Have you ever wondered why the preachers usually have stern countenance? My Arabic teacher was one such person. Arabic and me? No doubt this language has always intrigued me and I felt its importance even more on my visit to Saudi Arabia where no one spoke English. I took that course thinking in all my naivety that by the end I’d be able to speak and if not that at least will understand. But guess what! I ended up cramming several 300-word Arabic essays for the exam.

My teacher was strict, uptight and sarcastic all the time. In my life, I got the real doses of sarcasm in her class. Once I was attentively listening to her lecture – my palm was resting under my chin and my elbow was on the table. I was sitting in the second row close to the rostrum. She fired a vitriolic shot – out of nowhere – there are some people who sit like this; she imitated the gesture, and think they are attentive but they are just wasting time. I got startled and changed my position to what is usually conceived as an attentive. I did respect her, like I do all my teachers, but she had never been my favorite. I would always be uneasy there. Besides I believe one should respect other out of love and not out of fear.

Coming back to the main point why the preachers become so vitriolic, bitter and rough when they should be humble. I believe it is because they expect people to think and act exactly as they say. They want to impose an unintelligent, unified code of living which of course is not possible because ‘human mind is condemn to be free’ and every free mind thinks and acts in a separate way. When they fail to achieve the desired result or to bring forth the expected change they become sarcastic and critical of everything that others do. Some of them may have the sense of being righteous so others naturally seem wrong to them.

Preaching is a holy job that demands oodles of patience, humility and tolerance. If someone is capable enough and has God’s help, people will follow him even without anyone’s asking.

Have you ever visited Peshawar by air? Or have come to Peshawar through an international flight? If not then you have missed something unique. Because it is one of the most chaotic airports.

Before discussing the airport building and immigration I’d like to mention one thing that Peshawar air strip is truly one of its kind in the whole world because towards the South a railway track crosses through the strip. It was pretty much functional until late 90s. I am not sure what’s its status these days. So once F-6, a fighter jet, was taxing when it collided with the freight train. Luckily, the pilot survived but the jet was badly damaged.

So talking of chaos the first signs of commotion, though less in intensity begins, when the plane gets ready for landing. I am talking about those flights that are full of passengers, mostly blue-collar workers, working in the Middle East. Despite repeated announcements and request from the crew the passengers stand up in the aisles and start collecting their luggage from the cabinets while the plane is still taxing.

As soon as the door is opened and they feel the whiff of air another surge of commotion occurs, this time a little violent, since it involves pushing and dragging. People literally jump out of the plane covering two, three steps in one go.  As if it’s a local Afridi bus instead of Boeing 777. There is no bus service at the Peshawar airport since most of the planes are parked closely to the building – international lounge- as they call it and one can walk.

The immigration looks more like a fish market. People shout, get edgy, harsh, irrational, step on each other’s shoes. There is no concept of queue whatsoever. Everyone is in a hurry. Whoever is powerful and brazen will get his passport stamped and leave. I don’t know why they are in such hurry. And when they emerged from the International arrival section there are at least fifteen people, young and old from the family to receive one passenger.

It is usually an unpleasant experience if you are arriving at Peshawar airport from abroad. I have heard from friends, Islamabad – now Benazir International Airport is much better.

I got these photos from the Google images. Take a look at the Peshawar airport building that looks so haunted. I wonder when was this photo taken because this place is crammed with people 24/7. And I mean it. The second photo is of an airliner. Usually the planes don’t park that far off the building.