 Pakistan is a land of exquisite beauty and natural resources. One finds lofty mountain ranges of Himalayas and Karakoram, luminous deserts of Thar and Cholistan, free-flowing rivers, terrains of salt range and the Pothwar Plateau, beautiful sea shores and well-defined four seasons. Situated in, probably, one of the most important geo-strategic locations of the world, it is a pity how we haven’t been able to exploit this blessing to our advantages. Our tourism industry, once considered just next to cotton exports, has been rendered stagnant owing to the wave of terrorism post 9/11. The Northern Areas consisting of Gilgit-Baltistan, Swat, Hunza etc. which have always been labeled as the Switzerland of Pakistan and once the home to travellers of every origin, show a sorry sign.
Renowned singer, Shafqat Amanat Ali showed his spirit of jingoism with ‘Yahaan/ This Place (Beautiful Baltistan)’, a concept of Zarminae Ansari, an architect and freelance writer, with the aim to portray the brighter side of this heaven on Earth. The video confirms the fact that these valleys are peaceful and are ever-welcoming to tourists with arms wide open. Instep spoke with Shafqat Amanat Ali regarding the video in a candid chat…
Instep: How did the video happen?
Shafqat Amanat Ali: The producer of the video, Zarminae Ansari is an architect and freelance writer for various magazines and newspapers. She explores different places all over Pakistan to study ancient buildings and monuments and writes about them. She was travelling through the Northern Areas and there she came up withthe idea of promoting this part of the world. She shared her concept with Serena Hotels and me. She wanted to change the negative image of these areas and promote its brighter side to the world. Hence, we all decided to shoot a video to pursue this idea. We went to the areas, met with people and spent time with them.
Instep:Who accompanied you to the northern areas?
SAA: Our team consisted of me, Zarminae Ansari, the director Soheb Akhtar, the Serena Hotels team etc.
Instep: What is the concept of the video?
SAA: The basic idea behind the video is the promotion of the landscapes and areas of that region which have not yet been promoted. The main focus is on the areas. As a singer, I definitely had to be in the video. I have been shown as a traveller, who explores different places and travels up North.
Instep: In which areas was the video shot?
SAA: The major areas of the shoot include the Khuplu Fort, Shigar Fort (our base camp), Skardu (where we landed). All these places are a part of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Instep: How difficult was it to shoot the terrains of Baltistan?
SAA: The biggest challenge which we had presumed before taking off for the shoot was regarding the security situation which proved to be wrong as the area is quite safe. People come with their family and friends and enjoy there. The second challenge was regarding the weather. The first time we went there was in July when it was quite cold. But, the second time in August-Septembe winter had set in. It was a three-day shoot. The first day, we shot at Shigar and the next day in its suburbs. On the third day, we shot at Khuplu.
Instep: Did you witness any flood devastation in those areas?
SAA: Of course, it also affected those areas. For example, the generator which generates electricity for the area was damaged because of the flood. I especially want to mention the role of the Army here. The Army was very helpful to us. They provided us with their helicopter which aided us in the aerial shots. They invited us to visit the Ata’ bad lake which was in the news for many days during the floods. Although we couldn’t visit the same due to shortage of time, they informed us that the whole affair was being mis-relayed and the situation is not all bad. These people who propagate misinformation regarding various things are enemies of our country. They want to destroy our tourism industry but they won’t be able to achieve that aim. People there are so welcoming and they urged us to visit them more often.
Instep: How do you view the recent Gilgit-Baltistan Package presented by the Federal Government? Did you see any outcome and development of the same?
SAA: I witnessed quality roads and communication set-up in that area. All the major areas were linked through a road network. In fact, we passed by sand dunes and saw the Army’s constructing a road to link with a local village. I thought it was a tough task but the Army told us that this road would be built by the next year. The best thing about the area is that in addition to the development works, its originality is still intact.
Instep: How was the experience of working with Soheb Akhtar?
SAA: It was a great experience to work with Soheb. He is a good friend and I know him very well.
Instep: Is this song included in your album?
SAA: This song was specially written for this concept and area. I penned the lyrics while I was visiting those areas. I used the words which were related to those places. For e.g native people often say
‘phuloon ki shahzadi muskaraye yehan (the fairy princess of flowers smiles upon this place)’ and again, ‘yehan per taare zameen per milte hain (one finds stars on these grounds)’ and ‘badalon ki shaal orhe, vadiyon me ho jayen gum(wearing a veil of clouds, we can disappear in the valleys)’.And, what I experienced my self was the line, ‘ek baar jo aaye, dil yehan reh jaye, jana chahe na phir yehan se (he who comes here once, leaves his heart behind, and never wants to leave)’ which was true as the areas are just so beautiful.
Instep: What is your message to the nation and the world for the revival of our tourism industry?
SAA: When a country promotes its tourism industry, people who come to visit not only bring foreign exchange but also receive knowledge about its values and religion. When we destroy our tourism industry it is synonymous with halting our religious preaching. Unless a foreigner visits our country, they won’t be able learn our values and religious teachings. We will have to attract foreigners by offering what they desire. That definitely involves drinks (which are offered in five-star hotels already), pubs and the security. I believe separate areas must be demarcated for them where they can enjoy their visit in their own way. Of course, when they visit our country, they would be exposed to our religion and they would like to explore more of its aspects. And if they don’t come here, other countries will take advantage of that and attract them to their lands.
Unfortunately, our country has some illiterate elements. We can bear corruption, hoarding, terrorism but we will go all out against a person who opens a bar. We all know what is going around here. I think there is some anti-Pakistan group which is all out to destroy our tourism industry. Another move is the ban on the Basant festival which was attended by people from America, India and Europe. There was a time when nearly each hotel of Lahore was filled to capacity in the season. I would like to ask the authorities whether they would put ban on terrorism or exhibition of arms and ammunition. A festival which was bringing foreign exchange has been after being labeled as a khooni tehwar (bloody festival) only because the government couldn’t arrest three people who were selling chemical reels. |
