OVER the last 15-odd years, ways in which history is perceived by the Pakistani state in its official posture as well as the public at large is undergoing some change.
The content of this change is not certain, nor is its direction necessarily set in stone. But what is clear is that there is some rethinking of history, memory, and culture taking place.
What does this rethinking mean as far as the state is concerned? A good example comes from the content of the Pakistan pavilion at the Dubai World Expo from a few years ago. We can take that content as the version that the state wishes to show to the world outside. It was decisively more syncretic and multicultural, more accommodative and reflective of ethnic difference, than standard two-nation theory nationalism. It also went a considerable way in grounding the idea of Pakistan in its actual geography, by drawing links to the various riverine civilisations that occupied these lands over several millennia, regardless of their religious affiliation.
One should be wary of reading too much into an external projection, given how the state in many ways continues to deny ethnic and religious difference and suppress history through its practice. But it’s hard to ignore that a variety of different factors have partially compelled a mild rethink of the usual religion-inflected, homogenising idea of what this country really is and what constitutes its past.
Such factors include the rise of anti-state Islamist radicalism, the rise of aggressive Hindutva nationalism next door, and a change in the character of the state elite into a somewhat more multiethnic coalition. Several decades of territorial integrity, post-1971, and entrenchment of national belonging in the ‘core’ provinces, has also opened space for some experimentation on a firmer footing.
What is interesting and generative of optimism is a reimagination of the past taking place within society.
None of this, though, stands in ignorance of the general hypocrisy of the state: talking about tolerance, while emboldening bigots; restoring heritage sites, while ignoring the desecration of minority places of worship in the present. These contradictions continue to exist and should be called out loudly and categorically.
What is more interesting and generative of optimism is a reimagination of the past taking place within society, well beyond formal state patronage or guidance. Digital platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram provide space for cultural enthusiasts and pop-historians of all stripes (and, admittedly, quality). Their output usually takes the form of short-form video essays or photographs that provide narrations about physical heritage and the myriad cultural practices — religious ritual, food, music etc — that exist in Pakistan today.
Some of these outlets have crossed the digital divide and taken on offline forms. Curated walking trips in urban and peri-urban locations, heritage and nature tourism, and even culinary adventures showcasing regional cuisines, are increasingly available to urban audiences. While their small scale is not indicative of anything major or substantial yet, these developments do provide insight into how the public’s relationship to the past is neither homogenous nor settled. And it is certainly not a wholesale acceptance of what the state may have intended.
One such cultural endeavour that recently drew my attention is the work of historian and writer, Syed Faizan Abbas Naqvi in Lahore. A self-declared urban enthusiast, afflicted with what he calls “marz-i-Lahore” (an obsession of the city bordering on ailment), Faizan runs various digital outlets showcasing his adventures at various less-known, ignored, or undiscovered historical sites in and around the city.
His work involves finding bits of history all over, in places remote, such as the border villages to the east, and as mundane as parking lots, housing complexes, and markets. Through these journeys of discovery (as ‘Lahore ka khoji’), Faizan casts light on 135 different historical sites, over and above the usual grand Mughal and British-era buildings that most casual observers and residents of the city are familiar with.
This insurgent history has made its way into published form, with 100 sites now being commemorated and archived in his recently released book, Exploring Lahore, that covers pretty much the entire span of religio-cultural diversity that the city has experienced these past few centuries. For those interested in supporting such valuable work, the book is available through the author’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Such work is important for several reasons. The first is that far too many sites of historical and cultural significance, especially those representing minority traditions, lie in dilapidated and unprotected shape. Appreciable restoration work in a few locations by WCLA notwithstanding, many sites are already lost or damaged beyond any recovery. In the course of his own documentation, Faizan identified a few sites — including a Mughal-era graveyard — that was lost to commercial development just in the past few years. Recording and archiving their existence takes on great importance in a context where their continued physical existence remains uncertain.
Another reason why such interventions are important is because they allow for creative ways in which the past can be recovered and reimagined.
Independence came with partition and the wholesale transfer of population to and from the region that became Pakistan. Partly down to the religion-inspired nature of politics, and partly because of physical dislocation, many citizens have spent their lives in an ahistorical state. The city only exists in their present, the past becomes another country.
The process of recovering the past then is also a process of making people historically aware. It is to recognise that their present is a form of shared continuity, not an insulated break. Taken to one of its logical ends, this historical grounding and appreciation can even have the appreciable and much-needed impact of making people more accommodating and tolerant of difference in the present.
The writer teaches sociology at Lums.
X: @umairjav
Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2025
