The Queen is in town! Everyone eat (anything but alcohol — it's prohibited in Pakistan), drink and be merry. To those of you who have never been to or heard of Pakistan, let me spell it out to you. Lahore, the second larget country of Pakistan isn't what you might call a "model" city. Overpopulation, congestion, garbage, traffic, pollution and crime are only some of its problems.
But for a few of Lahore's areas, that's not going to be much of a problem, not for the next couple of weeks at least. Why? Mainly due to the fact that Queen Elizabeth II is due for a stop-over and tourof Lahore as part of her trip to the Indian Subcontinent.
Hundreds of workers (normally not seen dispensing their duties) toiled day and night to patch the pot-hole ridden roads, repair street lights on Her Majesty's route, repair and restore the ancient buildings of the "Mughal" era. The main road of the city was closed down for the passage of the Queen. I could be wrong, but I've heard that the Queen doesn't get that kind of hospitality even in the country she rules over.
Considering that the Queen IS being accorded that extent of hospitality, I have an idea. The Queen could extend her stay by a couple of months and during this period pay a visit to every dirty, downtrodden district and slum of the city. If she'd just let the authorities know of her plans, they would send hundreds of workers to clean up, "fix up" and beautify whatever area she plans to visit. I'm sure the people of Pakistan would love her for this. In fact, why doesn't the Queen go a step further? She could decide NEVER to leave the Subcontinent. She could extend her visits to every poverty-ridden spot in South Asia! I'm sure that if the authorities keep it up, South Asia will turn into a modern, clean and developed area in a few years! What's more, the people cherish her — worship her even! She'll become more than just a Queen, she'll become a saint revered by each and every poor South Asian.
Lahore is cleaner today than it was for a long time (well, since Hillary Clintondropped in for a visit! but that's a separate issue). If the Queen decides to stay forever, the possiblities of beautification, clean-up and development are endless!
Your Majesty, your highness, PLEASE don't leave! Ever!
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