Adil Najam
This photograph, was taken yesterday (Nov. 2) by Khalid Tanveer of the Associated Press. Take from a different angle, it continues to boggle the mind. It is a train coming back from Multan after a religious congregation. Was this just a photo-op or were they actually traveling like this.
Did anyone call the Gunniess Book of World Records to count the number of people stuck to the train?
Dear Readers,
While All Things Pakistan has remained alive and online, it has been dormant since June 11, 2011 - when, on the blog's 5th anniversary, we decided that it was time to move on. We have been heartened by your messages and the fact that a steady traffic has continued to enjoy the archived content on ATP. While the blog itself will remain dormant, we are now beginning to add occasional (but infrequent) new material by the original authors of the blog, mostly to archive what they may now publish elsewhere. We will also be updating older posts to make sure that new readers who stumble onto this site still find it useful.
We hope you will continue to find ATP a useful venue to reflect upon and express your Pakistaniat. - Editors
For ISLOO:
Sorry to others for derailing from the main topic, but dear, the Sufi Islam is still very much in our country. Yes, the Wahabi version has increased during last few years but even then the Ahle-Sunnat people are still in quite a large quantity. The reason the other version seems more evident is their work; I admit they work too much with all their efforts concentrated into it for spreading their message and organizing large gatherings is part of their strategy. That’s why it seems they outnumber the other groups. Otherwise, Sufis have still their firm grip on the hearts of people living in Pakistan.
There sure is nothing like Pakistan…we are one and only…It’s a parallal universe that real world can never comprehend. There are two main groups in Pakistan…These simple urs goes are still better than the Jihadi (Petro Islamists)….Long Live Islamic Republic of Pakistan….
Ohh sorry! Th caption in that commuter’s magazine read that these people were coming back from a Muslim saint’s Urs in MUltan, so I thought it might be the Urs of any one of Multan’s renowned sufi saints. But I just read the comments of one of readers who said these people gathered to attend an ahl-i-sunnat gathering. So, I’m not sure if that ideology is anti or pro sufi movements.
Ah, I chanced upon this picture yesterday in MX (a commuter’s magazine in Melbourne, Australia), while I was taking tram back to my home. I was heartened to reassured that Sufi message is still very popular in Pakistan, and people passionately attend the Urs of saints, otherwise I had tended to believe that petro-Islam (Wahabi Islam) has prevailed in our society, and bigotry and intolerance reign.
Shame on Railways who since after 60 years still not been able to at least cater to the needs of Paksitani Commuters. Its certain that when people dont have facilities to move freely they will just get on it what ever can take them back. Indeed one of many scenes of Qayamat in Pakistan.