Dig deep and you are bound to come up with innumerable stories whirling in the walls of this city. Nivin Masjid was one place that didn't disappoint us. Presently known as Jamia Karimia Nivin Masjid in Naya Bazar Chowk Moti in Lohari gate is said to be the oldest mosque of Lahore. The mosque is 24-25 feet below the ground level, hence the name Nivin.

"The mosque is significant because of its structure. Nivin Mosque is one of its kind, built 25 feet below the city level. There is no mosque in the world which is built at such surface because usually mosques are like super structures rising above the level," says Tahir Yazdani Malik, Heritage Resource Consultant.

Unlike the Begum Shahi mosque which was popularly known as Barudkhana (gunpowder) Wali Masjid because of its usage as gunpowder factory by Ranjit Singh, the Nivin mosque has to its credit the fact that it was never reined by the Sikhs or even the Brits. The people always resisted any such move. The history of this mosque is, however, still vague because of the absence of authentic archives. In the last 20 odd years some articles have been written about the mosque but the exact history is still unknown.

"This mosque was built seventeen hundred years ago in 1460 by the Lodhi family. It was the Lodhis who not only constructed Nivin mosque but were single-handedly responsible for its renovation and maintenance for many years," says Imam Masjid Nivin mosque, Mohammad Nasim.

"There are two viewpoints rearding the original construction of the mosque. If you ask the residents of the Moti Chowk they will probably attribute it to Lodhi family. But there are those who take Zulflikar Ali's name," adds Tahir. It is said that initially a marble plaque was placed at the original door bearing the names of the people. The fate of the original door as well as the plaque is unknown.

The eminent travel writer Salman Rashid told TNS, "The Nivin masjid was made by Zulfikar Ali, who worked for the Lodhi viceroy Haibat Khan somewhere around 1460s or 1470s. The architectural design of this mosque clearly shows that it is a pre-Mughal Era building.

In the 1904 earthquake the mosque was severely damaged. Since then, it underwent a number of renovations. "The government has no role in the reservation work of the mosque. There are stakeholders who helped out with the preservation work in this locality," says Haji Ghulam Rasool, the president of the mosque. Mohammad Nasim informed TNS that in the 1904 earthquake the original minarets were badly damaged along with the other structures of the mosque. "The minarets you see now were re-built replicating the older ones in order to preserve the original design."

Nivin mosque has the finest sanitation system in the locale. Septic tank (gharqi) has been functional for the last 600 years now. "That is true. Sanitation has never been a problem for this mosque and that is all because of its structure I believe," says Nasim

Forget the history. The most interesting part of the mosque is yet to come – the famous resident Djinn who provided the imams and local residents with many legends. He is famously known as the Djinn who recited the Quran. Mohammad Naseem also confirmed the tale saying that our famous Djinn was the student of one of the earlier khateebs, Maulvi Imam Sirajuddin. Salman Rashid, the eminent travel-writer, had more interesting details. According to him once a bucket fell into the well. The Djinn, standing at the brink of the well, put his hand inside which later surfaced with the bucket in his hands. The khateeb – the only one familiar with his student's identity – advised him against any such stunts in the future. But now the Djinn's truth was not even hidden from his peers. He was ordered to leave, probably for his own safety. A conflict arose between the tutor and his tutee. The latter, not willing to leave, retaliated. In his wrath, he destroyed the old date tree that stood in the courtyard. According to a local, the Djinn didn't leave but vanished into a lota after which his whereabouts were never known. Rashid thinks that probably all these lotas (Djinns) ended up in the parliament!

He's a sarcastic, slightly disheveled, almost introverted man. You wouldn't be able to tell from looking at him that he's one of the biggest literary successes to emerge from Pakistan for a long time.

Muhammad Hanif exploded (no pun intended) onto the literary scene with his debut novel, a cleverly written anecdote about General Zia-ul-Haq's regime and consequent death. By now, everyone who knows about A Case of Exploding Mangoes knows about Muhammad Hanif: an ex- Air Force member, a journalist who moved to London and worked for the BBC, a writer who wrote a book on (one of the) ruthless dictator of Pakistan. But I don't think anyone really anticipated the overwhelming success that this novel has had, especially in Pakistan.

I attended a reading and discussion of Hanif's book last week, the event was organised by Lahore Film and Literary Club (LFLC) at the South Asian Media Centre. I asked Bushra Sultana, coordinator of the LFLC why she chose to have Hanif's novel at the focus of their first large-scale literary event, she said it was because "Hanif is contemporary, but at the same time he explores the history of the country; that's no easy feat. He was also the first writer we discussed at our monthly book club meetings and his popularity is undeniable. It just made sense to give him a platform where he could interact with members of our club and those interested in his work".

Rashid Rahman reviewed the novel in his usual crisp intellectual manner. He started off by congratulating Hanif for finding "the appropriate means to convey what he wanted to"; which is writing about a very difficult era, full of censorship and mystery with a tongue in cheek approach. Rahman compared Hanif's writing to Robert Ludlum's Bourne novels and their fascinating, cobweb-like stories and racy style. The best feature of the novel, according to both Moneeza Hashmi and Rahman, is the humour.

According to Rahman, Hanif's humour "deflated these iron men to the ridiculous". Rahman compared Hanif's description of General Zia to Gabriel Garcia Marquez' descriptions of Latin American dictators. This comparison seems a little exaggerated at first but delving deep into the analysis you can see why Rahman would make such a statement. Another point of comparison is how, like Marquez, Hanif manages to depict the grim reality and claustrophobic fear of the era despite all the humour. Rahman also discussed the phenomenal success of the novel with the youth of Pakistan; for a generation who has not lived through that era, they are the ones who seem to be enjoying it the most. I asked Maria Gulraiz, a 20-something professional, why she thinks our generation finds the novel so interesting, she said, "It's the utter disregard for the politicians of the time because they have completely failed us which also reflects what the youth thinks about the generation before them."

Moneeza Hashmi, who chaired the event, lived through the Zia period and offered personal insights into the era Hanif's novel so effectively describes. She stated that the novel "transports you back to that terrible time (the Zia era)". I asked Hashmi who has confessed to being a huge Hanif fan, about her opinion of the novel, she said, "Fact or fiction, true or false, Hanif keeps you guessing and on edge whilst you race through his book. His work is funny and amazingly honest; it really is fiction at its best."

The review was followed by a discussion of the three panelists (Rahman, Hashmi and Hanif) about the novel. Hashmi was particularly interested in the creative process of writing which Hanif described as 'interesting'. He mentioned that the research part of it was boring, mostly because all available material made Zia seem like a "humble, God fearing man." I guess Hanif took it upon himself to bring Zia back down to earth. Hanif, who is as witty and mocking as his novel, also attributed lack of imagination as the reason he chose to write about Zia. Another issue (which interested me greatly) that was touched upon, was the publishing industry in Pakistan. Hanif did not find a publisher in the country willing to publish his book; instead he had to find one in the UK who then distributed his books globally. The content of the novel is undoubtedly controversial but has the terror of Zia really subsisted into this generation? Publishers should remember why they exist in the first place, to promote literature and promote writers. It's a shame that a Pakistani writer cannot get his work out there because of political fears.

With that rant out of the way, it's a breath of fresh air to see events like this taking place more frequently in the city. What's even more pleasing is to see people actually showing up to these events. The optimist in me awaits the revival of literary culture in Lahore.

There is an old Punjabi aphorism: 'Jee Ayan Nun' or welcome. A bad translation would say 'yes (as in welcome) to those who have arrived' not 'jee aan walyan nu' (welcome to those who are coming) but to those who are here already. We Pakistanis pride on our culture of hospitality. Punjabis think they are the most hospitable hosts in the world. Pakhtoons believe in protecting their guest's live with theirs. I find it hard to believe when my mother tells me they used to have guests in their houses for months. In my grandparents' generation it was common to have even a distant relation living in the house for years. He wouldn't be given a separate room but shared each and everything with his hosts, even their problems and family affairs. The hospitality culture about twenty to fifty years ago was entirely different. The most obvious reason is financial constraint, especially in rural middle class house. Having agricultural land and farm houses – which by the way means your own poultry, diary and meat – means entertaining guests for months was not an issue.

Almost every other day I come across kids who start acting strange the moment a guest arrives in the house. To take the kid to someone else's house is every mother's nightmare. This is probably because children react to their immediate environment, the latter being a product of their parents. I remember one of my mother's candid friends admitting: "Nowadays all you want is your husband and your children and that's it." No wonder her five year old starts crying the moment she sees someone. Forget about saving energy and money by using less washing powder, making less calls, walking to work. Say hello to the new mechanism of saving money – invite as little people to your house as possible and dig up the contacts of all those distant relatives and class-fellows you don't even liked.

I asked my ten-year-old cousin why he goes to his room whenever he sees his uncles and cousins, he replied, "they ask so many questions." Interestingly, the guests ask the most relevant questions. From your children's academic record to the fate of your last T.V set everything is to be discussed.

I have been told I am a better guest than a host. Well, most of us are. I enjoy most when I go to my friends and cousins. At my house, I have least fun for many reasons, one being not used to having a lot of people around. I am certain when I say my home is like most of the homes where having guests is not a daily or even weekly thing. Whatever happened to summer vacations and non-stop fun for three whole months. But I guess the concept of entertaining has changed itself. You have to be invited 'properly' if you decide to visit someone. Being invited properly is relative: you have to call (the number of times you call is your discretion), you arrange an extravagant meal or wait for your child's birthday or your anniversary. I can't even count the number of people I can visit randomly.

It is as difficult being a guest as a host. You can't go empty-handed: a little 'token of gratitude' is necessary. The size and range of the token varies immeasurably. On my recent visits to the interior city I was amazed at the closeness that people enjoyed on account of living literally in the same house as their neighbours. There is no choice but to mingle and share everything. With our kids' play stations and non-stop-entertainment on myriads of channels, who needs guests or even family for that matter?

• The Drawing Room art gallery opens on December 29, 2008. Featured works by Amjad Talpur, Amna Hashmi, Anwar Maqsud, Asif Hassan, R M Naeem and others.

• Final of the Polo Tournament at Lahore Polo Club at 10am.

• Conference/Talk: Reshaping the Mould: An International Conference on Literature and Language Studies from Monday Jan 19 to Wed, Jan 21 at Government College University Lahore. The conference will start at 9am.

• The speakers will be Graeme Cane, Aga Khan University, Vivian Cook, University of Newcastle, Muhammed Hanif, Jason Harding, University of Durham, Alamgir Hashmi, PIDE, Tariq Rahman, Quaid-e-Azam University, Rajendra Singh, University of Montreal and Shaista Sonnu Sirajuddin, Punjab University.

• Flute recital by Akmal Qadri on Saturday, Jan 24 at Lahore Chitrkar at 8pm. Lahore Chitrkar monthly music concert will feature Akmal Qadri & Haider Rehman on flute and Kashif Dani on Tabla.

• Puppet Show at Alhamra, The Mall every

Sunday at 11am.

• Panjabi Sangat is a weekly gathering every

Friday and Sunday

at Najam Hussain Sayed's house at 7pm

where Punjabi classical poetry is readand sung.

The Lahore Zoo, one the most visited places in the city, seems to be a picture of neglect. The master plan for its improvement, has come to a halt. Animal mortality rate has only increased in the zoo that is confined in the 25-acre land situated in the heart of the city adjacent to the Chief Minister Secretariat at the historic Mall Road.

Established in 1872, Lahore Zoo, which attracts as many as three million visitors a year (6,000 to 7,000 per day on average), not only provides recreation to children but also to elders who come close to study nature and escape from their mechanical life.

The contractor of the master plan of the zoo development has halted work. He demands increase in the agreed rate because of inflation in the past few months. The zoo seems to be in complete mess from which the management committee and administration are trying to come out.

The number of animals' death is increasing every year because many of the animals have crossed their standard age. Walk along the zoo pathways shows how haphazardly canteens and play lands have been set up on the path giving a look of village fair because of the ill planning.

Most interestingly, the situation does not bother the visitors who have found a place in the heart of the city to spend some time alone, with friends or families. They want more actually. "I come with my child in routine," Muhammad Abid, who was feeding deer through fence along with his seven-year-old child, said. "Though we are happy we want the zoo to look better," he said. "We are here to spend some time away from the materialistic world," Muhammad Nasir from Southern Punjab, who was there along with friend, told TNS. "This helps us relax - the reason why we come to zoo," he said. "We want more birds and snakes in the zoo. We want cleanliness and better atmosphere because we love to visit zoo," Irfan and Salman, two students with guitars in their hands, jointly said. "Zoo must be an attractive place. It seems that the management is converting it into a moneymaking machine."

Najam Latif, member Zoo Management Committee admits the reality. "Yes, the master plan has come to a halt because of the contractor." Latif further said that there were also problems in breeding of the species in the past. "Many animals of the zoo are of Bahawlapur zoo blood line and breeding animals with same blood line should not have been done because this causes deformities and reduces life span. In given conditions, we are in mess and we have to get out of the mess which is not possible without implementation of proper plans."

Zoo Director Yousaf Pal, however, has many reasons to defend the situation. "We try to maintain cleanliness and the current dirty look is because of scattered but halted master plan of development for which the management committee is pursuing the Punjab government," he said. "We run the zoo on self-help basis and try to maintain standards at maximum possible level." He said even the London zoo having large number of species is also on 25 acre land and is located in the centre pf the city. "People need to realise the difference between zoo, wildlife park and safari park," he said, adding, "zoo is a place where animals are confined in cages; in wildlife park, like we have Jallo Park, animals are kept in big enclosures, and in Safari Park the animals are left open and people can drive through the passages."

Pal said the zoo staff is doing its best to control animal mortality. We also consult with veterinary experts and zoologists regularly. "What can we do if an animal dies accidentally or is seriously ill," he said, questioning, "How many human deaths occur in the city everyday in different ways? This is all about God's will." He said they were fully trying to follow international standards. He hoped that the completion of the master plan would help them in improving the situation. "This is the only master plan of zoo in its more than 136 years history," he said, adding, "In the past the zoo first saw improvement in the 80s during Governor Ghulam Jillani's era and then this master plan came in 2006 but is still under completion." He added that the total annual earning of the zoo was Rs 60 million and all is spent on animals.

He also confirmed that more than 20 animals died in 2008 and a couple of them died in the first two weeks of 2009, which is a higher number as compared to last three years. He said zoo would add many new animals including white lions and black leopard. He said all canteens will be shifted to one place under the master plan.

Vice Chairman of the Zoo Management Committee Syed Tauqeer Hussain said the previous secretary wildlife had revised the plan that also caused delay. "We have taken up the matter with Communication and Works Department and have also written to the Chief Minister. A recent meeting of the committee has also proposed standing operating procedures of keeping the animals in a proper way and enlist the overage animals." Currently, we have overage leopards, tigers, lion, hippopotamus and some deer, he disclosed. "We are trying to improve conditions," he further said, while citing that the zoo has also set a small slaughter house within its premises. Previously, there were also reports that the meat of dead animals was being provided to the animals. "We are striving for better conditions at the zoo on self help basis," he concluded.

Established in 1872, the Lahore Zoo is considered one of the oldest zoos not only of the region but also the world. It started as a small aviary donated by Lal Mahundra Ram. Today, the zoo houses 1,290 animals of 123 species including 795 birds of 76 species, 53 reptiles of nine species and 260 mammals of 46 species. The Lahore zoo reports claim it to be one of the 'modern' zoos in the world.

In 2006, the then Punjab government approved a special master plan worth Rs 192.655 million for the zoo development from special grant. The project, now a days halted, includes rehabilitation and improvement; addition of new facilities; conservation education; captive breeding; research etc. The new plan included remodelling of lion, monkey and bear houses, water fowl area, small cats section and office building. It also included provision of new facilities like walk through aviary, chimpanzee island, reptile house, jungle café', leopard house, parking plaza, hill café' and crocodile pound.

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Essential medicines out of market

As many as 61 different lifesaving and essential drugs have disappeared from the markets of Lahore since last few weeks.

These essential lifesaving drugs are missing from all the wholesale markets, medical stores and pharmacy chain outlets in various parts of the provincial metropolis.

President Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association, Ishaq Mayo said that there are several reasons behind the shortage of these vital medicines.

"A number of dealers who are manufacturing unregistered medicines, have gone underground because of the recent campaign of Punjab Government against the manufacturers of unregistered medicines. With the disappearance of these dealers medicines have become short," Mayo said.

"Besides, a large number of manufacturers are not providing medicines to the markets as required, the reason why shortage has become a regular feature. Such manufacturers should be prosecuted under the law of Provincial Drug Rules for not meeting the medicines' needs in the markets. On the other hand, there is need to check medicines export in such conditions.

"Patients may be dying without medicines so government needs to take immediate initiatives to overcome this problem," the president Pakistan Chemists Retailers Association said.

The list of 37 lifesaving drugs, which are manufactured in Pakistan, but are not available in the country, is as follows: GSK-manufactured eight drugs including Ventolin inhaler, Ventolin solution, Ventide inhaler, Thyroxin tab, Migril tab, Zyloric tab (300 mg), Betnovate cream –Up-John-manufactured five drugs including Solucartif 500 mg, Solu Medrol 500 mg, Solu Medrol 1 gm and Trobicin injection – Squibb-manufactured three drugs including Canacart A injection, Canacart A tincture and Canacart tab – Reckitt & Colmann-manufactured one drug Neo Mercazol tab – Lund Beck-manufactured one drug Denaxit 0.5 gm tab – and Elena Pharma's manufactured medicines including Cerebrolysine injection, Augmentin Tab 375 mg, Flamazin cream, Ritalin tab, Vitalux tab, Longifene tab, Litrison tab, Stemicin tab, Evion tab, Buscopan plus tab, Lantanon tab, Pyodine solution, Hepamerz syp, Hepamerz sachet, Mondecat injection, Kenadiol tab, Betalok Zoke tab, Filmacid Forte syp, Nisoderm lotion, Xaltide inhaler, Aquamin Forte tab and Cyclogest tab.

Besides, the 24 lifesaving drugs, which are smuggled hence remain unregistered, not available in markets across Pakistan are as follow: Anti-Snake injection (snake bite), Anabol tab, Questran powder 4 gm, Florin F tab, Isordil tab for heart attack, Crestor tab 10 mg for heart attack, Prograf 0.5 mg cap, Prograf 1 gm cap, Marevan tab for heart, Premarin tab for women Harmone disturbance, Winstrol injection, ACTH injection for paralysis, Cerebrolysin injection for paralysis, Vasolastin injection for paralysis, Cytotec tab for female delivery disturbance, Deltacortril Enteric tab, Hydrocortisone tab for Harmon regularization, Atrovent 500 mcg,/2ml solution for Asthma, Trental 400 mg tab for hemoreolojik ajan, Daabol DS tab (Methandrostenolone 10 mg), LevoThyroxin tab, Agiolax, Plaquanil tab and Infacol drops for children colic drops.

Shahrukh Iqbal, an asthma patient, said unavailability of Ventolin spoke volumes of the apathy of the agencies responsible and the callousness of the "profit-hungry" drug manufacturers.

Dr Saeed Elahi, Chairman Chief Minister's Task Force on Spurious Drugs, told TNS that the reasons behind the 61 lifesaving missing drugs are identified as lesser profit margin prompting the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to either stop producing essential drugs or manufacture in limited quantity to earn bigger profit margins through export of essential drugs.

He said that certain drugs which were not produced indigenously and were smuggled from different countries, are also missing from the markets.

He said that the provincial government, as per strict instructions of Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, would take strict action against the local and multinational manufacturing companies responsible for removal of lifesaving drugs from the markets. "The Chief Minister desires that all these 70 to 80 lifesaving drugs must be manufactured locally to meet the requirements of the patients," he informed.

Sajidthenews@gmail.com

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