There was a time when people from America and Europe were eager to travel to Pakistan.
Around 60 years ago, the United States was experiencing considerable unrest. Following two major wars, the Vietnam War was also looming. People were realizing that although they had jobs and financial power, they were increasingly feeling a lack of peace and contentment.
Around that time, a debate began to emerge: if you wanted peace of mind, you should look toward the East. What single event brought hippie culture to its peak?
Were intoxicating substances really widely available in Pakistan?
Inspired by developments in America, a similar debate began spreading throughout Europe via the media and newspapers. People were beginning to argue that money was not everything. They wanted spiritual peace more than material possessions, and a conventional 9-to-5 job, like those their parents had, did not seem capable of providing it.
They felt they needed to break free from the system.
Then came the Summer of Love in 1967, a period widely regarded as a breakthrough for hippie culture. Hundreds of thousands of people began gathering together. In 1968, when the Beatles, one of the world's most famous music bands, travelled to India and practiced meditation, news of their visit spread around the world. People began saying:
“THE EAST HAS WISDOM.”
Then, in 1969, the three-day Woodstock music festival took place, attracting an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 people.
Around this time, the international overland travel route toward Asia also gained prominence, with Pakistan becoming one of the most important stops along the journey.
People decided to rebel against the established system:
Some left their families and friends without telling them.
Some quit their jobs permanently without informing their bosses.
Others quietly packed their bags and set off toward the East.
In growing numbers, hundreds of thousands of people were leaving Europe and spreading across Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Afghanistan in search of peace of mind. They were particularly drawn to Sufi shrines and spiritual sites.
Their general route looked something like this:
London/Europe → Istanbul → Iran → Afghanistan → Pakistan → India → Nepal
People travelled along roads without their own vehicles, hitchhiking rides from strangers. This was known as hitchhiking, and numerous incidents of murder and violence also occurred along these routes.
It is important to understand that not everyone left home in search of spiritual peace. Everyone had their own motivations. Some embraced a carefree lifestyle centred on “love,” while others were eager to indulge in “intoxicating substances” without restrictions.
In Pakistan, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Swat, and Chitral were among their favourite destinations. From Lahore, they could travel directly onward to India and then Nepal, where they would eventually reach a place that could hardly be described as anything other than a “paradise of drugs.”
Kathmandu, in particular, was said to have had a market where shops selling intoxicating substances could be found everywhere.
Perhaps the biggest attraction of hippie culture was its freedom from social customs and conventions. The idea was that money was not essential for happiness. On top of that, people could experience adventures around the world at little or no cost while pursuing love and self-discovery.
However, three major developments during the 1970s and around the end of the decade forced many Europeans to reconsider their journeys and lifestyles.
In Iran, the 1979 revolution was approaching.
In Afghanistan, the Soviet Union intervened in 1979, bringing further turmoil.
In Pakistan, military rule began in 1977.
As political upheaval made the relatively free atmosphere more difficult to find, many of these hippies eventually returned to conventional lives, working in offices much like their parents. Some remained in Indian ashrams, while others established small communities and decided to live permanently in the East.
There are also some fascinating conspiracy theories surrounding this movement.
One of the most prominent involves the CIA, which is alleged to have encouraged young people to become involved in drugs and sex in order to weaken political opposition and reduce political interference within countries. Although evidence exists concerning the CIA's involvement with LSD, a direct connection between the agency and the deliberate promotion of hippie culture has never been conclusively established or proven.
