The Pakistani Spectator

A New Column on UK Pakistanis, but Why?

Born in Pakistan but had education in UK,live in Bradford West Yorkshire( Little Pakistan) or simply Bradistan ( as shown in film “East is East”). The columns are from the perspective of  a person who was born in Pakistan but spent my teenage and adult life in Bradford, I hope to provide a perspective of Pakistanis living abroad.

My interest in  culture and politics in Pakistan and United Kingdom motivated me to blog for the Pakistani community in Pakistan and Europe, covering less covered areas in culture society and politics.

Bradistan has high number of Pakistanis living in this city, a quarter of  the population in the whole district of  Bradford is of  Pakistani and Kashmiri origin .Large parts of city  feel like mini Anarkali Lahore or Clifton Karachi  with expensive curry restaurants and fashion  boutiques. Bradford(along side Birmingham) is  known for its Punjabi bhangra music bands (famously Fun-da- mental,The Caliphs and R-D-B) in UK.The beautiful  asian style mosques in the city in the hills of Yorkshire(a cricketing mad county) add a pleasant surprise to the normal english architecture of the city.

I spent my childhood life and teenage dreaming about UK. I come from a small village in Pakistan, where life was limited and basic. We were poor yet happy. I did not understand politics in Pakistan or UK. I was born in the year when Popular leader prime minister Zulfikar Bhutto was hanged by military dictator Zia after a military Coup, same year Russian forces occupied Afghanistan, later in life these two events helped explain a lot of politics for me, like most of Pakistanis born in dictatorship my childhood was spent being fearful of military and yet fascinated by Zia proclaimations of his own brand of Islamisation, which turned out to be nightmare  for large population of poor, but the islamisation did not touch  the wealth of the military and “Land Lords” elite.Zia only increased the corruption and the kickbacks through American Aid.

In 1980s and 1990s  Pakistan was a country of broken dreams and my escapism was UK through my day dreaming.Largely  due to the stories  from my cousin’s  frequent visits from UK. His “Yorkshire pudding” english accent, his music and his documentaries  helped me improve my english and political knowledge. I became aware of human rights, class struggle, apartheid and racial discrimination, etc etc.In my naïve utopia UK was the heaven on earth, I aspired to become a equal citizen of the first world. with its democracy and individual rights etc etc.By luck or otherwise I was able to escape in reality and arrived in London to see New labour Tony blair come to power with lots of hopes, and stars in peoples eyes.

The “Queen and Country” UK  opened its arms to welcome me where I found my first paid job and little by little I became aware of politics and the intellectual debates began to have meaning and make more sense.But the colour of my skin and abuse as “Paki” Racism London closed other doors. I was not in Pakistan looking out of a shut window,but out side looking in on a Pakistani “Fish Bowl”. With the passage of time the nostalgia and the euphoria of a new immigrant evaporated and harsh reality took hold.

The  column will be published regularly.

Bradistan Calling is  a Pakistani Website in UK.