The Nostalgic Detective: Identity formation in Detective Fiction of Pakistan

Abstract

Through an analysis of Ibn-e-Safi’s writings, this article explores the existence of a reflective nostalgia in Post-Colonial Pakistan. We propose that this nostalgia operated at three levels; firstly, it represented an approach that saw the geographical separation of India not as a complete socio-cultural break where the entire heritage of India had to be disowned in order to become an “authentic†Pakistani. Secondly, it was a yearning for the inclusive religiosity where religion was a matter of personal choice and not a state enforced enterprise. Finally, it represented an attitude towards Colonialism  which accepted modernity and rationality while keeping indigenous traditional values intact.