“ it is going in reverse gear now. Earlier, Pakistanis were favourites of Muslim world, Turkey’s the most one and now Indians are replacing them. 9/11 has done an unprecedented damage to Muslims, mostly to Pakistanis. They are not trusted any more”. My ex-colleague in BBC, Zaheer told me while we were enjoying the combo dinner in one of the restaurants on Bhosphourus bridge in Istanbul. His wife who used to work for United Nations earlier was juggling hard to get settled in Turkey along with her two kids since her husband has joined one of the media networks in Turkey. Both are facing two challenges 1. How to get integrated with local Turks and 2. How to compete in the most advanced media world of Turkey which has even surpassed the Western media in respect of professionalism and technology.
Although, it had been very easy for a Muslim to adjust in any other Muslim country but now it is getting too difficult, more treacherous than the non-Muslim immigrants are facing in the Christian Europe.
Pakistan has always been very close to Turkey since its birth as the founder of the Pakistan happened to be the great admirer of Kemal Ataturk and had desired to shape his country on secular Turkish model which until now has remained a distant dream even if General Ayub khan and his successors have succeeded in strengthening their economic and defence cooperation with Turkey till to-date. In times of critical political upheavals or hostility with India, Turkey has always stood by Pakistan and helped in resolving its issues by its discreet diplomacy to conveyancing each country at different levels.
Turkey has a major labour sector, mostly dependent on central Asian immigrants, though a small chunk was taken by Pakistan which has now been replaced by either Bangladeshis or Indians.
The Pakistani elite has played a pivotal role into Turkish media industry and civil aviation sector. The cultural cooperation between two countries has introduced Turkish soap operas to South Asian audience, thus making it more popular than their own serials. But, Bollywood has made no breakthrough in Turkish cinema despite many attempts.
Media industry inTurkey has recently engaged many Indians at key posts due to which Indian political narrative is almost being accepted by the local population.
“Is Turkish government deliberately following policy of replacing Pakistanis or it doesn’t matter about this”? I quizzed Zaheer,
His smile was too grim, “Turkish government is too discreet in keeping relations, it has defence pacts with Israel but do also raise Palestine issue in every forum. The same goes with Kashmir. It is too close to India but backs Pakistan always. It is too hard to get inside story of Ardogan whom he is with”.
His wife was listening to our conversation. She interrupted and said, “it is our wishful thinking to feel at home in any Muslim country any more. The time has changed, so has thinking of these Muslim rulers. We see whole Muslim world in tatters. Very soon, you will see us divided in two blocks, shia and sunni for which roadmap has been prepared by US, Israel and India. Yet, a silver lining for us, we got Imran Khan as our Savior now, I think situation will change for Pakistanis in Islamic world including Turkey. I do not foresee any revolution in Pakistan but I am confident that his own image will restore the respect and glory of Pakistan it had before 9/11 inshallah”. She had tears falling on her cheeks like pearls shining bright on bhosphourus waters.
We were so wrapped up in our conversation that we hadn’t touched our combo dinner until the Kurdish waiter came with more raw fish.
“Any problem in food”? He seemed worried that we were not finding his food tantalising due to which we had not touched it.
“No. No food is fine, very tasty…. Just talking about cricketer Imran Khan, you know the new PM of Pakistan”. Zaheer told him while taking raw fish from his hand.
“oh, great cricketer and now great politician… Pakistan our brother…we Muslims… All Brothers….he had a broad grin….
While seeing him at a distance talking to another customer, Zaheer’s wife said sarcastically, “Ardogan also speaks same “brother” language but wants more indians and Westerners to come and earn in his country”.
Zaheer and me were looking at raw fish how to eat it. And, that was my combo dinner with my Pakistani colleague and his family in Istanbul.
The writer is an ex editor of BBC and penguin author.
The author is a former editor of BBC & Ex. Chairperson of JK state commission for women.
