Among the many things people in Pakistan like to do, sitting down and talking about the gold old days, or puranay din, is one of the most popular ones. In looking at the numbers for Pakistan’s population, a significant portion were born after 1980 – these people are commonly referred to as millennials. For them, those old days are the 90s. So what ‘puranay din’ do most of our parents and uncles refer to?
So here’s a glimpse into the pictures of the puraney din of Pakistan after partition.
1. A PIA advertisement from a time when the airline was a respected institution.
2. Hollywood actress Ava Gardner shooting a scene at the Lahore Railway Station in 1954.
3. US President John F. Kennedy with then Pakistan President Ayub Khan. Not many presidents coming to visit Pakistan these days…
4. Female swimmers. In a swimming competition. In 1970.
5. Current US President, Barak Obama, with his Pakistani friend in Karachi in 1982.
6. A rare shot of Abdul Sattar Edhi during his youth.
7. Sultan Rahi (“Maula Jutt”) and Muhammad Ali having a moment during Muhammad Ali’s visit to Pakistan around 1980.
8. National Geographic cover in 1967, with a feature on Pakistan’s tourism.
9. Dr. Abdus Salam looking like a boss. The photo was taken around early 1970s.
10. PTV news in 1974. A time when the channel was actually watched by people.
11. President Ayub Khan overlooking the area that would become Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
12. Pakistan’s first Boeing 747 plane.
13. A Coca-Cola advert from 1968. The same advert was also published in American newspapers.
14. A rare photo of a Jewish festival being celebrated in Karachi.
15. Legendary singer Madam Noor Jehan recording a song for Radio Pakistan back in 1963.
16. A packed theater during the peak of Pakistan’s film industry in late 1960. The film industry started dying out during the Zia regime. The award for the biggest ass in Pakistan’s history goes to: General Zia.
17. People lining up to see the premier of ‘Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom’ at Karachi’s Nishat Cinema in 1984. In 2012, the cinema was burned down by religious fanatics. If only they were film fanatics…
18. Students of Punjab University hanging out and taking a smoke break in 1973.
19. The streets of Karachi during early 1980s.
20. The Legendary Moin Akhtar with Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor.
21. Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s passport before the birth of Pakistan, after which he was referred to as the Quaid-e-Azam.
22. A Pakistani passport in the ’60s. Looks more appealing than the ones we have today…
23. A vintage 1969 Murree Beer coaster from Karachi’s Excelsior Club – the club was forced to close down in 1977.
24. Tourists enjoying the streets of Peshawar in the ’70s.
25. Tourists at Dean’s Hotel Peshawar in mid 60s.
26. Khyber Pass in 1973.
27. A picture of a pop sensation Nazia Hassan at a very young age.
28. Yep, that’s Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan during his childhood.
29. Then Pakistan cricket team captain Intikhab Alam introducing a 19-year-old Imran Khan to the Queen of England.
30. Yasir Arafar, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, Z.A. Bhutto and Col Qaddafi in Lahore at the Muslim Leaders in Organization of Islamic Countries Summit in 1974
31. American tourists travelling via train to Lahore from Karachi in 1976.
32. Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, Liquat Ali Khan, having a moment with famous Hollywood actor James Stewart in Lahore (1951).
33. A 1964 PIA advert featuring Hollywood comedian and actor Bob Hope.
It may come as a surprise to many but PIA was one of the first airlines in the world to introduce in-flight entertainment. In fact, the airline also ranked among the top-ten airlines in the world for almost 20 years.
34. Pakistanis and tourists alike wine and dine in class at Karachi’s Beach Luxury Hotel in 1969.
35. Hard to believe this advertisement appeared in newspapers back in 1973.
36. Locals enjoying a moment at Karachi’s Clifton beach in 1962.
37. A very peaceful Karachi in 1970’s.
38. The famous Pak Tea House of Lahore in 1950. The cafe served as a vessel for intellectual and progressive political activity.
39. A woman on the streets of Lahore pulling a 3-wheel cycle in 1967. It’s very rare that you’ll come upon a site like this today.
40. The historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore being renovated (1964).
41. A German tourist posing outside a ‘hashish shop’ during 1976 in present day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
42. Western tourists sunbathing on a Karachi beach in the early 1960s. What would happen if someone was doing this today?
43. A bar, restaurant, and ballroom in Murree during 1970.
44. A Pakistan president jokingly slapping a U.S. President. Nope, definitely doesn’t happen anymore.
45. Karachi’s metro rail in 1962. Way before the Metro Bus.
46. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif posing in front of his car as a young man. Kya baat hai Mian saab.
47. Spotted in the 1960s: a double decker bus on the streets of Lahore.
48. Fatima Jinnah playing with her dog at her Karachi residence in 1959.
49. Quaid-e-Azam cuting his last birthday cake on December 25th, 1947.
What do you think Quaid-e-Azam would think of the Pakistan we live in today?
Note: all these photos were found through Asif Sohrab. Thank you for making these pictures publicly available on Facebook.
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