Lahore: The heart of Pakistan

 

Lahore is a beautiful historic city that is largely regarded as the cultural centre of Pakistan. It was founded in the 16th century. Since its founding sometime about the second century, the city has through a number of transitions and has been ruled by a number of different empires, ranging from the Hindu and Moghul to the Persian, Afghan, Sikh, and British. It has also been occupied by the British.

A significant portion of the inner city of Lahore is peppered with vestiges of colonial architecture, including a splendid post office, white-pillared government buildings, and a spectacular church with a gothic-esque style. The other side is characterised by Moghul architecture, with shops and restaurants squeezed in amid the "gates" of the ancient walled city. The walled city dates back hundreds of years.

In many ways, Pakistan is ruled by the province of Punjab, which has Lahore as its capital. It is by far the most populous and richest province, accounting for more than 55 percent of Pakistan's total population and 59 percent of the country's gross domestic product. The concern that the rest of Pakistan may become "Punjabized" as a result of Punjab's supremacy is a major contributor to the country's volatile political climate. To such an extent that there is presently a proposal before the federal parliament of Pakistan to separate the province of Punjab, so forming a new fifth province in Pakistan

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Although Lahore has a great deal of Moghul-era architecture like India, there are no swarms of visitors to distract you. When we arrived to Lahore Fort on a Saturday morning, it was deserted but for a few lads playing cricket outside the diwan-i-am, which was built during the reign of Moghul Emperor Akbar in the 16th century (hall of public audience). 

Pakistan's security situation discourages many tourists from visiting Lahore, hence it's rare to see any tourists here. Despite The Guardian's best efforts to encourage travel to Pakistan, numbers remain low when compared to Pakistan's tourism potential, according to the World Tourism Barometer. 

 

However, the absence of Western tourists has made Lahore a tourist destination in and of itself. People immediately learned that there were goras (white people) in the fort and we were inundated by guys snapping photographs of us with their cell phones (see above).  In fact, we had a security guy blowing his whistle and commanding the masses to disperse. A pied piper was leading a happy band around Fort McHenry as we made our way through the ancient landmark. Onlookers' curiosity was the only thing preventing them from pursuing us, wondering: Who are these tall strangers in the shalwar qameez?

 Traffic and street hawkers have faded away in the courtyard of one of Lahore's historic mosques, leaving a serene space. In the courtyard, there are many guys sitting and speaking. A typical accessory for Pakistani ladies, the long scarf known as a dupatta, has been placed on my companion and I's heads. We take a barefoot stroll over the icy stone tiles and take in the stunning views of the city's towering minarets.

The Badshahi Mosque (seen above) is the world's fifth-largest mosque and can accommodate up to 100,000 people during prayer. A couple guys from their groups approach us and ask us where we are from and if we would like to take a picture with them. The outcome of our courteous refusal is the hasty taking of images with cell phones. During our trip through the covered prayer area, a young guy approaches us and begins a chat with us, throwing something at us in the process. It's his résumé, if you're curious. When we inquire about his plans, he informs us that Australia is his goal.

Pakistan's young unemployment rate is alarmingly high. Flailing economies are to blame. Over half of Pakistan's workforce, according to the independent research tank Pakistan Economy Watch, is jobless. For Pakistan's young people, who make up 60% of the population, this is especially disappointing.

It's not only joblessness that's keeping people in the Punjab and the rest of Pakistan from getting the energy and gas they need. Punjab, Pakistan's wealthiest state, is still reeling from the country's energy crisis. As a result of "load shedding," local textile mills are forced to shut down or operate at a quarter of their capacity.

Later that night, the electricity goes out in one of the numerous restaurants in the old city, and everyone has to survive for a short while by candlelight until a generator kicks in. Everything about it is charming.