A poem by Dr. Khalid Anwar

I have been fortunate to have
Lived in most places in Pakistan
From Kakool to Karachi
And then Hockey made me visit
So many others
My early childhood was in Pindi,
Then in Lahore,
Came to Karachi,
To Hyderabad
And then to interior Sindh
To the unmatchable Petaro.
It is said to understand people,
Better, you have to immerse yourself
In their culture, learn their language
Observe their traditions.
I have been fortunate enough to delve
Into different languages, from hindko
To saraiki, getting fluent in Punjabi
And the sweet soft Sindhi.
My early memories are of villages
In Punjab, I am sitting on a buffalo

Who is almost submerged in water
Except for his eyes, and a bird also
Taking a free ride
Then the farmer’s wife brings
Home made food, Asli ghee paratha,
Achaar and Onion, and for dessert
Gurr
I don’t think any thing
Could beat that delicious
Food. I can still recall
That gorgeous aroma, that
Stunning afternoon.
And then I can visualise myself in
The interior Sindh, wearing the Sindhi Toupee
and the Ubiquitous gorgeous Ajrak,
Observing at first hand, the culture
Of the soft people of Sindh,
How they go about their daily lives
Greeting and respecting their elders and
Treating each other and their juniors
And enjoying the most delicious and
Soft of languages, Sindhi
Mahnu sub na sohna,
pakee sub na hanj
keh keh mahno manj
achay boo bahar gee
not many countries could compete
with the natural beauty of Pakistan
our beautiful Swat valley, Gilgit,
Chitral, the lakes, the glaciers, the
Mountains. Shangrila!
It has been the cradle of civilization

Indus valley, civilization. Five thousand
Year history of Moenjodaro
The civilizations of Taxila and Harrapa
I remember the hustle and bustle of Lahore
Most historical of cities
Land of Iqbal and Faiz
No wonder the claim
Laore, laore aay!
The cosmopolitan city of Karachi
The city of lights
The city of delights
Where we did spend several a night
Crabbing in the moonlight
In the splendid Arabian sea
Our lives , our histories are intertwined
With our land, although expatriates
Our hearts still longs for Motherland
One tries to do whatever one can
Be a class project, or an individual
Opening a hospital, or sending money
And the response to earthquake
or flooding or any other natural disaster
is a living proof of our deep love
in our heart of hearts
we wish for its safety, pray for its prosperity,
you never know its saviour
may be an expatriate.
I am a Sindhi
I am Baluch
I am a Punjabi
I am a Pathan
I AM PAKISTAN