Place That Was Also Called Pakistan.

[AdeelSabih]

Over the years many Dawn readers from within and outside Pakistan have been emailing me complaining that whenever they tried to look for pictures of Pakistan on the internet that have little or nothing to do with vicious looking mullahs, suicide bombings and mutilated bodies, they have failed.

I’ve been scouting newspaper libraries and personal photo collections belonging to the parents, aunts and uncles of friends and acquaintances for the last many years in an attempt to chronicle social and cultural shifts and trends in Pakistan before the years when Pakistan’s cultural and social evolution began to become ruddily ridiculous by a quasi-Orwellian ‘Islamist’ dictatorship – a flippant happening whose deafening echoes can still be heard and felt in the now much anguished and tormented Pakistan.

There is very little memory left of a Pakistan that today almost seems like an alien planet compared to what it has been ever since the mid-1980s.

Here, I will share with you some interesting photographs that I’ve managed to gather in the last couple of years of that alien country. A place that was also called Pakistan.

Che in Karachi: Yes, that’s the great Marxist revolutionary and legend, Che Ernesto Guevara, standing along side Pakistan’s first military dictator, Ayub Khan.

Guevara stayed for a short while in Karachi during his whirlwind tour of Arab and third world countries (in 1959). He again visited Karachi in 1965 and that is when the above photograph was believed to have been taken (inside the VIP lounge of the Karachi Airport).

It is interesting to see Che standing with Ayub Khan whose military coup (in 1958) was not only backed by the US, but was also highly repressive of leftist forces in Pakistan.

The irony is that the widespread leftist uprising in Pakistan in the late 1960s that helped topple the Ayub dictatorship was mainly led by leftist students many of whose icon and hero was, yup, one named Che Ernesto Guevara!

Resources: Adnan Farooq (Viewpoint Magazine); Shahid Saeed (Friday Times).

PIA press ad, 1965: This 1965 PIA ad (published in Dawn) bares claims that one can’t even imagine PIA to make in this day and age.

Pakistan’s national carrier has been crumbling for the last many years and today stands on the verge of bankruptcy. And yet, back in the 1960s and early 1970s, PIA stood strong and proud, awarded on multiple occasions and being a constant on the list of top ten airlines of the world!

When this ad appeared in print, PIA was enjoying rapid growth within and outside Pakistan. It had already been noted for having ‘the most stylishly dressed air hostesses’, great service, a widespread route and, ahem, ‘having a generous and tasteful selection of wines, whiskeys and beers’ on offer.’*

*Serving alcoholic drinks on PIA was banned in April 1977.

Resources: Capt. Sami Mirza (former PIA pilot); Illustrated Weekly (June, 1968 edition); Pakistan Economist (April, 1978 issue).

PPP formation, 1967: It’s amazing how little is available by way of any visual documentation of what was perhaps one the most iconic events in the history of Pakistani politics – i.e. the formation of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during a convention in Lahore in 1967.

The convention gave birth to a populist democratic party that for the next four decades would go onto become both passionately loved, as well as loathed by Pakistanis in equal measure.

Chaired by the suave and yet exuberant Z. A. Bhutto, the convention was attended by some of the country’s leading progressive and leftist intellectuals, journalists and radical student leaders.

This photo shows Bhutto seated among the men who would turn the PPP into a fervent progressive platform that not only accommodated committed Marxists, Maoists, ‘Islamic Socialists’ and liberals alike, but would also go on to sweep the 1970 general election (in former West Pakistan). The most endearing characteristic of the image is the way J. A. Rahim (an otherwise serious and sombre Marxist thinker and PPP’s leading ideologue) is actually sitting on Bhutto’s lap!

Rahim was one of the founders (along with Z. A. Bhutto) of the PPP and co-author of the party’s original socialist-democratic manifesto.

Unfortunately in 1975, Rahim had a falling out with Bhutto and was humiliatingly expelled from the party.

Bhutto, on the other hand, was hanged by the Ziaul Haq dictatorship in 1979 through a sham trial, taking with him what still remains to be one of the most populist, dynamic and yet, contradictory eras in Pakistani politics.

Resources: PPP – The first phase (Hasan Askari Rizvi); PPP-Rise to Power (Philip Jones).

House full: Pakistani film industry and cinemas began experiencing a creative and financial peak in the late 1960s; a high that would last till about 1979, before starting to patter out in the 1980s and hitting rock bottom a decade later.

There were a number of reasons for the rapid fall of the industry and the consequential closing down of numerous cinemas.

Two of the leading reasons were the brutal censorship policies of the reactionary Ziaul Haq dictatorship in the 1980s, and the arrival of the VCR.

As Zia’s so-called ‘Islamisation’ process began stuffing public space and collective socialising spots with moral policing and restrictions, the people took their entertainment indoors.

Cinemas were hit the worst by this as not only the ‘respectable’ audiences stopped frequenting cinemas; the Pakistani film industry too began to fall apart.

‘Illegal’ video shops renting Indian films and porn (allowed to openly operate after bribing the police) sprang up and cinemas began to be torn down by their owners and turned into gaudy shopping malls.

For example, in Sindh alone there were over 600 cinemas between 1969 and 1980, but only a few hundred remained by 1985.

Similarly, the Pakistani film industry used to generate an average of 20 Urdu films a year in the 1970s, but by the late 1980s, it was struggling to come out with even five a year.

The above photo was taken in 1969 outside Karachi’s famous Nishat Cinema. It was also one of the first cinemas to introduce in-house air-conditioning in cinemas in Pakistan. The picture shows a crowd of cine-goers gathered outside the already packed cinema waiting their turn to see the premiere of a Pakistani war flick, ‘Qasam uss waqt ki.’

Nishat survived the thorny Zia years, the VCR invasion and the local film industry’s collapse.

In fact Nishat still stands, reeking out a survival by running latest Indian and Hollywood films.

Resources: 50 years of Pakistani Cinema (Mushtaq Gazdar). Aqeel Jafiri (personal collection).

Just before the fall: This is the front page of Dawn that appeared only days before Pakistani troops surrendered meekly to the Indian army in former East Pakistan (December, 1971).

It is easy to spot the haunting irony on the page that is splashed with disastrous reports about the Pakistani war effort and an impending sense of doom – and yet (on the bottom right) there is a quarter-page ad placed by a large trading company showing the emblems of the Pakistan army, air-force and navy and assuring us that ‘Inshallah (God willing), the victory would be ours.’

In hindsight, one can suggest that denial is not exactly so new a trait that Pakistanis have acquired, post-9/11; because the truth is that to most Pakistanis the stunning 1971 surrender actually came as a rude and shocking surprise.
State-owned media and the armed forces had continued to claim that Pakistani forces were on the verge of a glorious victory right till (or just before) the final fall.

In fact, in the bulletin read out on Radio Pakistan only hours before the final defeat, the newscaster had reported that the Pakistan military was ‘continuing to deliver numerous setbacks and losses to the Indian army’. And we lapped it all up, like a kid smilingly licking an imaginary popsicle.

Resources: A History of Radio Pakistan (Nihal Ahmed).

Taliban, who? No, this is not an image from a bygone hippie flick. It is a picture of real hippies enjoying a few puffs of hashish on the roof of a cheap hotel in Peshawar in 1972. Yes, Peshawar.

Pakistan was an important destination that lay on what was called the ‘hippie trail’ – an overland route taken by young western and American bag-packers between 1967 and 1979 and that ran from Turkey, across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, usually ending in Nepal.

Numerous low-budget hotels and a thriving tourist industry sprang up (in Peshawar, Lahore and Karachi) to accommodate these travellers.

The hippie trail began eroding after the 1977 military coup in Pakistan, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and the beginning of the Afghan civil war (in 1979).

Resource: Eddie Woods (Photo)

Tequila twist! One of the rare photographs available of Karachi’s famous nightclub scene of the late 1960s and 1970s.

Live music, great food, lots of booze and dancing were the hallmarks of the scene. Shown here is a club band playing to a happy audience at a ‘mid-range’ nightclub in Karachi (in 1972).

According to former nightclub owner and entrepreneur, Tony Tufail, ‘Karachi would have gone on to become what Dubai later became if not for the ban.’*

*Nightclubs were closed down in April 1977.

Resource: Understanding Karachi (Arif Hassan); Instant City (Steve Inskeep).

Moonwalkers in Karachi, 1973: How many of you know or remember that the entire crew of NASA’s Apollo 17 flight to the moon visited Pakistan? In July 1973, astronauts of the United State’s last mission to the moon arrived in Karachi.

Their visit was widely covered by the press and Pakistan Television (PTV). The astronauts were also honoured by a ‘welcome motorcade procession’ that travelled from Clifton Road till Tower area.

The photograph shows the motorcade reaching the Saddar area that was decorated with Pakistani, American and PPP flags and colourful banners.

Some of the astronauts travelled in an open truck (see picture). The truck also carries a banner that reads (in Urdu): ‘Welcome to the Apollo 17 astronauts.’

Resource: US Consulate General-Pakistan.

Safer days, shorter walls: This is a 1974 picture of Karachi’s iconic Pearl Continental Hotel (then called the Intercontinental). Notice the short walls of the hotel, hardly 3 and a half feet tall!

Now compare them with the tall, thick walls and the chaotic barbed wire that surround the same hotel today and what with all the concrete barriers and dozens of armed security personnel that one has to go through.

Resource: Dawn

[AdeelSabih]

Say, Vat? Nothing extraordinary about this old 1975 Urdu film poster of a movie released at a time when the country’s film industry was booming. However, check out the bottle of whiskey, Vat-69.

This brand of whiskey (according to late filmmaker and cinema historian, Mushtaq Gazdar), appeared in hundreds of Pakistani films between 1950s and late 1970s. But why Vat 69?

Gazdar wasn’t sure, but he did notice that (for whatever reasons), this brand of whiskey was used by most Pakistani directors if they had to show a ‘good person’ drowning their sorrows with the help of a stiff drink, whereas other brands were used if a ‘bad person’ was shown having a shot or two.

Also, bars and nightclubs in Karachi, though stuffed with local brands of beer, vodka and whiskey, mainly stocked Vat 69 as their vintage foreign/imported brand.

Interestingly, after sale of alcohol was banned in 1977 (to Muslims), Vat 69 lost its iconic status and was replaced by local brands (such as Lion Whiskey) now available in ‘licensed wine shops’ in Karachi and the interior Sindh, and Black Label stocked by enterprising bootleggers.

At the art of it all: This 1975 photograph shows a group of some of Pakistan’s famous painters and sculptors with a visiting British artist at the Karachi Arts Council. Check out the flares, the sideburns and all. And they’re smoking inside the building. Awesome.

Marriot, 1977: This is a 1977 photograph showing Islamabad’s Marriot Hotel (then called Holiday Inn) being constructed. Almost three decades later this famous hotel was blown up by suicide bombers and/or psychotics who were in a hurry to reach the rooms their handlers had booked for them in paradise.

Notice the almost barren area in front of the hotel – a far cry from the wide roads, traffic signals and lines of trees and traffic that surrounds the area today.

Talking heads: A terrific 1975 photograph of a scholarly talk show on PTV. Intellectual talk shows were rather popular on TV in Pakistan in the 1970s. This one shows renowned playwrights, Ashfaq Ahmed and Bano Qudsia (centre right), talking about ‘socialist plays’ with the host.

Damned greatness: A 1976 photo of Pakistan’s Nobel Prize winning scientist, Dr. Abdus Salam (right), with a colleague at a summer college held at Pakistan’s scenic Nathiyagali resort.

Considered to be one of the greatest minds produced by Pakistan, Dr. Salam, a devout member of the Ahmadi community, was associated with various scientific and developmental projects undertaken by the government from the 1950s till 1974.

He quit and left Pakistan in protest after the Ahmadis were declared as non-Muslim (in the 1973 Constitution).

However, he kept returning to the country on the invitation of friends, but he never reconciled with those who’d pushed to declare his community a non-Muslim minority in the country of his birth and work.

Resources: Abdus Salam Archives (Picture).

Hippie invasion: Cover of the soundtrack album (LP) of 1974 box-office hit, Miss Hippie. The film depicted the ‘effect hippie lifestyle and fashion were having on Pakistani youth.’ (sic)

Starring popular 1970s Pakistani film actress, Shabnam, the film conveniently forgot that more than half of the hashish that was being consumed by the ‘invading hippies’ was actually being produced and smuggled in and from Pakistan!

Pray tell: Photograph showing late Pir Pagara talking to the press at the Karachi Press Club in 1977. Pagara was heading a right-wing movement against the Z. A. Bhutto regime.

Here he is seen talking to the press (surrounded by some members of the Jamat-i-Islami, Jamat Ulema Islam and Jamiat Ulema Pakistan).

The men then got up to say their evening prayers.

However, a commotion broke out between the religious leaders of the movement when JI and JUI men refused to pray behind JUP leader, Shah Noorani.

JUI was inclined towards Sunni Deobandi school of thought whereas Noorani was from the pro-Barelvi JUP. Though united in their opposition to Bhutto’s ‘socialism’, both men thought the other was a ‘misguided Muslim.’

The King wuz here: Rare poster of Indian Ghazal king (and queen) Jagit & Chitra’s tour of Lahore in 1979. They held a series of successful concerts, with the most colourful one taking place in the city’s historical Shalimar Gardens.

Perversity thy name is morality: A disturbing 1978 photo of one of the first public floggings ordered by General Ziaul Haq’s military courts.

Hundreds of student leaders, trade union activists, journalists and petty criminals were flogged between 1978 and 1981.

Here, floggers with lethal leather sticks in their hands and belonging to the Punjab police are seen stepping on a sentenced man’s back after delivering a flogging ordered by a Lahore military court.

Resources: World Press Archives (Picture)

[AdeelSabih]

Not in our name: Women organisations were at the forefront of the many movements that took place against the brutal Ziaul Haq dictatorship. This 1980 photograph is from a violent protest held by female college students (in Lahore) against the Zia regime’s ‘masochistic attitude’ towards women.

Resources: Herald (April, 1980).

Desperado, 1981: This is a rare photograph of notorious Pakistani left-wing radical, Salamulla Tipu, hanging out from the cockpit of a PIA plane that he had hijacked with three other colleagues in 1981.

Tipu, a leftist student leader from Karachi, had joined Murtaza Bhutto’s Al-Zulfikar Organisation (AZO) to instigate an urban guerrilla war against the Ziaul Haq dictatorship (1977-88).

The plane was hijacked from Karachi, flown to Kabul and then to Damascus. Tipu and co. (armed with AK-47s and hand grenades), only released the passengers after the Zia regime agreed to release 50-plus political prisoners from jails.

In 1984, however, in an ironic twist of fate, Tipu the Marxist revolutionary, was executed by the pro-Soviet regime in Kabul after he’d fallen out with Murtaza Bhutto, while the other hijackers travelled to Libya where they are said to be still living.

Resources: The Terrorist Prince (Raja Anwar); Abbas Ali (Personal Collection)

Before the lights went out: Great photograph of former Pakistani fast bowlers and best mates, Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz. The picture was taken at a nightclub in Melbourne in 1981, where the two fast men were on a cricket tour with the Pakistan team.

Known to be hearty ‘party boys’, Khan and Nawaz were invited at the inauguration of the nightclub (called ‘Sef’).

According to the owner of the club (a Pakistani-Australian), Nawaz ‘loved to drink’ while Khan was ‘always a hit with the women and a great dancer.’

Khan and Nawaz remained best buddies till the early 1990s before becoming bitter foes after Khan became a ‘born-again Muslim’ and Nawaz joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Resource: Jim Davis (picture)

[ElRaja]

wow amazing stuff man, these pics should also be put in the memorable pic thread. sarfraz looks like hes straight out of 70s miami.

[AdeelSabih]

Originally Posted by ElRaja wow amazing stuff man, these pics should also be put in the memorable pic thread. sarfraz looks like hes straight out of 70s miami.

Those were the days, man As far as 'Big Saf' is concern

[WithLoveFromCanada]

Wow!!! great post. Please keep it coming.

El Raja is right! AdeelSabih please contribute in this thread as well.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/sh...d.php?t=138370

[DeadlyVenom]

What an excellent thread! Great pictures, have just skimmed through the text as I'm at work but will read in detail at home. Thanks for posting.

[AdeelSabih]

Sorry forgot to mention Nadeem Fareed Paracha. Orignal Poster from Dawn.

Originally Posted by WithLoveFromCanada Wow!!! great post. Please keep it coming. El Raja is right! AdeelSabih please contribute in this thread as well. http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/sh...d.php?t=138370

Fantastic thread WLFC! Will contribune Insha'allah

Originally Posted by DeadlyVenom What an excellent thread! Great pictures, have just skimmed through the text as I'm at work but will read in detail at home. Thanks for posting.

Thank you pal

[Gotham Cronie]

Brilliant thread!

[Looney]

Yeah i heard that there were a lot of nightclubs everywhere in Karachi , something you cannot even think about now . I did read this article from NFP . It is quite unbelievable , right ? Only within a few decades , the mindset of the people has changed so much .

[Cryin Out Loud]

One of the best threads in my time on PP. Amazing stuff, especially from my, Indian, perspective.

[kraken]

most of the things highlighted as great are; HARAM! so, stay in the dark ages!

[humzy]

Mate you are awsome, this is the best thread on pakpassion! Thank you for taking the time out to share this with us.
My mum always mentions to me how pakistan in the 60s and 70s was nothing like it is now, but i never got to see actual visual images and stories of how it was. Thank you once again

[Love Pakistan]

Originally Posted by kraken most of the things highlighted as great are; HARAM! so, stay in the dark ages!

Yeahhh this thread along with Shezaan is haraam! Stay away ppl!

[dps2009]

wow seemed pakistan was quiet liberal till the 70's .. too bad Zia happened to you guys.

[justarslan]

Thank you for posting it.

[justarslan]

Originally Posted by kraken most of the things highlighted as great are; HARAM! so, stay in the dark ages!

Who are you or Govt to decide what people do in their personal lives?

[kraken]

Originally Posted by justarslan Who are you or Govt to decide what people do in their personal lives?

good question, should have been asked to Zia-ul-haq many years back

[CORNERED-TIGER]

Great Thread Pakistan Zindabad

[AdeelSabih]

Originally Posted by kraken Most of the things highlighted as great are; HARAM! so, stay in the dark ages!

Don't you watch Indian Premier League? Don't you? Haram Hai who bhi, mat dekha karo!

Originally Posted by humzy Mate you are awsome, this is the best thread on pakpassion! Thank you for taking the time out to share this with us. My mum always mentions to me how pakistan in the 60s and 70s was nothing like it is now, but i never got to see actual visual images and stories of how it was. Thank you once again

Will take this as a complement, Hamza. Your amma was quite lucky to be there in that era of 60's and 70's. Freedom was the word instantly comes to mind!

Originally Posted by justarslan Who are you or Govt to decide what people do in their personal lives?

Maya Khan!

Originally Posted by kraken Good question, should have been asked to Zia-ul-haq many years back

Then this would happen!

And After this immense beating. Shezan Juice with Zia at President House. No hard feelings brother.

[dhump]

I feel sad after this those were the days.

[AdeelSabih]

Originally Posted by dhump I feel sad after this those were the days.

As said, sad but true. We should appreciate NFP's effort for doing this work in these circumstances.

[Gabbar Singh]

Amazing pictures.

[shahrukh619]

Zia was really an ugly person....

thx for the pics btw..

[Looney]

From Nadeem F Paracha 's blog on Dawn


Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, addresses a rally at Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum in Karachi in 1969. (Photo courtesy of eBay.)


Army troops patrol the streets opposite Club Road and near PIDC building in Karachi, during the anti-Ayub Khan protest movement in 1969.


Legendary jazz saxophonist and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, visited Pakistan during his whirlwind tour of Asia and the Middle East in the early 1950s. Here, he is seen playing his sax with a Sindhi snake charmer at a public park in Karachi in 1954.


Famous Hollywood stars Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger arrive at Lahore Airport, 1954. The actors arrived in Lahore with a full filming crew to shoot a major portion of the film ‘Bhowani Junction.’


Ava Gardner shooting a scene at the Lahore Railway Station in 1954.


Pakistani fans and artistes gather around the main cast of Bhowani Junction on the film’s sets in Lahore.


A 1964 PIA press ad featuring famous Hollywood comedian and actor Bob Hope. PIA was one of the first airlines in the world to introduce in-flight entertainment. It regularly featured in all the prestigious top-10-airline lists for over 20 years, before dropping out in the mid-1980s.


This is a 1967 press ad published in LIFE magazine for the American insurance company, Continental Insurance.

The number of American and British tourists visiting Pakistan began to grow from the early 1960s. The trend hit a peak in the late 1970s before starting to dwindle and peter out in the mid-1980s. It (in a tongue-in-cheek manner) addresses those traveling to Karachi and getting injured during a ‘camel crash.’


American Embassy building under construction in Karachi, 1957. (Photo courtesy of eBay.)

Completed in the late 1950s, the building became an iconic structure on Karachi’s Abdullah Haroon Road.

Apart from having a busy visa section, it also housed a state-of-the-art projection hall and a widespread library, which was used by generations of Karachi’s school and college students before it was closed down in the late 1990s.

Easy to access across the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s – the building was gradually barricaded and heavily fortified after the tragic September 11 episode in 2001. The visa section was moved to Islamabad, before returning to Karachi in 2012 (in a different building and compound).

This building faced at least four terrorist attacks between 2002 and 2006 and survived them all.

Though the US consulate has now moved to a different location in Karachi, the building still stands.

[Looney]

Part of the cast and crew of Pakistan Television (PTV)’s 1970 play, ‘Shazori,’ at a reception given in their honour by Canada Dry beverages company.

Shakeel (third from left) became a heartthrob and sex symbol, being cast in a number of famous PTV plays as a hero throughout the 1970s. He also tried his luck in films but failed to gain the kind of popularity he enjoyed on television.

Today, in his sixties, he still appears on the mini-screen as a character actor.


Newspaper ad (taken from DAWN’s 7 February, 1972 edition) announcing the arrival of a Lebanese belly dancer in Karachi.

Between the early 1960s and late 1970s, Karachi was dotted by a number of nightclubs that competed for clients by offering the best in-house pop bands, bars and professional belly dancers invited from cities like Beirut, Cairo, Tehran and Istanbul.

Nightclubs were ordered shut in 1977.


A vibrant 1973 poster prepared and printed by the Pakistan Ministry of Tourism to attract tourism to the city of Lahore.


A copy of famous spy novelist, Edward S. Arron’s 1962 book ‘Assignment Karachi.’

The book was one of the many he wrote that involved the adventures of CIA agent Sam Durell in various cities across the world.

This novel, which narrated the tale of Durell working with Pakistani authorities to capture Soviet-backed henchmen, became an instant best-seller in Pakistan.

However, in a quirky twist, some copies of this novel were set on fire by pro-Soviet leftist students during a demonstration (at the Karachi University) against Ayub Khan’s education policy in 1962.


A 1967 tourism poster for Karachi (printed by American airline Pan Am and used in Europe and the US).


A special stamp released by government of Pakistan in 1973, to plead the return of the 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war captured by the Indian forces during the 1971 war.

Pakistan lost its eastern wing (East Pakistan) in the war. The break gave birth to Bangladesh.


A 1970 copy of a paperback version of the conspiratorial (and fictitious) book, ‘Protocols of Zion,’ printed in Pakistan in 1969.

The Protocols, a book describing a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world, first appeared in Russia in 1903. It was written by an obscure Russian anti-Semite author (most probably as a novel), but was given a whole new angle and widespread publicity by anti-Semite American industrial tycoons like Henry Ford and then by the Nazi regime in Germany.

Though constantly debunked as a hoax and a farce, the book soon became popular among Arabs incensed by the creation of Israel in 1948.

The book was little known in Pakistan until the Saudi Arabian regime used Pakistani publishers to print it for the Saudi monarchy in 1969.


Two hippie tourists at a tea shop in Sibi, Balochistan, in 1972.


A section of a bar in Karachi seen in 1974.

Before the sale of alcohol beverages was banned (to Muslims) in Pakistan in April, 1977, Karachi had the largest number of bars in the country.

This particular bar (called “Karachi On”) was situated at Elphinstone Street, in the Saddar area of Karachi. The area was home to a number of nightclubs.

The picture belongs to Ali Huda Shah, whose maternal uncle was the owner of the bar. It was shut down in April 1977.

Today, though there are no public bars in Pakistan, however, licensed liquor outlets selling local beer, whiskey, gin and rum brands still operate in Karachi and the rest of Sindh.

The makers of these local brands are some of the leading tax-paying companies in the country.


A still from one of the most famous one-off plays on Pakistan television, ‘Quratul Ain’ (1975).

[Inswinger]

Great thread Looney!!! Brilliant!

[Looney]

A shelf in a shop displaying Scotch whiskey brands in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s ‘Bara market’ (smugglers’ market) in 1977.

The market was popular with both foreign tourists as well as Pakistanis coming from Karachi and Lahore to buy imported and/or smuggled cloth, clothes, shoes, electronic good and foreign whiskey brands.

The Bara area began to come under the influence of Islamist groups from the late 1980s and today the area has no such market and is in the grip of a violent and bloody conflict between armed fundamentalist outfits and the state of Pakistan.


Poster and still from 1975’s Pakistani film, ‘Dulhan Aik Raat Ki’ (A Bride for One Night).

The flick was Pakistan’s first Urdu film advertised as ‘For Adults Only.’ In the mid-1970s, British and American ‘adult films’ had become a hugely successful outing for young middle-class Pakistanis and couples, and by 1974-75, films (especially in Karachi) labelled ‘For Adults Only,’ were doing a roaring business.

Karachi’s Rio Cinema and Palace Cinema became known for running such films (Rio today is a gaudy shopping mall while Palace was converted into a marriage hall).

Such films were mainly low-budget European and American romantic farces in which nudity scenes and sexual content were allowed to be shown by the censors, thus the tag: ‘For Adults Only’.

Inspired by the period’s ‘Adult Film’ phenomenon, Mumtaz Ali Khan directed Pakistan’s first Urdu film that was ‘For Adults Only.’ It was appropriately called ‘Dulhan Aik Raat Ki’.

Inspired by the period’s ‘Adult Film’ phenomenon, Mumtaz Ali Khan directed Pakistan’s first Urdu film that was ‘For Adults Only.’ It was appropriately called ‘Dulhan Aik Raat Ki’.

Staring late Badar Munir (then known as the ‘Charles Bronson of Pakistan) and a number of famous 1970s Punjabi and Pushtun film actresses, it was a raunchy fusion of violent Italian spaghetti westerns and 1970s European soft-porn.

It was disallowed a re-release in the 1980s by the Zia dictatorship and was only made available (on VHS) in the late 1980s. It is still not available on DVD, but can be found on VCD.


A video grab from PTV’s groundbreaking coverage of the 1970 general elections.

Running consecutively for 48 hours, the 1970 election transmission was one of the first long duration live events telecast by PTV.

Seen in the picture is famous PTV anchor of the 1970s, Laeeq Ahmed, pointing at the number of seats (162) won by the Bengali nationalist party in former East Pakistan, the Awami League (AL).

In 1971 AL rebelled against the West Pakistan military establishment (for not giving it the democratic right to lead the new democratic regime as a majority party), and after a bloody civil war, East Pakistan broke away and became the independent Bengali republic of Bangladesh.

Notice how the host is holding a cigarette in his hand while discussing the election results. TV hosts commonly smoked on the air until the practice was discontinued in the early 1980s.


A 1973 psychedelic poster of Pakistani rock band Irwin’s Terror.

The band was made up of (from left) Irfan Bawany (guitar), Tuppu (drums), Uruj Malik (bass) and Owne Patrick (keyboards).

Bands like Irwin’s Terror were different from the famous bands of the era that played exclusively at nightclubs (see bellow). Irwin’s Terror played harder versions of rock music and mostly performed at high school parties.


A 1978 picture of Iggy Fernandez, famous Pakistani guitar player, who committed suicide in 1980.

Iggy belonged to the Goan Christian community of Karachi that was very active in the city’s pop music scene in the 1960s and 1970s. He often performed solo at nightclubs and was dubbed as the ‘Jimi Hendrix of Pakistan.’

Exceptionally talented, Iggy got caught-up in a vicious love triangle that led him to jump from the roof of Hotel Metropole in Karachi, in 1981.

The few recordings of his performances that survived his tragic demise went on to influence moody guitar wizards like Aamir Zaki.


A 1974 photo showing famous Karachi pop band the In Crowed performing at the Playboy nightclub on Karachi’s Club Road. The club was closed down in 1977.


A 1974 press ad of Red & White cigarettes. Just like in other airports of the world at the time, smoking was allowed in all areas of Pakistani airports as well. The shoot for this ad took place at the old Karachi Airport that worked as a hub in the region and was one of the busiest airports in Asia receiving up to 60 flights in an hour from around the world.

The man is sitting at a famous waiting lounge/restaurant at the airport (Sky Grill) that also had a full bar and was the only place at the airport that was centrally air-conditioned.


Former Pakistani Test batsman Sadiq Muhammad (left) and former Pakistan cricket captain, Mushtaq Muhammad, share a beer in Sydney in January, 1977.

The picture was taken inside the players’ dressing room at the Sydney Cricket Ground after Pakistan defeated a strong Australian Test side. This was Pakistan’s first Test victory against Australia in Australia. With the victory, Pakistan squared the series 1-1 after being one down in the series. Seen in the background is a shirtless Imran Khan who took 12 wickets in the match.


Pakistan cricket team’s famous pace duo, Imran Khan and Sarfraz Nawaz, at a nightclub in Melbourne in 1981.

The picture was taken during Pakistan team’s 1981 tour of Australia. Architects of various wins by the Pakistan team in the 1970s and early 1980s, Imran and Sarfraz who were both best friends but had a major falling out as politicians in the 1990s.

Sarfraz, a long-time Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supporter, joined the PPP after retirement (in 1988) whereas Khan formed his own party (1996). Nawaz changed allegiances last year, when he switched to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).


A 1973 photo of Nawaz Sharif. Sharif came from a business family and according to a biography (published in 2004), he was a music and film enthusiast and a PPP/Bhutto supporter at college (in the late 1960s).

In the 1970s his family had a falling out with the PPP regime it nationalised a large part of the Sharif family’s businesses.

Nawaz joined politics in the 1980s, guided by anti-PPP dictator, Ziaul Haq. Today his party, the PML-N, is the second largest political party in Pakistan after the PPP.

[Looney]

Originally Posted by Inswinger Great thread Looney!!! Brilliant!

Thanks , bro . There was another part one thread which I cannot find . Anyway , the credit goes to PP 's favourite NFP for compiling it .

[mithun_minhas]

Pakistan seemed to be a very liberal society back in 50's & 60's.

Night Clubs in Pak sounds very odd now.

Saw a similar pics from Iran/Afghanistan too when their society used to be very liberal. Must have seen them on Youtube.

[akheR]

Originally Posted by Looney Legendary jazz saxophonist and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, visited Pakistan during his whirlwind tour of Asia and the Middle East in the early 1950s. Here, he is seen playing his sax with a Sindhi snake charmer at a public park in Karachi in 1954.

OMG!

Damn, Pakistan, esp. Karachi, had a vibrant culture back then... really wonder if the Zia disease spared Pakistan, what would be the state of our arts (music, cinema, ...) nowadays.
One recent discovery I loved, The Fatah Brothers (from Karachi) in the 60s, covering some Bob Marley:



Thanks for the thread, kudos to the N.F.P.

[Looney]

People are still pretty liberal to moderate in Karachi , generally speaking . You just don`t see it all happening as openly .

[saj001]

We are still pretty liberals.

Mullahs still don't get votes.

But i despise this NFP. He says he is Liberal yet all of his articles are targeting right wingers.

[Runner Up]

Nice thread. Very informative

[Runner Up]

Originally Posted by mithun_minhas Pakistan seemed to be a very liberal society back in 50's & 60's. Night Clubs in Pak sounds very odd now. Saw a similar pics from Iran/Afghanistan too when their society used to be very liberal. Must have seen them on Youtube.

They still exist. The problem is media only shows bad picture of Pakistan. This includes Pakistani media as well as International Media.

[Legend Killer]

Originally Posted by mithun_minhas Pakistan seemed to be a very liberal society back in 50's & 60's. Night Clubs in Pak sounds very odd now. Saw a similar pics from Iran/Afghanistan too when their society used to be very liberal. Must have seen them on Youtube.

Originally Posted by Runner Up They still exist. The problem is media only shows bad picture of Pakistan. This includes Pakistani media as well as International Media.

So having night clubs is a good thing?

[violet_may]

Hard to find good music nowadays from Pak scene. I still listen to the old stuff.

Looking at old pics from family photo albums, Karachi was awesome-er back in the day it seems.

[Inswinger]

Originally Posted by Legend Killer So having night clubs is a good thing?

Is it a bad thing?

[freelance_cricketer]

Great thread Looney

Nice to see all that. Hopefully good old days will return very soon. Good luck guys. Sarfraz's shirt

[Looney]

Found the 1st part posted earlier : http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/sh....php?p=4665710

Thread could be merged

[Looney]

Originally Posted by Runner Up They still exist. The problem is media only shows bad picture of Pakistan. This includes Pakistani media as well as International Media.

Really , where ?

I only know of private ones in posh areas only that are not open to the public .

[IgnitedMind]

Awesome Awesome Pictures!!!Thanks for sharing...

From articles I have read,pictures I have seen..pakistan was on a right track..good economy...best in Asia I heard barring china(Correct me), less attacks...donno what happened in the 80's....suprisingly looks more liberal than pakistan today(atleast what is shwon in the media today)....

I hope the good old days return for pakistan..

[Looney]

Originally Posted by Legend Killer So having night clubs is a good thing?

CLosing them down certainly isn`t when people want to go to nightclubs . You will find sheesha bars filled with rich and middle class Pakistanis , while the poor don`t mind " huqqa . "

Even a casino was built , apparently , there was demand for it .

Another interesting article
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/02/141915...-global-player

[Looney]

Originally Posted by navroks123 Awesome Awesome Pictures!!!Thanks for sharing... From articles I have read,pictures I have seen..pakistan was on a right track..good economy...best in Asia I heard barring china(Correct me), less attacks...donno what happened in the 80's....suprisingly looks more liberal than pakistan today(atleast what is shwon in the media today).... I hope the good old days return for pakistan..

Military interference is a major , major factor .

[Thees_Mar_Khan]

Zia-ul-Haq and the Army sold pakistan's liberalism to west for money during the Afghan war. What we are seeing today is the result of getting involved in the cold war b/w US and USSR for dollars which only benefitted the army and politicians and ruined the lifes of ordinary pakistanis.

[Looney]

Another one


You know , I don`t blame the West when our own people , the current generation particularly , is unaware of Pakistan 's recent history . Not just our media but our previous generations never tell us .

BTW Can you imagine this band performing on COKE STUDIO The Christian Goan community has contributed a lot to Pakistani music . Even Gumby and Shallum Xavier are of the same background .

Originally Posted by akheR OMG! Damn, Pakistan, esp. Karachi, had a vibrant culture back then... really wonder if the Zia disease spared Pakistan, what would be the state of our arts (music, cinema, ...) nowadays. One recent discovery I loved, The Fatah Brothers (from Karachi) in the 60s, covering some Bob Marley: Thanks for the thread, kudos to the N.F.P.

[the Great Khan]

yes bring back the beer and nightclubs..is ki kusar ray gay hay!..

[deviously~fading~away]

Originally Posted by navroks123 Awesome Awesome Pictures!!!Thanks for sharing... From articles I have read,pictures I have seen..pakistan was on a right track..good economy...best in Asia I heard barring china(Correct me), less attacks...donno what happened in the 80's....suprisingly looks more liberal than pakistan today(atleast what is shwon in the media today).... I hope the good old days return for pakistan..

Soviet invasion of Afghanistan really ****ed things up.

[Runner Up]

Originally Posted by Looney Really , where ? I only know of private ones in posh areas only that are not open to the public .

google.com

Joking aside, post Khi Food street pics if you have any.

[Warfare]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan yes bring back the beer and nightclubs..is ki kusar ray gay hay!..

If you don't like it, then you don't need to drink beer or go to nightclubs.

No need to force your moral/religious/cultural values on everyone else.

[Looney]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan yes bring back the beer and nightclubs..is ki kusar ray gay hay!..

It has always been there .

[akheR]

Originally Posted by Looney Another one You know , I don`t blame the West when our own people , the current generation particularly , is unaware of Pakistan 's recent history . Not just our media but our previous generations never tell us . BTW Can you imagine this band performing on COKE STUDIO The Christian Goan community has contributed a lot to Pakistani music . Even Gumby and Shallum Xavier are of the same background .

Forget these guys, I know some indie groups from our era who would have been busy making movie OSTs in some other countries, the blame goes on the whole social set-up which is centred around nepotism in all fields, not only culture.
"Mole" has been included in Coke Studio because one of the member happens to be Rohail Hyatt's son (Daniyal, though they're good) but I doubt that we'll see a lot of good groups acceding to that platform.
There's a video with pictures of some twenty Karachi-based bands from the 60s-70s, and indeed you can read there are quite few "D'Souza".

[Looney]

Originally Posted by Runner Up google.com Joking aside, post Khi Food street pics if you have any.

http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/sh...=139698&page=2

Bhai check this thread out : http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/sh...d.php?t=139698


Warning - thread may make you want to book a ticket to Karachi . Jaib khali hone ki soorat maiN Looney zimmedar nahi .

That Food Street is called Porte Grand and it was under construction when I went . They have a website too now .

Yeh saaray phool niche jidhar lagay haiN wohi jagah hai .

[Looney]

Originally Posted by akheR Forget these guys, I know some indie groups from our era who would have been busy making movie OSTs in some other countries, the blame goes on the whole social set-up which is centred around nepotism in all fields, not only culture. "Mole" has been included in Coke Studio because one of the member happens to be Rohail Hyatt's son (Daniyal, though they're good) but I doubt that we'll see a lot of good groups acceding to that platform. There's a video with pictures of some twenty Karachi-based bands from the 60s-70s, and indeed you can read there are quite few "D'Souza".

Bhai kahaN kahaN se dhoond ke nikal rahey haiN ?





You should watch this documentary

[tanzeel]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan yes bring back the beer and nightclubs..is ki kusar ray gay hay!..

How's this for an idea? You don't want to drink or go to nightclubs, don't. Leave us Pakistanis alone, this nazi-esque authoritarianism has ruined the country enough, socially and economically. What was once on track to be a great nation, one that was seen as an inspiration by the likes of Korea, has now regressed to the level of freaking Bangladesh and India.

[akheR]

Originally Posted by Looney Bhai kahaN kahaN se dhoond ke nikal rahey haiN ? You should watch this documentary

Just a candid interest in Pakistan's cultural history which constantly takes me to fresh historical shores.

By the way, call it fate, but just watched that some hours before...



...want to see jazz revival in Pakistan. :'3

Will defo. take a look at the documentary!

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by tanzeel How's this for an idea? You don't want to drink or go to nightclubs, don't. Leave us Pakistanis alone, this nazi-esque authoritarianism has ruined the country enough, socially and economically. What was once on track to be a great nation, one that was seen as an inspiration by the likes of Korea, has now regressed to the level of freaking Bangladesh and India.

Very uncalled for. Here we are wishing you well and there you saying such things about Bangladesh and India. I am disappointed.

[tanzeel]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Very uncalled for. Here we are wishing you well and there you saying such things about Bangladesh and India. I am disappointed.

Look at it from our point of view. It's not meant to insult India or Bangladesh but you can't deny the fact that going from South Korea imitating your five year plans to having development indicators comparable to India is a massive downgrade and you can't really fathom how much it bites at those who ended up on the wrong side of this transformation.

[freelance_cricketer]

^ May be it had a lot to do with this pathetic attitude of looking down upon others. Serves you right. 'Freaking' India and Bangladesh? Yea right, enjoy the drones.


You just made a disgusting comment. Admit and move on.

[KingKhanWC]

Pakistan will never allow alcohol to be legalised again because the majority don't want it to be legal. It's time these faux liberal secularists woke up and smelt the coffee. A small radical minority cannot dictate society to the majority whether it's religious extremists or secular liberal extremists.

[ElRaja]

nice thread looney, its always fun to see pics of pakistan in better times.

[mithun_minhas]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer ^ May be it had a lot to do with this pathetic attitude of looking down upon others. Serves you right. 'Freaking' India and Bangladesh? Yea right, enjoy the drones. You just made a disgusting comment. Admit and move on.

Dude,
Where India was back in early 90's is where Pakistan is now.

The only thing that Tanzeel missed is the fact that the current situation of Pak is comparable to India back in 80's and early 90's.

I am sure what Tanzeel wrote only reflects his disgust for current Pak situation rather than demeaning India or Banglas.

[Looney]

Originally Posted by KingKhanWC Pakistan will never allow alcohol to be legalised again because the majority don't want it to be legal. It's time these faux liberal secularists woke up and smelt the coffee. A small radical minority cannot dictate society to the majority whether it's religious extremists or secular liberal extremists.

Of all the things that have gone wrong in Pakistan , if the legalisation of alcohol or how exactly a woman should dress up is what we can find to comment on then the situation we are in serves us right .

[Looney]

I would say what Tanzeel said can be demeaning but India and Bangladesh must be doing something right . I mean , Pakistani businessmen are now moving to the same freaking Bangladesh .

[KingKhanWC]

Originally Posted by Looney Of all the things that have gone wrong in Pakistan , if the legalisation of alcohol or how exactly a woman should dress up is what we can find to comment on then the situation we are in serves us right .

What exactly is your point in this thread? There are thousands of historic pictures you could have chosen but why these? I can only comment on what you have posted. How about you for once explain what you mean, not everyone is a looney?

[Looney]

Originally Posted by KingKhanWC What exactly is your point in this thread? There are thousands of historic pictures you could have chosen but why these? I can only comment on what you have posted. How about you for once explain what you mean, not everyone is a looney?

Pakistan was a lot more tolerant . Sure , not everyone must have been drinking and going to nightclubs even back then but they were not at least blowing these places up just because they wanted to force the same set of values they grew up with on everyone . They are now bombing schools nowadays , let alone " nightclubs "

[90MPH]

Originally Posted by Looney Of all the things that have gone wrong in Pakistan , if the legalisation of alcohol or how exactly a woman should dress up is what we can find to comment on then the situation we are in serves us right .

Well said. These pictures show Pakistan could (and still can) have been an open and tolerant country.
If there are clubs or drink available you don't have to go or drink it - the majority will stay away from it anyway I suspect.

[KingKhanWC]

Originally Posted by Looney Pakistan was a lot more tolerant . Sure , not everyone must have been drinking and going to nightclubs even back then but they were not at least blowing these places up just because they wanted to force the same set of values they grew up with on everyone . They are now bombing schools nowadays , let alone " nightclubs "

So according to you allowing drinking in society would change society so much it would stop bomb attacks and extra judicial killings in Pakistan? Fantastic.

Pakistan has these issues because of corruption and geopolitical changes in the region.

I've heard some strange views but this takes the biscuit.

[the Great Khan]

Wait this is the same 70's where we tolerated our bangla brothers, where we tolerated our balochi brothers and also declared ahmedis kaffir.. By the way things were so great that we tolerated assassinations, haraam zadgi and God knows what else..

Now the revisionist secularists want us to believe that everything that is wrong with our country is because of Islam dari walas mullahs or whatever..

Im sick and tired of this crap..in my opinion you are either a believer or not..I am a muslim.and i dont know what the rest of you are but it will be a cold day in hell before i accept these debauched stupid values that are destroying many societies across the world..

Answer me this are you people Muslims? Have you any honour or shame left? If im a nazi then so are the companions pbut!! Besharum laog

[Aly]

Originally Posted by KingKhanWC So according to you allowing drinking in society would change society so much it would stop bomb attacks and extra judicial killings in Pakistan? Fantastic. Pakistan has these issues because of corruption and geopolitical changes in the region. I've heard some strange views but this takes the biscuit.

he meant that if instead of encouraging a culture of theocracies, sharias, religious states, we had just encouraged a culture of tolerance, religious freedom, secular values etc, the situation wouldn't have been as grim.

I mean lets admit it, even with all the corruption, chaos etc we would have at worst become Bangladesh ..still better than the current dire state of affairs the self-imploding Castle of Islam is in?..right?

[Looney]

Originally Posted by KingKhanWC So according to you allowing drinking in society would change society so much it would stop bomb attacks and extra judicial killings in Pakistan? Fantastic. Pakistan has these issues because of corruption and geopolitical changes in the region. I've heard some strange views but this takes the biscuit.

Nowhere in this thread have I said it should be legalized or not . I am indifferent to it , I already live in the West where it is available yet I don`t drink .


I am talking about the lack of tolerance only .

[the Great Khan]

As far as i lnow the only places these scum are blowing up are masjids..but then most of you are so drugged up smoking pot or pissed you probably couldnt give a crap about kids blown up in masajid or innocent labourers killed on the way to work..because hey its their own damn faultfor believing in Islam...idiots should drink some bloody jack daniels since muslims are nazi's..

[the Great Khan]

Originally Posted by Aly he meant that if instead of encouraging a culture of theocracies, sharias, religious states, we had just encouraged a culture of tolerance, religious freedom, secular values etc, the situation wouldn't have been as grim. I mean lets admit it, even with all the corruption, chaos etc we would have at worst become Bangladesh ..still better than the current dire state of affairs the self-imploding Castle of Islam is in?..right?

Sorry but how many times have you been banned..?? Like a bad penny he shows up again with same medieval ideas of intolerance..

[Looney]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan As far as i lnow the only places these scum are blowing up are masjids..but then most of you are so drugged up smoking pot or pissed you probably couldnt give a crap about kids blown up in masajid or innocent labourers killed on the way to work..because hey its their own damn faultfor believing in Islam...idiots should drink some bloody jack daniels since muslims are nazi's..

Can you tell me where you live ?

[KingKhanWC]

Originally Posted by Aly he meant that if instead of encouraging a culture of theocracies, sharias, religious states, we had just encouraged a culture of tolerance, religious freedom, secular values etc, the situation wouldn't have been as grim. I mean lets admit it, even with all the corruption, chaos etc we would have at worst become Bangladesh ..still better than the current dire state of affairs the self-imploding Castle of Islam is in?..right?

Who has encouraged this? No religious party has ever been in power and probably won't for some time to come. Perhaps you don't know but Zardari is a liberal secularist. He sure has bought a lot of tolerance to the nation. He's tolerating drones attacks blowing up children and is tolerating the US to take Pakistani nukes. What more tolerance do you want?

I am talking about the lack of tolerance only .

What lack of tolerance? Nearly almost all nations ban a drug of some sort, it just happens to be alcohol(with others) in Pakistan. How is this related to the current bomb blasts and killings in Pakistan?

[the Great Khan]

Originally Posted by Looney Can you tell me where you live ?

Take a guess..and dont try to act smart..

Intolerance seems to.permeate this forum latley..

[Looney]

Originally Posted by KingKhanWC Who has encouraged this? No religious party has ever been in power and probably won't for some time to come. Perhaps you don't know but Zardari is a liberal secularist. He sure has bought a lot of tolerance to the nation. He's tolerating drones attacks blowing up children and is tolerating the US to take Pakistani nukes. What more tolerance do you want? What lack of tolerance? Nearly almost all nations ban a drug of some sort, it just happens to be alcohol(with others) in Pakistan. How is they related to the current bomb blasts and killings in Pakistan?

Bro , THIS thread about a school being blown up in Pakistan . Is that related to alcohol ? Or how about Masjids of different sects being blown up because of that my sect is better than yours mindset that The Great Khan is so concerned about ? How about killing and harassing Ahmedis and forcibly trying to convert minorities ? How about the ethnic groups fighting among themselves ? You know , tolerance is not just about legalizing drugs and alcohol here . Tolerance is about trying to be more accepting of others views , opinions and actions without resorting to violence .

[Looney]

Originally Posted by the Great Khan Take a guess..and dont try to act smart.. Intolerance seems to.permeate this forum latley..

I just asked you a simple question . If you are trying to provoke and rile everyone up instead of trying to get your point across in a civilized manner then I suggest you to stop posting in this thread .

[freelance_cricketer]

As if Looney came here to sell alcohol

[mithun_minhas]

(Mushtaq & Sadiq Mohammed) were drinking beer? Can any current Pak player think of doing it in public?

70's Pakistan looks like a set taken out of 70's bollywood movie.