Since the recent woes of Pakistani cricket and the demise of our coach has left me down in the dumps, here is something that might cheer you up. Its a long written piece that someone posted on a usenet group back in 1992, recounting the celebrations that took place in Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad after our World Cup victory. For some this might bring back good old memories where as for others who weren’t in Pakistan or were too young to remember anything, like myself, this is something completely new and refreshing.
All information contained in this report was derived from eight
telephonic conversations to Pakistan since Pakistan’s historic
**World **Cup victory. While some exaggerations may be attributed to
my own enthusiasm, by large they stem from the festive atmosphere
that now prevails our dear homeland. Further, let it be stated
that none of the calls were made on the ‘chirri’ (or on any other
stray bird for that matter) 
Such calls would indeed have
been an affront to the sanctity of Pakistan’s victory in this
holy month of Ramzan. More than half of these calls were from
friends in Pakistan calling to convey the news and congrats to
Pakistanis in the US.
One call in particular, should be of special
interest to the readers. This was from a colleague in Peshawar
who thought that in these primitive backwaters of America where
the populace lacks the refinement and taste to appreciate the deep
intricities of cricket, we Pakistanis were being starved of all
cricketing information. He had, in fact, called to inform me
of **Pakistan’s ****World **Cup story: WE WENT, WE SAW, WE CONQUERED.
Needless to say, my friend was most pleasantly surprised that
thanks to satellite technology and an insurmountable love for the
game we had infilterated this greatest of all games to the U.S.
Economy. That Patrick Buchannan finds this infiltration an
affront and a leading cause of America’s economic recession, is
besides the point.
What follows are snippets of how **Pakistan** and Pakistanis
reacted to and celebrated the amazing **World ****Cup** victory. I
apologize if reports from some cities are longer than those for
others. That's only because I probably got to speak longer to,
or to more people from one city rather than the other. Furthermore
these reports were derived from random conversations and may
not give the full picture. The cities covered here are
Peshawar, Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, it is not
difficult to imagine that similar festivities went on elsewhere.
Reading all of it (not just your city) is really recommended,
Its kind of long so you might want to read it in steps, but do
read it. At best you yourself may break into a Bhangra or a Dhamaal,
at the very least it would instigate some valuable nostalgia....
.......enjoy......
IN PESHAWAR: Just as the Pakistani players rushed to bag the stumps
========from MCG, many in Peshawar and adjoining areas reached for their
rifles and pistols [they might have done the same had Pakistan
lost]. Predictably a flurry of celebratory firing in the air
began. According to one report this lasted for more than half an
hour. In some cases youngsters in Pajeros and other vehicles
roamed the main streets firing in the air and distributing
mithai (sweet meat).
Later that evening (after aaftari) a large
number of people gathered outside the fort (just below the bridge
of the road that leads to the Pearl Continental Hotel) and another
spree of firing in the air ensued. As everywhere else in the
country mithai-wallahs had a field day, as did beggers who
were flourished with food and money by a buoyant and jubilant
population…for that matter all eating places did well as
the food-loving Pathans went out on the town. This was
important since this being Ramazan many eating places don’t do
well except on kehwa…
As my friend so eloquently put it
“Imran may have been born on that side of Attock, but it took a
Khan to get Pakistan the **World **Cup”…Well put Khan
Sahib (my friend) and well done Khan Sahib (Imran) !
IN LAHORE: All Lahore went bezerk as Wasim Akram took those two
========magical wickets…and did not return to normal till next
morning. Jubilation ruled rampant as the cricket loving
zinda-dilla’N-e-Lahore celebrated this greatest cricketing
victory with style and with gusto. An old lover who has been
cheering for Pakistan ever since Kardar’s team Fazalled England
on its first Test tour, proclaimed that never has he seen
such mass elation and celebration for a cricketing victory.
The only thing he remember which came remotely close was Lahore’s
celebration over winning against Bishen Singh’s Bedi’s cricket
team in ‘78.
Since the victory came just before Aaftari time
celebratory food was the first to go. Many would remember that
during the last **world **Cup’s semi-final at Lahore the
expectations of a Pakistan victory were so high that Nirala’s
(the leading sweet-meat shop) mithai was all booked out two
days before the game. That Pakistan lost the match and many
never came to claim their orders left Nirala dejected, but not as
dejected as Lahore was over the defeat. Well, it seems that
this time Lahore was prepared again. One friend tells me that
an hour before the final ended he rushed to Nirala to buy some
tokrras of Mithai, only to find a mob waiting to be served with
no mithai in store.
Long before Aaftari time Lahore had
effectively run out of all mithai. The jalebbi’s of Beton
Road were reportedly being sold in black…Yes, those who
managed to get to the front of the line would buy jalebbi and then
sell them at double price to those who were really desperate.
Interestingly the jaleebi wallah (the fat, jovial fellow, for
Lahorites who remember) refused to raise the price. Instead he
decided that rather than going for the quick buck he would not
allow any single customer to buy more than 2 kilos at a time so
that more people could get his heavenly jalebbis…that’s
“playing the jalebbi straight” for you Bombay Sweet House
presented a similar scene as did all the other great
mithai wallahs of Lahore. In each case the rush was so great
that you could not get near the counter, and once you got near the
counter there was nothing left. All this despite the fact that
nearly all mithai wallahs had specially prepared for the
occasion, working double force and keeping extra stocks.
The most interesting mithai story, however, is of the
mithai wallah on Ferozepur Road who decided that rather than
making this his money-minting time he would rather celebrate
with the crowd. Reportedly (Jang, that is) he opened his
shop to the poor and literally distributed his wares
free to all comers. Primarily this was for the poor but he
even obliged those Gulberg- and Defence-wallahs who had
failed to find mithai anywhere else and could not bear to
go home mithai-less!
But mithai was not all. What happened to mithai happened
to all other eatables too. Not all mithai was for friends and
family. Much of it was for the poor. Being ramazan, the month
of giving, the **world **cup spirit made the act of giving all the
more pleasurable. As the wife of a friend told me, she had
prepared loads of food to share with friends who were at her
house watching the game and loads more to be distributed amongst
the needy when the game ended. Interestingly by the time she
and he husband got around to distribution the food, there were
very few hungry needy to be found! Rather than being the
other way, it was the “givers” searching for the needy and
finding none. Finally they had to go all the way out to the
outskirts of the city and give the food to the poor who live
in Jhuggis enroute the Gujranwalla Highway!
Like Peshawar there was also a lot of
jubilant firing in the air in Lahore. The weapon of choice was
the Klashnikov (which has become popular in Lahore Basant
celebrations too). From Garhi Shahoo to Gulberg, from Defence to
Mall Road and from Shaalmi to Androon Lahore, Klashnikov
reports echoed all over Lahore as the scramble for the stump
souviners began in Australia. While I heard no reports of
accidents of deaths, logic and past experience suggests that
there must have been some.
On the other side the religious folks were also super
active. Literally thousands went into sajdaa-e-shukraana’s as
Pakistan sealed its victory. The previous Friday special prayers
for Pakistan’s victory had been held in most Masjids (including,
probably, the Badshahi Masjid). Others had committed special
nafals. The ba-barkat month gave Pakistan and Lahore a ba-barkat
victory.
Later that evening it was Lahore enthralled with color.
It was Eid, shab-e-baarat and chaand-raat all rolled in one.
After aaftari just about everyone in Lahore was out to celebrate,
decked in their very best…what a day it was for the
Lahori Poonds:-)…Liberty Market, Fortress Market, Mall
Road, Shadman Market…you name it, and it was crowded by
the most jubilant and enthusiastic crowds you have ever seen…
and it was not just the markets, the parks…bagh-e-jinnah,
race course park, gulshan-e-Iqbal…boy, were they full!
Eating places had it made once again. To get something
from Yummy 36 you had to be on a two hour waiting line…
that is if you wanted to be served outside…if you wanted to go
in and sit…forget it…most restruants closed their doors
to newcomers early. The biggest winners were snack foods…
the pan wallahs didn’t have hands enough to put choona and
katha, and forget the supari!
One young lady I spoke to ended up wearing her Eid clothes
on that evening…now she gets a chance to get new ones
made for Eid…that’s what I call a double victory! 
The hottest spots in town were Liberty Market, Fortress
Stadium and Race Course Park, in that order. In all these places
there was simply no place to stand. Some youngsters in
Fortress Stadium broke into a spontaneous Bhangra-cum-Luddi-cum-
Dhamaal in the parking area outside ‘Pot Pourri’ soon they were
joined by others (including some not so young). According to the
story narrated by my friend a police wallah came near them with the
possible purpose of stopping them but was soon co-opted into the
dance and before he knew it he too was doing a “tulla dance”!
At least one friend I spoke to vouched that he saw
a red Toyota filled with girls driving at high speed along the mall
(near Aitchison College) with windows down and the occupants
singing “Dumm-a-dumm mast qalandar” at top pitch. My friend,
being the romantic that he is tried to join the chorus but was
soon lost in the crowd since the driver of that car was far
faster than him. Other’s however, did join the chorus. He also
reports, that the car (that later bacame a caravan) was also
spotted by others elsewhere, including Gulberg, Jail Road and
the Airport area. My comment to them all…That’s the way
to go girls!
There were also some reports of youngsters bringing some
shurli(z) and aanar(z) [local fireworks] to Liberty. However
this group was soon stopped by the police for using fireworks.
No, no one was arrested or anything. They were just warned. By
the way one young maverick got out of hand while trying to do
wheelies on his trail motor-bike around the Liberty Chowk (opp.
Menege’'). Unfortunately he got too cocky for his own good
and had a nasty fall…serves him right!
While many college hostellites were not in town because
of ramazan, those who were also had a whale of a time and
enjoyed themselves thoroughly. A motorcycle procession of some UET
and Punjab University boarders sped through the main roads with
Pakistani flags. They kept singing songs and shouting slogans and
were joined at various points by other enthusiasts from Lahore.
For the last many days many houses had sported Pakistani flags but
one house in Defence Colony (on the main double road) reportedly
had a gigantic flag draped around it.
IN KARACHI The enthusiasm in Karachi, mirrored that in Lahore. Being
========the bigger city, Karachi just celebrated in a bigger style. The one
sentence I remember from my uncle to whom I spoke was, “For that
one beautiful evening it seemed as if Karachi had forgotten all its
ethnic tensions of Sindhi-Muhajir-Punjabi-IJI-JI-PPP. For one
fleeting moment they were all Karachi-ites, all Pakistanis
and all proud of it!”
The mithai story in Karachi totally mirrors that of Lahore.
Before you knew it, there was none left to spare for anyone.
Everyone wanted some, and there simply wasn’t enough. All this
despite the entrepreneural excellence and brilliance of
Karachi merchants who had anticipated the rush in case Pakistan
won and had made special arrangements…As in Lahore
and everywhere else, they had not anticipated enough.
The Mithai story of the day was about the shop in Tariq
Road (sorry I forget the name) which had got special dubbas (boxes)
made for the event which had pictures of the **world **cup and the
Pakistan team. If for one have asked someone to keep one of
those for me as a souviner!
Other eatables had the same fate. Since the choice
of eatable goodies that Karachi offers is so large that there
is usually plenty to choose from, but on this occasion you
took whatever you got and were thankful that you got something.
My source in Karachi went out nearly immediately after the match
ended to get mithai and special goodies for Aaftari. Even though
he lives in a locality where most things are nearby, the traffic
and the rush at the shops was such that not only did he not get
any mithai (or anything else for that matter) but even got late
for Iftari!
As elsewhere Karachites opened their gracious hearts
even further and even the poor were searching for those
more poorer than them to give something to. My source says
it was a heart moving scene. Once again Karachi outdid all the
other cities showing everyone what a caring and loving city
it can be when it wants to be so.
Edhi Centres were the recipient of loads of generous
gifts, in cash, in kind and specially in mithai and food for the
poor and the orphans. The one thing I was most impressed of
hearing was how youngsters set up celebratory stalls in all
market areas after aaftari where they served free mithai and
cold drinks (Rooh Afza etc.) I am told that while some of these in
Nazimabad area were run by political parties (MQM in particular)
others were spontaneous efforts by people who simply wanted to
share their joy with others. Even the ones that were run by
the political types were not doing political works and were
welcoming one and all…That’s the spirit, Karachi.
Firing was the other thing in Karachi that mirrored the
Peshawar and Lahore scene. But this time, thank God, they
were aiming for the sky. My source in Karachi did say that
there were some small rumors of slight clashes amongst different
groups but since he was not sure, and since I would rather
not believe such rumors (even if true), lets leave them for now.
The festivities after Aaftari in Karachi matched, and
often outdid those in Lahore. Once again, everyone was out of the
road. From Clifton to Tariq Road, from Nazimabad to Federal B Area,
from Defence to Kimari, from Saddar to KDA, from Empress MArket to
the beach itself. Wherever Karachites live and wherever they go
out to enjoy was festively employed…
Food vendors from posh restraunts in Defence to rehri
wallahs and paan wallahs on the curb-sides had a field day.
Everyone, was out to celebrate and if they made a fast buck in the
process, who is to blame them! I was told of one person who got
so ecstatic in Clifton (in the area across Dodge-em-cars and
Fun land) that he bought every thing that the budhi-kay-baal
(candy floss) wallah had and distributed it to all pasers by.
Tariq Road was simply and thoroughly jubilant, from
end to end. Everyone was in his or her best…best of moods,
best of dresses…best of food…Interestingly, as elsewhere,
Ramazan meant that everyone was in more of a mood to eat out than
otherwise. Some just opened their fasts with khajoor (in ehtaram
of Ramazan) and mithai (in celebration of the **World **Cup) and
then went out on the town to enjoy the celebration and bask in
everyone’s joy.
Posh clubs like Sindh Club had a sudden rush of members
coming in to test their delicious menu, while wayside stalls
were also no less full of patrons out to enjoy!
Youngsters enjoyed themselves to the hilt. Cars with
blaring music as well as youngsters walking Tariq Road with
cassettee players in hand were a common sight. The 1988 cassettee
by that fellow with curly hair (I forget the name but it may be
Saleem Javed), who had recorded some songs on cricket and on
Javed Miandad were rampant again and many, including one
of my friends bought new copies of the cassettee.
Also doing great business were special **world **cup posters.
Some ingenious person had very quickly devised, printed and
brought to the market posters of the Pakistan cricket team.
With a picture of Imran in the middle and the other players
around him. It had a picture of the Cup in one corner and the date
on the other. This again proves what great business minds we
have in Pakistan in general and in Karachi in particular. The
fellow must have got them printed a day earlier gambling
that Pakistan would win…Luckily his gamble, and
Pakistan’s gamble, won!
Youngsters were seen dancing to many tunes (english
and local) in many areas, specially in the Clifton area.
However, the one scene reported to me by a friend left a somewhat
bad taste in the mouth. He says he saw a group of college
students (of the over-rich, burger family variety) dancing
outside the pizza place opposite boat basin to some english music
being played on their player. Soon some local youngsters
(not-so-rich, shalwar kamiz wearers) joined them in a local
variation of dances. Unfortunately our rich friends found it below
them to dance with ordinary folks and told the others to go away.
Hot words ensued. Made all the more hotter because these
rich types were also partaking beer (which they obviously
could not stand). Luckily before an actual scuffle took place
the rich ones took off with their stereo system on their
plush cars, saying something to the effect: Now Dance!
However, luckily this did not seem to be the rule,
but was the exception. Another source reported of the wonderful
Dhamaal-Bhangra in which he participated somewhere in the
Nazimabad Area. This was initiated by a bunch of NED/KU students
to the beat of Allan Faqir. Soon, he says, the students were
joined by local people including some pathan taxi drivers,
a sindhi shopkeeper and what he called two “uncles” :-)]
in suit-tie(z)!
IN ISLAMABAD: Islamabad, being the home of “sahib loug’s”, kept
========its cool, but even Islamabad could not keep its composure!
While mithai were also in great demand, the real demand
in Islamabad was for cakes and pastries. Also much of this
was not for distribution amongst the poor and family celebration
but was to be sent to the boss’s house as more and more realized
how they could use the event to their own personal benefit.
However, while the above is true for many of this
bureaucratic town, it is not true for all. The jalaibee
wallah in the F-6/1 market was out of jalaibee way before
aaftari. As for the famous jalaibees from Pindi’s Murree
Road…those yummy ones with dripping, rich, lustrous,
sheera…they ran out again and again only to come back with
more. Even on normal days you have to stand in line and get a
“number slip” to get your jalaibee’s, now you needed a
sifarish from Secretary sahib or General sahib
Luckily there was little firing in Islamabad. However
after aftari youngsters from Islamabad as well as Rawalpindi
all headed to Jinnah Super Market…where it was
Chand Raat again…girls, boys and all other assorted
animals were out there…seeing everyone else and
making sure that they were seen!
Cars with blaring music (usually english) were seen all
over town. One group actually started raising narras of
“Imran Khan zindabad” and “**World **Cup Hummara Hai” with many in the
market joining them. With its many resident “gorras”
(diplomats and foreigners) some found it enjoyable to direct
slogans at every chap with looked like a Britisher to them…
…unfortunately many who looked British turned out to be
Swedes, Czhecks and French!
Unfortunately, here again I heard of one incidence that
was really in bad taste. Coming from the city I live in it
made me feel all the more bad. One not-so-young and very notorious
fellow got supposedly drunk in his celebration and started hurling
abuses at a group of girls who were sitting in their car and eating
ice cream in Jinnah Super Market (From Sam’s). A police wallah
tried to stop him at which this son-of-a-big-gun started abusing
the police wallah. A scuffle ensued which left a real bad taste
and for some time everyone just left the market area. Luckily
he moved out and the people came back in.
The one interesting thing that I learnt of from Islamabad
(and it may have happened in other cities too) was people
calling to congratulate…these are people you just do not
know of from Adam…interestingly a lot of these callers
were girls…the good thing was that they were not
crank calls but very respectful and dignified calls made only
to share the joy of victory with others. Since all their kids
are now not in Islamabad my parents were surprised
to get nearly a dozen calls from people they simply did not know
(and nor probably do we, their children) who said “Mubarik
hou, Pakistan nay **world **cup jeet leeya hai, humm saab
Pakisatniou’N kay leeaye yeh barri khushi ka din hai”. At least
my parents seemed to be very happy with these calls. They
feel a bit lonely with all of us gone now. As my father put it, the
joy of these young callers reminded him of us. Needless to
say that we all also called and really made our parents day…
…all you other Pakistani’s in USA, did you call home
to share your joy over the victory with your parents?..
…if you haven’t done so yet, please do so now…It’ll
make them feel great…
P.S. Later news reports from Pakistan indicate that atleast three people were
killed in the celebratory firing incidences in Peshawar.
ADIL [jaab bahar aaye tou sehra ki taraf chall nikla
sehn-e-gul choR challa, dill merra pagal nikla] NAJAM
