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The society and culture of Pakistan comprises numerous ethnic groups: the Punjabis, Potwaris, Kashmiris, Sindhis in east, Muhajirs, Makrani in the south; Baloch, Hazaras and Pashtuns in the west; and the Dards, Wakhi, Baltis, Shinaki and Burusho communities in the north. The culture of these Pakistani ethnic groups have been greatly influenced by many of its neighbours, such as the other South Asians, Turkic peoples as well as the peoples of Central Asia and West Asia.

The common and shared tradition of Urdu literature and English literature of Greater India was inherited by the new state. Over a period of time, a body of literature unique to Pakistan emerged, written in nearly all major Pakistani languages, including Urdu, English, Punjabi, Pashto, Seraiki, Baloch, and Sindhi.

There are differences among the ethnic groups in cultural aspects such as dress, food, and religion, especially where pre-Islamic customs differ from Islamic practices

There are two key phrases that are touted regularly in this context; the first pertains to the individual, and the second, to society in general.

Every time a Pakistani is likely to find anything objectionable, the catch-all category used to express this sentiment is that the act goes ‘against Pakistani culture’.

The second category is self-ascribing, usually following the grandiose proclamation that ‘Pakistan has a rich and diverse culture’.

Both of these everyday-isms fail to identify what actually constitutes as culture. Both categories also somewhat contradict each other, as rich diversity is generally synonymous with embracing differences.

As a concept, culture is quite hard to confine.

It includes everything that anthropologist EB Tylor defined as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”

Our culture is Faiz and Faraz as much as Friday prayers and Eid celebrations; it is Ajrak and Soosi as much as hijab and sherwani; it is Qawwali and tappay as much as naat and majlis.

All these categories tell stories about the same people in different spaces and none of them cancel out the other.

The reason why Pakistani society seems so deeply divided between the desire to cling to the illusions of a glorious past or fall blindly into a foreign future has a lot to do with our deep failing to negotiate with our present.

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