Big Tank
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2013
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Amir Goharshady, lived in Mashhad, Iran
Answered Sep 16
As an Iranian from Mashhad, Pakistan was a land of mystery for me until I traveled to Lahore several years ago. I give you a brief description of what I knew and thought before, during and after that trip.
Before:
I knew that it is a neighbor of ours with a huge population, that most of its people struggle financially, and that its official language is Urdu. These, and nothing more, were taught to us in 5th grade geography. I knew absolutely nothing about the conflict with India. We were taught that both Pakistan and India are friendly countries and I still believe that (I don’t think Iran is in an alliance with India against Pakistan or vice versa).
Other than these, I read a lot of poetry from Allama Iqbal, who is called Eqbal-e Lahoori in Iran and is more famous than any other person or thing from Pakistan (and perhaps even more famous than Pakistan itself). I had also heard about Jinnah, given that an important expressway in Tehran is named after him.
During and After:
The Pakistani consulate in Mashhad acted very professionally and politely and issued my visa quite fast. I especially remember that they refused to take my payment before issuing the visa saying that “It is not halaal” if they take it and then my visa gets rejected for any reason. This was my first encounter with Pakistan and the guy at the consulate made the best possible first impression.
During my time in Lahore, I met very hospitable and friendly people and came to realize that Pakistanis and Iranians have many things in common. The culture was amazing, the food was awesome and everything seemed to be strangely foreign and Iranian at the same time. Lahore was full of surprises. I remember my surprise when I first heard the Pakistani national anthem (which I came to memorize after hearing only twice). Everything was reminiscent of home. The Urdu words that had many commonalities with Persian, the mosques, even the way people drove! I think Pakistan is one of the (if not the) most similar countries to Iran. It was a foreign country, but it felt as close to home as one can imagine.
I saw a different face of Pakistan. Our geography book was technically correct. Many people were indeed impoverished. The Western media were also correct. There are terrorist attacks and security risks from time to time in Pakistan. But what both of these sources fail to mention is the most important thing. Pakistan is much more than its problems. The Pakistan that I saw was a great nation, full of kind, respectable and hardworking people, who are actually happier than many in Europe. I also came to know about the theory behind Pakistan and the sacrifices made for its creation. It’s a great story and I think it should be taught in schools in Iran.
Overall, my current feeling about Pakistan is simply “Paak Sarzamin Shaad Baad!”
Answered Sep 16
As an Iranian from Mashhad, Pakistan was a land of mystery for me until I traveled to Lahore several years ago. I give you a brief description of what I knew and thought before, during and after that trip.
Before:
I knew that it is a neighbor of ours with a huge population, that most of its people struggle financially, and that its official language is Urdu. These, and nothing more, were taught to us in 5th grade geography. I knew absolutely nothing about the conflict with India. We were taught that both Pakistan and India are friendly countries and I still believe that (I don’t think Iran is in an alliance with India against Pakistan or vice versa).
Other than these, I read a lot of poetry from Allama Iqbal, who is called Eqbal-e Lahoori in Iran and is more famous than any other person or thing from Pakistan (and perhaps even more famous than Pakistan itself). I had also heard about Jinnah, given that an important expressway in Tehran is named after him.
During and After:
The Pakistani consulate in Mashhad acted very professionally and politely and issued my visa quite fast. I especially remember that they refused to take my payment before issuing the visa saying that “It is not halaal” if they take it and then my visa gets rejected for any reason. This was my first encounter with Pakistan and the guy at the consulate made the best possible first impression.
During my time in Lahore, I met very hospitable and friendly people and came to realize that Pakistanis and Iranians have many things in common. The culture was amazing, the food was awesome and everything seemed to be strangely foreign and Iranian at the same time. Lahore was full of surprises. I remember my surprise when I first heard the Pakistani national anthem (which I came to memorize after hearing only twice). Everything was reminiscent of home. The Urdu words that had many commonalities with Persian, the mosques, even the way people drove! I think Pakistan is one of the (if not the) most similar countries to Iran. It was a foreign country, but it felt as close to home as one can imagine.
I saw a different face of Pakistan. Our geography book was technically correct. Many people were indeed impoverished. The Western media were also correct. There are terrorist attacks and security risks from time to time in Pakistan. But what both of these sources fail to mention is the most important thing. Pakistan is much more than its problems. The Pakistan that I saw was a great nation, full of kind, respectable and hardworking people, who are actually happier than many in Europe. I also came to know about the theory behind Pakistan and the sacrifices made for its creation. It’s a great story and I think it should be taught in schools in Iran.
Overall, my current feeling about Pakistan is simply “Paak Sarzamin Shaad Baad!”
