Spring in Lahore is a decidedly festive season. The extremity of the summer heat is yet to set in and the weather is pleasant enough to allow citizens a chance to mingle outdoors. It’s an opportunity that everyone wants to capitalize upon, which is why the city’s calendar is choc-a-bloc with festivals and entertainment events.
CULTUREVULTURE
Lahore postpones and truncates the spring calendar, keeping security in mind.
Spring in Lahore is a decidedly festive season. The extremity of the summer heat is yet to set in and the weather is pleasant enough to allow citizens a chance to mingle outdoors. It’s an opportunity that everyone wants to capitalize upon, which is why the city’s calendar is choc-a-bloc with festivals and entertainment events. With the country finally recovering from a bloodying spate of terrorism, public gatherings and outdoor activities were gaining momentum again.
Until Lahore witnessed two blasts within the space of weeks, while across the country terrorism struck again. One step forward, two step back.
While the most recent blast in Lahore, in a popular commercial square in Sector Z in DHA has been deemed as an accident (it started out being reported as a terror crime) caused by gas cylinders stored in an under-construction building, the city is still gripped by fear and though life has resumed, it is with some unease that the people return to routine.
The city had been at high alert since the beginning of February and had already experienced a terror attack earlier in the month when a protest rally was targeted. Despite the Mall Road blast events were being billed to continue as scheduled but this second incident led to the postponement and truncation of some events; Lahore Literary Festival was again cut short and PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week has been pushed forward. We still don’t know whether it will take place at the end of March or in April.
Speaking to Maheen Kardar of Karma about the incident and the postponement of fashion week reveals that the designer was in her studio (located on the backside of the square where the incident took place) that fateful morning.
“It was still early, around 11 a.m which is why there were no customers who had come in as yet. The entire building was jolted and the sound was horrifying. Saad (Kardar’s husband, Karma’s business head and PFDC’s CEO) rushed to the spot with other male members of the staff while some of us went on the roof top to see what was going on.
There was complete pandemonium outside with injured people and dead bodies in the street. The army showed up immediately and we evacuated the building.
We were lucky in the sense that there was no injury or damage to property with the exception of our trellis that fell. How it didn’t fall on any car or injury anyone is a mysterious blessing.
“There was complete pandemonium outside with injured people and dead bodies in the street. The army showed up immediately and we evacuated the building. We were lucky in the sense that there was no injury or damage to property with the exception of our trellis that fell.” - Maheen Kardar
This is as close as it gets though. This is as close to home as can be. I literally live in that square; I walk down to Jalal Sons with my son for his lunch or snacks, I get my coffee from another shop in the same lane, I’m frequently found at Toni& Guy salon which is across the road from where the blast took place. And the strange thing is, I was in office till quite late the night before and everything was deserted. The police had barricades up and I even thought to myself that they’re taking security seriously since Z block had been placed on high alert since prior weeks.
It seems strange though that cylinders go off in the very block that had been placed on high alert and there was a credible terror threat against. If it was a cylinder blast then those responsible for the negligence must be apprehended and punished because it led to loss of life and serious trauma,” Kardar states.
Discussing the decision to postpone fashion week, Kardar explains that the decision had been taken to ensure that adequate security, as in the past, could be provided at the event.
“Given the state of affairs, Saad and Sehyr (Saigol, Chairperson PFDC) decided that it would be best to postpone fashion week by a couple of weeks. It’s a tall order providing security for not only the guests but to everyone at the venue and they didn’t want to take any chances,” she explains.
To say that we live in troubled times would be a euphemism. Even a cylinder blast is enough to send citizens into a frenzy of fear with the media, not just conventional but social media too, helping to perpetuate false reports and heighten the panic. Lahore, stay safe.
