Mount K-2 in Pakistan is the second highest peak after the Everest in Nepal
Despite Pakistan being a Muslim & Nepal a Hindu nation until recently, both the countries enjoy what Ambassador Mr. Sohail Khan said, “cordial & cooperative relations.”
I’d like to add, “both at the despotic & democratic levels.”
The then Royal Nepal Govt’s supression of the students’ protests in Kathmandu against the execution of Pak’s 1st elected PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto provoked a massive student unrest throught the country that paved the road toward democratization in Nepal.
Nepalis still write letters & articles in the papers lamenting the merciless killing of the ‘daughter of the east’ Benazir Bhutto.
When King Gyanedra dismissed the elected govt on the charges of inefficiency & corruption and grabbed all the power imposing a military rule through a bloodless coup, people of Nepal enjoyed calling him the Nepali version of Prez Musharraf.
And the recent successful elections in Pak have greatly boosted the Nepali morale for holding the Constituent Assembly polls on April 10.
“If Pak people dare to vote in such a difficult conditions, why can’t the Nepalis?” ask the writers in Nepali dailies.
At the peoples level - cricket, Pak tele-serials, & ghazals - have played key roles in changing the ‘jihadi’ perception of Muslims in Nepal.
Nepalis are fiercely divided when it comes to Indo-Pak cricket.
The tarai people favor the Indian side, while the hill ones go for the Paks.
Similarly, that Nepali heroes like Shiva Shrestha & journalist Bijay Kumar once enjoyed stardom in Pak films & media also brought the two culture in close communication.
I still remeber being literally glued to my seat while watching Pak teleserials aired by Nepal Televison during the 90′s.
Many a times, the viewers have cried & laughed at the life-like portrayal of human emotions in those serials.
“Daswi jamat pass hoon, direct hawaldar hoo, koi majak nahi hoo” presented the most tragicomic character.
And who could forget the ‘yeh dil yeh pagal dil mera’ fame Ghulam Ali who also lent his voice to some Nepali Songs, & is perhaps the most popular along with Jagjit among Ghazal lovers.
Happy National Day to Paks!
