PIA: an acronym of love and despair

The pride and frustration the national airline evokes in Pakistanis.

Pakistan is in possession of three love letters. They are an undisputed source of pride for the country. But they are also a source of contention. Because, although these three letters may seem innocuous on the outside, they have caused much scandal, intrigue and heartbreak on the inside. These letters are known to everyone. Everyone has an opinion about them. 

Some claim that their provenance is original – and that the wear and tear is a natural, if not obvious, consequence of unrequited love. On the surface, it might be a story of betrayal, false-heartedness, or even the kiss of Judas. Like the windswept tales from our folklore, these letters have taken a beating and have allowed time to manifest itself in the shape of scars on their ravaged, reminiscent visage. And yet, they argue, there must be an otherworldly tenacity inscribed into these letters – for they remain held together by an invisible force that prevails, despite the relentless advances of duplicity and fraudulence. These letters were born to be timeless, they say. 

The critics and casual readers of these letters will be quick to point out that the outward romance in these letters is merely an eyewash for a business transaction. They are merely the overture, the advances that would lead to mercantile trysts. These letters, they bellow; they still reek of the scent of Anarkali – for how can a courtesan to the rich and the powerful ever be believed of carrying anything other than a heart that pumps ink instead of blood? The letters are deceptive. Sly and scheming. It is not age but a misplaced sense of privilege and self-entitlement that has hollowed out their souls into soundless echoes.

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