Standing in Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh - accumulated debris of ages - one can think of Alexander the Great, Muhammad Bin Qasim, Saints, Mystics, Sultans, Gardezis, Gilanis, Qureshis, and Khawanis. But what you see is the ageing town hall and Ghanta Ghar, Hussain Agahi Chowk - Hide Park of Multan - with the nerve jarring rattle of auto rickshaws, tangle of tonga and donkey carts vying for space with mechanical transport, vendors and shoppers, blaring music of audio video music centers and second hand cloths (landa) hung on the walls.
A city of monuments, Multan has been around for centuries. History of Multan dates back to ancient times. As per the legend, its origin is assigned to the time of Hazrat Noah (A S). Under the various Hellenic forms of ancient designations (Kasyapapura, Kashtpur, Hanspur, Bagpur and Mulasthan) Multan figures into works of Hecataeus, Herodotus and Ptolemy. It has been an empire, a kingdom, a province, a state, a capital and now a divisional headquarters.
Read more »Labels: Multan, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, July 21, 2026,
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This article appeared in Daily the Nation
The actual “Road to Swat” bifurcates from the great Grand Trunk Road near Nowshera. About a kilometre below the highest point on the Road to Swat, the commuters can see the Takht-e-Bahi Mountains in the middle distance from the road. The ruins of one of the grand monastery of the past are situated on the top of a 152-meter high hill, about 80 kilometres from Peshawar and 16 kilometres northwest of the city of Mardan. While Swat is famous for different reasons now (rise and fall of the Taliban), some interested people still visit Takht-e-Bahi - a Buddhist monastery developed between the 1st and 7th centuries AD.
Read more »Labels: In Print, Nation, Takht-e-Bahi, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Thursday, July 16, 2026,
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It is with profound sadness that I learned of the peaceful passing of my dear colleague, Sabir Ijaz, on 14 July 2026.
For almost twenty-four years, we had the privilege of serving together at the same university. In fact, Sabir was already a valued member of the institution when I joined. Our offices were side by side, and over the years, a simple yet meaningful ritual became part of my daily routine. Every morning, before settling into his own office, Sabir would stop by mine, greet me warmly, ask about my well-being, exchange a few words, and only then continue with his day. It was such a consistent and thoughtful habit that I would often find myself waiting for that familiar knock on my door. It is difficult to imagine those mornings without him.
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posted by S A J Shirazi @ Tuesday, July 14, 2026,
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Some places are so idyllic and unspoiled that it is almost unbelievable. One such place is picturesque, tranquil and pollution free town Garam Chashma (meaning hot spring) in at the edge district Chitral. The very sound of it is (sort of) strategic - the role Garam Chashma played during Russian occupation in Afghanistan not very long ago. The town is located on the bank of a turbulent torrent known as Luthko Gol that is full of trout; about two hours drive from Chitral City.
As the Fokker Friendship hovers over
Chitral before committing to landing, one can see the beautiful sights through window of small aircraft: red roof houses dotted on the hill contours, alpine trees, and fruit orchards. Chitral airport is built in one of the serene gorges of the River Kunar. I stayed at the deepest place in district Chitral known as Mir Khanni - over seventy kilometers from Chitral. As per the plans that I had made to see different sights in Chitral valley during free brakes in the schedule of my assignment, I boarded a passenger Mazda that was ready to go to Garam Chashma right from the airport early one April morning.
Labels: Chitral, Garam Chashma, Travel
posted by S A J Shirazi @ Monday, July 06, 2026,
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