A Person of Pakistani Origins is Ziauddin Sardar's ode to what he calls Pakistan's lost identity. The title refers to Sardar's personal odyssey as a British national reclaiming his South Asian roots through his love of Hindi cinema, passion for Urdu literature and poetry, and his large, unruly extended family.
Pakistan came into existence in 1947, a result of the British Empire's decision to partition India along religious lines at the end of almost 100 years of colonial rule. Yet the cultural roots and languages of the two countries remain intertwined: Sardar argues that one can't be properly considered without the other and concludes that Pakistan on its own is an incomplete nation. Sardar diagnoses the country as having a massive inferiority complex as a result of its isolation from its own history and the forced separation that severed its multicultural, multi-religious spiritual past. Instead of returning to its sub-continental roots, the country sold its soul to Saudi Arabia by accepting money and allowing Saudi-promoted religious fundamentalism to take root on its soil.
Despite vexing existential concerns, Pakistan exudes grace and beauty in its poetic language, stunning mountainous northern regions and the humanity of its people, Sardar continues. The country's exuberant national pride in its cricket team unites citizens of all socioeconomic backgrounds. To enjoy a successful future divorced from a troubled past, Sadar encourages Pakistan to embrace its greater Indian sub-continental identity. Moreover, he finds hope and promise in the Pakistani people's continued support for democratic rule. It remains to be seen whether the newly elected civilian leader, the spirited former cricketer Imran Khan, can lead the country toward a calmer, more prosperous future. --Shahina Piyarali, writer and reviewer