Is this endeavour on City of Sin and Splendour your tribute to the city of Lahore as an expatriate Pakistani?

It is my tribute to the city of Lahore but it has got nothing to do with Pakistan. It is just that Lahore happens to be in Pakistan. Lahore, my beloved city is where I have my roots. I have written about it because I know the city so well. I do not have to make an effort to write about it.

The air of Lahore is very romantic and encourages creativity. It is a laid back city; there is an element of boredom too which inspires writing. I find I can do most of my writings in Lahore.

Post 9/11, how do you consider the worldview of Pakistan?

Terrible, terrible…no matter what Pakistan does, how many terrorists kill and how many times President General Pervez Musharraf is attacked and people try to assassinate him. It is not a question of will they assassinate him or not but when they will assassinate him. No matter what one does, America has made up its mind to hate Pakistan. There’s not much to it.

And the rest of the world follows?

Yes, it is so easy to have this prejudice. The Moslems are the victims this time. It is very much like what the Jews faced when the Nazis hated them.

Apropos this view, would you like to dispel any idea about Pakistan?

Well, the cities in Pakistan are like any Indian city. People go about their business and work as usual. I had some Jewish friends who spent time with my writer friends in Lahore. They thought I got everybody to meet together to fulfill a purpose. In fact they were very comfortable in each other’s company and had a wonderful time wandering in the city together.

The rich in Pakistan have a different sort of culture and attitude towards women. They want to educate their daughters.

It is very much like an Indian city.

Your repeated comparisons to an Indian city is interesting and evokes a sense of nostalgia…

Yes, because this part of the world needs to be compared and has been a part of the same culture. It is very strange but there are there are so many things that are similar. For instance, Pakistani Punjabis speak the same language, behave the same way and even dress the same way. Karachi is very cosmopolitan but Lahore is still very Punjabi.

What about the Indian perception of Pakistan?

Well, you know, fortunately it is changing with the Congress government now. With the BJP government, things were different. You see, L K Advani praised Jinnah and that unnerved India. They were not ready to accept anything good about Jinnah or Pakistan.

What does religion mean to you?

As a Parsi Punjabi Pakistani….

No. Not as a Parsi Punjabi Pakistani Indian US citizen, but as any other person, what does religion mean to you?

Religion is where you get your sustenance from a higher being. Religion appeals to the noblest aspects in us. It is another thing when people misuse religion. But religion evokes the finer elements in mankind and is a very sustaining thought. I draw a lot of strength from my religion.

What is the literary climate in Pakistan now?

Urdu writing has always been flourishing. A lot of women have also been writing. But because we had no publishing in English, Pakistani writing in English was very little. Now we have publishing in English and lot more writing is coming up.

There is a new crop of young women writers such as Sorayya Khan and Sehba Sarwar who all are doing the best they can and are getting published. That’s what counts.

You as such a wonderful storyteller! What do you think makes a good storyteller?

Thank you! One should have the wish to tell a story. I feel it is an inborn and a natural gift. One should have this gift for telling a story and holding the narrative. I have taught and also found out that if you do not have this gift, you cannot teach what storytelling is all about. You can only brush up to a certain extent somebody else’s gift that is already there.

If you have to drive home a point to the young people of India and Pakistan all over the world, what would it be?

Please be at peace with your neighbours. They are just like you. They share so much with you and you can contribute so much to the world if you are friends. We do not need these huge armies. We need educational armies and not the soldiers fighting each other in the two countries.

And finally, how was your experience at Oxford Bookstore?

I am totally attracted to Oxford Bookstore! I received such a warm welcome here. I did not know that Oxford Bookstore was such a huge space with so many books! It is a pleasure to be here, see people coming to buy books, reading and talking about books, authors being invited and the soiree you have. It’s so wonderful!

Interviewed by Satarupa Ray
Designed by Subhadip Mukherjee