A view of Kabuli Gate during the British Raj. PHOTO:FILE
PESHAWAR: Agerola, a commune in the Naples province of Italy and the ancestral town of Peshawar’s Italian governor under Sikh rule General Paolo Avitabile, has expressed its desire to enter into a twin city affiliation with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) capital.
The mayor of Agerola Luca Mascolo has, in this regard, sent a letter to K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak.
The letter was sent through UK-based historian and filmmaker Bobby Singh Bansal when he recently visited Italy. Bansal is conducting research in Peshawar, where he made the letter available to The Express Tribune.
The letter says the invitation is on behalf of many citizens of the community who have come to know Peshawar as General Avitbile was governor of the city. It outlines arrangements to strengthen bonds of friendship between Agerola and Peshawar by encouraging the study of culture, art, literature and language of both cities. Links between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade associations of both cities was one possible method highlighted.
The document notes there is a growing awareness and appreciation between the two cities for each other’s culture and people which will further develop as a result of the proposed alliance. “We look forward to the limitless possibilities of this relationship,” it read.
“Although this partnership must begin on an official basis between the governments of our two communities, we see the strength and vitality of this long-term association resting wholly in the hands of our citizen volunteers and participants.” The letter informed that they have designated a group of volunteers for the cause, suggesting the same should be done in Peshawar as well.
Bansal is the author of ‘The Lion’s Firanghis: Europeans at the Court of Lahore’ and director of 2012 documentary ‘The Sikhs of Kabul- A forgotten community’.
He explained that Ranjeet Singh had entrusted Peshawar to Avitabile as he believed only the general could manage this city. He credited Avitabile for redesigning the city on European lines and restoring the Bala Hisar walls. Bansal also expressed his wish to meet K-P chief minister and PTI chief Imran Khan for further alliance of both cities.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 16th, 2013
COMMENTS (23)
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Italian city must have mistaken Peshawar for Singapore.
Do they have enough bomb blasts to even consider being a distant cousin, let alone being a twin? Do they have enough pollution, poverty, joblessness, crime, lack of basic human needs, intolerance, hatred, fear, lack of infrastructure, lack of national interest? They are flattering themselves if they think they even belong in the same stratosphere as Peshawar.
You have to go all the way back to Napoleon to find anything remotely in common with the two cities -- that says a lot. I wonder how many Italians visit Pershawar each year?
@usman - well said !
so pakistan can now join the EU?
@Majid:very bad mate.there are more punjabis who are working hard for Imran khan's KpK and even for pakistan.this is the time to be unite and not to point out who is punjabi or Pathan.
@ali ahmed: Peshawar is culturally rich and historically an important city of the sub-continent. It was called the city of flowers and it have all the ability to rise back to its historic position. So concentrate on something fruitful and stop hating Peshawar.
they should give and opportunity to rebuild these structures. as ghalib said. muft hath aye to bura kya hai
To the hatter. Get a burnol or tell me your address i will send you one to be used on that burned areas :P Seriously if they want to have good relations with Peshawar why so criticism. I wonder how the people will react if the offer was for Lahore or Karachi. Just grow up you.
@Breaking Bad : what about all bad thing happening in KP being blamed on PTI ? By that logic shouldnt anything good being done credited to PTI ? Also the italians want to meet khattak and IK , no other province has leadership with which any foreign company would partner (without kickbacks) :0
May be this italian town lost many people during mafia wars.
those punjabies that never let kpk prosper etc get a life...stop being jealous...Pakistan has infact become Punjabistan...as if its only punjabies rights to run this country...peace in punjab nowadays mean peace in Pakistan..thats why punjabi pml n is silent...kpk will rise...i give u my word...ET dont be biased towards punjabies..publish please
@Rambo: It is definitely more important that PTI troll was first to write a comment and got most recommendations :-)
mayor will realised later that it was a mistake when Agerola will become another Peshawer
@rambo - cmon man, what has pti got to do with this? unless our beloved CM Khattak was a classmate of the late Italian general?
@Rambo: And HOW is any of this related to PTI again? So funny when PTI trolls take credit for anything remotely good happening. Somehow a connection with PTI is made. PTI didn't lobby to do this nor did they make Peshawar the next Seoul already. The Italian mayor chose to do it and its good. Nothing to do with PTI but likely to do with the Italian governor of Peshawer a century ago.
And the credit goes to PTI why?
@Cammando : Rather focusing on trolling , work on your spellings. :)
^ Theres the first one right there
@Cammando: even u might take the advanage of such a situation of there!!
@Commando Have a BURNOL.