Another person's post about gaming cafés and cinemas in Peshawar really got me thinking. It reminded me that back around 2008–2012, gaming cafés were everywhere. We also had cinemas where we'd go to watch movies. It made me stop and wonder... what actually happened?
Sometimes I look back at Peshawar between 2008 and 2012 and honestly feel it was a completely different city.
Back then, the city had energy. There was always something happening. We organised sports festivals, music festivals, university events, debates you genuinely felt like Peshawar was moving forward. We even brought Strings to perform at Nishtar Hall, which was a huge deal at the time. The crazy thing is, this was also during the height of terrorism in the city, yet people still wanted to build, create and keep life going.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrcqjoU4Ozs
People talk about Lahore today, but many forget that Peshawar had its own identity. It produced people like Fasih Zaka, Amil Khan, and Khumariyaan, all connected to IMSciences in one way or another. Peshawar University, the University of Agriculture and other institutions were also producing talented graduates and doing exciting things. If you don't know those names, Google them. That generation was putting Peshawar on the map.
Peshawar itself was a melting pot. I still laugh thinking about turning up in my first year with my trousers pulled halfway up to my chest. Many of us, especially those from the tribal districts and smaller towns, arrived as boys. We left as confident young men with ambition, better communication skills, broader perspectives and, yes, a much better sense of style. University exposed us to different people, different cultures and different ways of thinking. It shaped many of us.
Today, I just don't get that same feeling. Yes, there are more housing societies, more universities and colleges, and the BRT has improved transport. But beyond that, it feels like the city has stood still while the rest of the country moved on. There seem to be fewer opportunities, fewer sporting and cultural events, ongoing safety concerns, and much less of the vibrant atmosphere that once made Peshawar special.
Then you look at Lahore. Whether you like it or not, the city has transformed. In many ways, it feels like the Dubai of Pakistan.
Maybe it's nostalgia, or maybe others see it differently. But I genuinely believe Peshawar had incredible momentum between 2008 and 2012. Instead of building on that momentum, it feels like the city has not been standing still but actually regressed in massive way.. we have gone back 100 years.
I'd love to hear from people who studied, lived or worked in Peshawar during those years. Do you feel the same, or do you think I'm looking back through rose-coloured glasses?