CONSTRUCTED ALTERITY IN MUSTANSIR HUSSAIN TARAR’s ANDULUS MEIN AJNABI

The late twentieth century, influenced by Post-modern and Post-colonial discourses, Feminist and Deconstruction theory has unveiled ideological and political underpinnings behind so called scientific and objective narratives of past. Travelogue writing is one such genre which has been microscoped under the impact of these discourses and ideological motives brought to limelight. Travel writing, instead of giving a faithful portrayal of the target culture betrays personal prejudices of the writer and by doing so it stifles the voice and marginalises the narratives of the depicted culture. A traveller manipulates and constructs a culture through various discursive strategies like ethnic, racial and other groups. My contention in this paper is to scrutinize Andulus Mein Ajnabi by a renowned Pakistani travel writer Mustansar Hussain Tarar. The paper intends to establish that by assuming the objective role of an anthropologist and ethnographic reporter, Tarar only betrays a deep embedded religious and cultural prejudices. The use of historical commentary, autobiographical memories and philosophical ideas are only a garb to cover deep seated hatred of a Muslim against Christian culture.