Despite the fact that the majority of Pakistanis are Muslims, the Gregorian rather than the Islamic calendar is the one predominantly used in the country. The reason for this is partly the lasting effects of colonialism. One consequence of using the Gregorian calendar is that New Year’s Eve is a more excitedly anticipated occasion in Pakistan than the Islamic New Year (though the two Islamic celebrations of Eid-ul-Azha and Eid-ul-Fitr may give New Year’s Eve a run for its money, popularity wise). Nonetheless, it is safe to say that the start of the new year has always been a reason for the country to celebrate.
As in other parts of the world where the Gregorian calendar is used, 31 December/1 January in Pakistan marks the completion of one cycle and the commencement of a new cycle. It is eagerly awaited because it brings with it a clean slate. Moreover, Pakistanis love making new resolutions (whether or not they stick to said resolutions is an entirely different matter) and New Year’s Eve gives them a perfect opportunity to have a loud social gathering.
Prior to December 2007, New Year’s Eve was celebrated in public. In the bigger cities, people would congregate in the market places and the youngsters would drive their cars up and down the roads, honking their horns. The market places and shopping plazas would remain open until the early hours of the morning. As Pakistanis are very family oriented and are voracious eaters, New Year’s Eve was a bonanza for restaurants. For the more popular restaurants, it would be almost impossible to get a table as people would book tables for large parties of friends or family. Still others would spend loads of money in buying tickets for balls and high-flying events in the five star hotels.
The carnage and chaos that is marked by the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto at the end of 2007, and that has intensified since, changed all of this. There has been a marked deterioration of the security situation in Pakistan. Due to Pakistan’s support of Western policies in Afghanistan, the country has fallen victim to Taliban and other extremist attacks. It now appears that suicide attacks occur almost daily. The Taliban and other perpetrators of these inhumane attacks tend to target public venues and act on days of celebration, as this allows them to maximise the death toll and cause the greatest possible psychological damage to the nation.
To give you one example, the bombings of the five-star Marriott Hotel in 2008 shook Islamabad, which is where I live. Many locals and diplomats were killed. The panic resulting from this attack still lingers in the minds of Islamabad’s residents. The once popular Food Street, where you could get delicious snacks from open-air stalls, is now deserted. People have stopped gathering in large groups in market places and restaurants.
The New Year’s Eve celebrations of 2010 were significantly quieter than in the past. Although I went out with my family to a popular restaurant in the main shopping area on 31 December, I could sense that the public face of New Year’s Eve came to an end much sooner than midnight for the entire country. Families are concerned with their personal security and prefer having quiet gatherings at home. Hopefully, 2010 will bring more positive changes to the lives of the citizens and give them the security they deserve to celebrate the coming of 2011.
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