was always neglected. Just a few kilometers East and his parents would have been safe and happy. Just a few kilometers East and Haider’s life would have been different; he would have commanded more respect and he would have been more proud. No wonder people of POK want to merge with India…..
Just a few Kilometers East!!
