Adil Najam

Found this picture on Metroblog Lahore. The title there was ‘Only in Lahore.’ I find the picture captivating. Love the expression on his face. Love the composition. Even the shirt is interesting.

Some of the early commenters on this at Metroblog Lahore seemed appalled that he would carry the ‘desi style’ squat toilet bowl on his head. I wondered why they were appalled? Maybe its out schisms of paki-napaki.

Adil Najam

I saw this news item in Dawn (January 21, 2007) the other day and thought it was worth sharing with others. Who better than snake-charming jogis to speak on behalf of the dwindling population of snakes in Pakistan. For them, after all, this is not simply an ecological concern; it is a livelihood concern.

Of course, I have no way of confirming their estimates of the number of snakes and scorpions in Sindh, or the proclaimed medicinal benefits of these snakes. However, as someone whose professional training and work is in the area of environmental policy, I can attest to the fact that (a) the population of these species – especially in Sindh and Balochistan – has been dwindling, and (b) there is significant potential of biomedicinal benefits from biodiversity. The solution that the Jogis are suggesting is not bad either.

Pervaiz Munir Alvi

Attock District in Punjab, Pakistan, is a place of great historic significance. Alexander the Great of Macedonia passed through it as did the first Mughal, Babar, and the various Afghan Sultans before him.

Emperor Akbar the Great, the grandson of Babar, recognizing the strategic importance of this area in 1581 built his famous Attock Fort complex here. The fall of Mughal Empire in eighteenth century saw the rise of Sikhs in Punjab and Durrani Afghans to the west. Once again Attock became a battle ground between two contending powers. British finally ended the feud by subjugating both Sikhs and Afghans in the nineteenth century. British at the same time also brought rail line to the area, built first permanent bridge in 1880 over the Indus River, and established a new city of Campbellpur. After independence of Pakistan the city was renamed as Attock City while the old city by the river is called Attock Khurd (Little Attock).So what gives Attock its historic significance and strategic importance?