image of pakistan in the world essay

Pakistan’s Global Image: Perception and Causes

Nadir Cheema is an academic at the School of Oriental and African Studies and UCL, University of London. He specializes in economics and studies Pakistani socio-political issues. He is also a senior fellow at Bloomsbury Pakistan .

The perception that Pakistan lacks credibility within the international community is a common one among analysts and academics working on the region. [i]

A survey, conducted exclusively for this article, set out to examine the nature and origins of such negative views about Pakistan. Members of the Foreign Service Programme class of 2016 at the University of Oxford, mainly comprised of diplomats from all over the world, [ii] were asked ‘what three things come to mind when you hear about Pakistan?’ The majority of respondents cited nuclear weapons, terrorism, security, Islam, and the Taliban, lending support to the general view of Pakistan as a militarised state involved with Islamic extremism.

Pakistan has paid an enormous price for being the frontline state in the war on terror. It lost around 80,000 lives (50,000 civilians, 6,000 security personal and 27,000 militants) during the US-led ‘war on terror’ between 2004 and 2013. [iii] But despite its sacrifices, Pakistan is perceived by the West as a treacherous ally that shamelessly promotes Islamic radicalism.

Pakistan faces enormous challenges, ranging from an unbalanced economy, fragile governance and security to rampant terrorism. But perhaps its greatest challenge is to restore its credibility in the eyes of the world. The establishment’s efforts [iv] to project a positive image of the country have had little impact. The question arises whether Pakistan’s establishment understands the root cause of the problem. In Foucault’s phrase, the world’s perceptions of Pakistan “have been made; they can be unmade, as long as we know how it was that they were made.” [v] The process must begin by discovering how these perceptions came about; then, once we know how they were made, unmaking them.

Countries are, at least in part, judged by the nature of their foreign policy. Pakistan’s foreign policy is largely a function of its national security doctrine, which has the perceived threat from India at its core. Foreign policy is thus driven by objectives articulated and defined by the requirements of national security.

The security narrative, broadly speaking, adopts a unitary outlook on the world, prioritising one nation, one set of values and one national tradition. Defying this unitary approach, refusing to conform to it, leads to immediate stigmatisation. It is a process that undermines pluralist society and discourages the projection of a nuanced, realistic picture of the country. It irons out diversity and necessitates conformity.

The security narrative that permeates Pakistani society to such an extraordinary degree relies on a very rigid definition of national interest. Dr. Farzana Sheikh, a fellow at Chatham House, claims that, “There is no understanding of the national interest as the one that might encompass larger issues of social and economic welfare. It projects the image of the country that is primarily concerned with the defence of its frontiers and the questions of democracy are subordinated to questions of sovereignty.” [vi]

The security narrative manifests itself as a defensive form of Pakistani nationalism. It has created an imagined community, in terms defined in social theory by the sociologist Benedict Anderson, that belongs to different geographies but has a sense of belonging to a particular idea. [vii] Similarly, the Pakistani establishment, institutions and large sections of population, are convinced by the narrative of the security state and the belief that Pakistan is surrounded by hostile powers such as India, Afghanistan and Iran. The outside world is perceived as conspiring against it. With the cohesive bond of religion seemingly holding them together, the class interests of various groups are aligned to produce a potentially explosive version of this nationalist narrative.

Despite the emphasis on the security narrative, Pakistan has not been able to achieve the strategic relationship with the West, particularly with the USA, that it covets. Efforts have been made to make the relationship a strategic one, but it remains at best transactional and tactical. As Raza Rumi, a scholar at Ithaca College and Cornell University, strikingly puts it:

‘It is like you give me million dollars, I give you location of militants and you drone them. You give me F16s, I will deliver you ‘X’. A kind of a supermarket security grocery shopping.’ [viii]

The dominance of the security establishment is not the only reason for Pakistan’s negative perception in the world. The political parties are in disarray. With virtually no internal policy thinking, they are not equipped to reflect on the larger issues of security and foreign policy. Consequently, when civilian regimes have been in power, particularly since 2008, they have been unable to make any appreciable impact.

The relationship between the government of Pakistan and the international media has been problematic to say the least. The spread of social media has undermined the government’s monopoly on information and made information sources difficult to manage. The state may continue to intimidate local Pakistani media organisations, but this is quickly picked up by the global media, through their correspondents’ close ties with local media houses. [ix] Pakistani officials are convinced that the international media focus on negative aspects of Pakistan and have a preconceived mindset that negative stories on Pakistan sell better. There may be some truth to this argument. But the establishment’s obsession with it can mean the root causes of genuine problems are not addressed, further damaging the country’s image.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office lacks institutional capacity, as discussed in Cheema (2015); [x] it is a fossilised organisation relying far too heavily on old school diplomacy, while failing to adopt modern tools of international influence, such as cultural, public and economic diplomacy.

There is a growing consensus against Pakistan in the global think tank industry of Western countries. There is an urgent need to address this. But the prevailing nationalism in Pakistan, narrowly defined and lacking depth or subtlety, promotes intolerance of critical debate in the country. Academics and other members of the intelligentsia who engage with global think tanks are labelled disloyal or anti-state. The establishment is unable to recognise that critical thinking is a necessary and beneficial feature of academic debate. It fails to acknowledge that academics who critique state policies are doing so for the wellbeing of society and in order for the state to perform better. They are far from unpatriotic.

Pakistan’s current mode of foreign policy, driven solely by the demands of a perceived external security threat, is untenable. It must redefine its national interests to include issues such as social and economic welfare. The present paradigm of national security is too narrowly drawn and must be replaced by one that embraces the needs of human development as the basis of domestic and foreign policies. Having an educated, healthy work force with well-trained human resources for the future economic growth of Pakistan is vital. In order for the country to flourish in all its complexity, in order for a more nuanced, more realistic picture of Pakistan to emerge, the military must take a step back. The establishment must allow the country to experience and evaluate a range of opinions that are currently not available to it. If the establishment persists in trying to project the distorted values it has so far espoused, it will deeper entrench Pakistan’s negative image abroad and damage its credibility even further.

[i] Private interview with twenty-five analytics and academics working on Pakistan between May – August 2016.

[ii] Survey from Foreign Service Programme class 2016 at University of Oxford,  facilitated by Dr. Adeel Malik on 8 June 2016. Participants 12; women 4, men 8 representing nine nationalities (USA, Japan, Britain, Poland, China, South Korea, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan)

[iii] (2015) “Body Count: Casualty Figures after 10 Years of the War on Terror” by PSR: Physicians for Social Responsibility (US American affiliate), Washington DC, PGS: Physicians for Global Survival (Canadian affiliate), Ottawa of IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War) http://www.ippnw.de/commonFiles/pdfs/Frieden/Body_Count_first_international_edition_2015_final.pdf

[iv] Definition of establishment as used in UN Report (2010) ‘’ Report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.’’ Page 6. http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Pakistan/UN_Bhutto_Report_15April2010.pdf

(Establishment: “the de facto power structure that has as its permanent core the military high command and intelligence agencies, in particular, the powerful, military-run the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as well as Military Intelligence (MI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The capability of the Establishment to exercise power in Pakistan is based in large part on the central role played by the Pakistani military and intelligence agencies in the country’s political life,…”)

[v] Kelly, M. (1994) ‘Critique and Power: Recasting the Foucault/Habermas Debate’ (Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press), 127.

[vi] Private interview with Dr. Farzana Sheikh, Fellow, Chatham House Royal Institute of International Affairs. 26 May 2016.

[vii] Anderson, B. (1991), ‘Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism’   Verso

[viii] Private interview with Raza Rumi, Scholar in residence at Ithaca College and teaching at Cornell University. 19 June 2016.

[ix] For instance the incident of Pakistani journalist Cyril Almeida picked up by the international media on 11 Oct 2016.  http://www.wsj.com/articles/pakistan-bars-journalist-from-leaving-the-country-1476185599

[x] Cheema, N. (2015), ‘ Impediments to the Institutional Development of Pakistan’s Foreign Office’. George Town Journal of Foreign Affairs. http://journal.georgetown.edu/impediments-to-the-institutional-development-of-pakistans-foreign-office/

Well researched and spot on but militarisation is the order of the day USA China India etc so Pakistan is no exception . It is not the world perceptions that must draw a new narrative but the compelling urgency of emerging narratives from within that must be woven into a rich tapestry of Diversity of ideas that defines Pakistan; that is an urgent necessity for today’s and future generations -who will bear the mantle of masterweavers?

I disagree with some of the persons quoted Pakistan is least a grocery shop. Pakistan’s problems about breaking away from a Security state are manifold. First, though Farzana is apt about National Interests, she remains vague. National Interests flow from National Power measured on a time continuum as Hans Morgenthau put as, “rising from a relatively stable platform of geography to fleeting opportunities of national character and morale”. Have any Pakistani scholars, universities, Parliament, armed forces or anyone ever determined this? NO. It is from this calculus that National Interest arise in short, mid and long terms and make the basis of National Security (not military security). Secondly, there is no institution building in Pakistan. All regulatory, transparency and operative autonomous and semi autonomous organisations are politicized and corrupt. These include SECP, SBP, NAB, PPRA, OGRA, NEPRA,PSO, Police, FIA and the list go on. The courts are politicised. Who will ensure Rule of Law that “RESTRICTS THE ARBITRARY EXERCISE OF POWER BY SUBORDINATING IT TO WELL DEFINED AND ESTABLISHED LAWS”? Thirdly, Are the government, officials as well as individuals and private entities truly accountable; are the laws clear, publicized, stable, and just; is law applied evenly; and protects fundamental rights, including the security of persons and property and certain core human rights? Is the process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient. Is Justice delivered timely by competent, ethical, and independent representatives and neutrals who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve? Lastly, when such apathy prevails, the most organised organisations walk into vacant spaces and that is where national interests get skewed. Determining Pakistan’s Natinal Power and Interests is a daunting task but not an impossibility. Till this is not done, Pakistan will continue to be what it is.

Very astute. Look forward to more elaborate version. The total lock of emphasis on female perspectives, ie development, pervasive patriarchal outreach and clerical constraints towards progressive laws to safeguard gender equality should be elaborated among national priorities.

Excellent and well-meaning analysis. Perhaps if the civilians were able to run the foreign policy, the institutional capacity of foreign office would have improved. Also, they would not have been pre-occupied by security threat in all their dealings.

I found this article thought provoking. An excellent well thought through analysis.

What has been written is subtle, and can not be dismissed as it is essentially an ontological perspective of an independent though a Pakistani scholar. Without defending unduly, such scholarship needs to be approached with a sense of appreciation and learning in order to improve ourselves how to correspond with the world at large and region in particular. I do however have one thought to share, the views expressed by the author in this piece are more or less the same that I come across by international citizens from other countries. It does indicate that Pakistan is not unique to inhabit its problems, what is typically wrong is the lack of cultural and political appetite to accept dissent, which in my opinion is the oxygen for any society to develop. While we may have deficiencies like several others in this world, where we lack badly is this area of concern. We need to encourage polemics, intellectual opposition, critique and dissent, that is possibly the only way forward to attain ideals set out by our founding fathers. The author deserves a pat for a job well done.

Well done Nadir sahib. Your use of Foucault’s quotation is very incisive with regards to Pakistan’s perceptions. Perhaps the issue can be summarised as a case of ‘perceptions management’. As perceptions are outcomes of experiential learning we can either modify the perceptions by taking actions that go against the perceptions or on the contrary we solidify the perceptions by doing things that lend support to the existing perceptions. If Pakistan drops its religious identity based rhetoric and secularises its domestic and foreign policies there is a good chance that international perceptions would also gradually change for the better.

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Home Article Emerging Pakistan — improving Pak soft image | by Sheikh Fakhar-e-Alam

Emerging Pakistan — improving Pak soft image | by Sheikh Fakhar-e-Alam

Emerging Pakistan — improving Pak soft image

DURING the recent past, the government of Pakistan has growingly expressed interest in boosting the soft image of Pakistan globally.

The image of the country has been tainted due to terrorist activities, mostly launched by hostile countries in the neighbourhood.

Irony is that the countries which are actually behind terrorism in Pakistan blame Islamabad for terrorism and try to throw dust in the eyes of the world.

Pakistan being the biggest cost-bearer of terrorism, sacrificing above eighty thousand lives, in the past remained unable to deliver its message appropriately to the world.

Efforts have been made in the last few years to redo the image building of Pakistan with a comprehensive plan, promoting Pakistan as a major tourist and investment destination under the project ‘Emerging Pakistan’ initiated by Ministry of Commerce, government of Pakistan.

Emerging Pakistan platform uses hashtag #Emerging Pakistan to showcase the innovative and creative thinking of Pakistanis from art, culture, commerce, outstanding individuals, vibrant ideas, industry sectors and tourism.

‘National branding’ represents a key part of these efforts and seeks to convert soft power resources into an identifiable ‘brand’ to attract foreigners.

This project intends to align the perception of Pakistan with reality. The strategic objective of “Emerging Pakistan” is to establish a compelling image for the country and to position it favourably in order to attract trade, tourism and investment through nation branding.

Emerging Pakistan, is an excellent initiative, which is regularly highlighting and promoting the progressive opportunities available in the world’s most dynamic and robust nation, Pakistan with a huge number of youthful population.

There are many stories from around the globe where companies are carrying the slogan of “Emerging Pakistan” on their own.

Increasingly a country’s reputation and positive image count and play a pivotal role in earning respect and enhancing its diplomatic weight in international affairs.

Sun Tzu, the famous Chinese strategist, said “the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting”.

Building a positive image as part of a soft power strategy is even more important for developing and smaller countries in order to raise their standing and enhance their outreach in a crowded international environment. Soft power is probably the only effective art of doing that.

The emerging trend of shift from hard to soft power in the developing world is growing faster than anyone has ever expected. When a country’s culture promotes universal values that other nations can readily identify with, it makes them naturally attractive to others.

Media, commerce, government, politics, and even people’s daily social interaction have all changed with technology.

“Emerging Pakistan” project is participating in the development of the country to make Pakistan a socially and economically peaceful place to live.

Government of Pakistan is encouraging the national and international audience to be partners in this campaign and giving them platform to share exciting stories about Pakistan with the world.

Even cricket teams have slowly but surely started coming back to play in Pakistan after a long hiatus. The PSL is being held in the country rather than in Dubai.

This provides a window of opportunity for Pakistan to change negative perceptions. All developed countries are now particularly paying attention towards building their soft power.

UK, US, China, Russia and India; all big states are concentrating towards soft power since long along with hard power. Pakistan needs to spot on its soft power seriously.

Unfortunately, terrorism, feeble tourism industry and weak economy have somehow tarnished the soft image of the country worldwide. But now Pakistan is promoting its soft image through media, tourism, literature, art and painting, information technology, music and theatre.

The country is not a strictly no-go destination for foreigners as it previously was. Pakistan has unlimited things which can be used to offset the dark shadow of the country.

The lacking object was the national focus on soft power which is now initiated through projects like “Emerging Pakistan” which will help to portray Pakistan in a positive way on the global level.

Through this platform, the Government is interacting with importers, investors, individuals, tourists and corporations who are concerned in order to enhance the global soft image of Pakistan. On the foreign policy front, things are apparently looking up. Pakistan is internationally not as isolated as it was perhaps a decade ago.

Prime Minister Pakistan should also focus on few areas in order to promote soft image of the country like improving our ability to attract international students, or facilitate exchanges, as it is a powerful tool of public diplomacy.

Pakistan to increase its foreign policy resources, work actively on global diplomatic footprint, and to contribute to the international community. Government to establish modern health and education cities in all provinces.

Government to focus on structural economic attributes like starting a business, decreasing corruption levels, and capacity for innovation.

Measures to be taken by the government so as to enhance international tourist arrivals, music industry exports, technological advancements and even international sporting success.

The government has to proliferate its attractive model of governance and how effectively it has delivered positive outcomes for its citizens.

Government has to devise a comprehensive plan and senior team members of PM should be tasked to strictly monitor the implementation process. —The writer is MS degree holder in journalism, an academic researcher & media analyst.

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Today's Paper | April 27, 2024

Why a national image matters.

PRIME MINISTER Imran Khan made a number of assertions recently at the launch of a documentary film about the irrelevance of promoting a ‘soft image’ of the country. These statements warrant comment as the prime minister isn’t alone in holding these views. Other people also subscribe to this opinion.

The prime minister said that the people of Pakistan should not be concerned about creating a ‘soft image’ of the country only to please outsiders, specifically the West. He asked a rhetorical question: what does a ‘soft image’ really mean? Will creating such an image mean the “world will consider us as very good?” This, he argued, only reflects an inferiority complex and the mark of people who lack self-confidence. Only an independent and confident nation commands the respect of others.

The prime minister is right that an image should not be manufactured merely to please others. That would never work as any hollow characterisation bereft of reality will lack credibility. There can also be no disagreement with his assertion that national confidence comes from “standing on one own’s feet” and not relying on aid or borrowing from outside. However, the projection of a ‘soft image’ that he regards as futile seems to be based on a misunderstanding and is at odds with what he has said at other times. He has often stated how tourism and Pakistan’s scenic beauty can help to promote the country’s image and attract more visitors. Also, at the same launch event he lamented how PTV dramas no longer attract overseas audiences as they once did, which again contradicts the view that the country’s image is of little significance.

Soft power efforts are imperative for Pakistan to correct misperceptions and project its many positive attributes.

The expression ‘soft image’ is often used in Pakistan but without any real understanding of what it means or encompasses. There is even less awareness about what ‘soft power’ is, what constitutes it and why countries, big and small, deploy it to advance their goals in the world. Put simply, a positive image of a country reflects and generates soft power.

The image of a country obviously derives from its various attributes — society, culture, values, economy and politics. Every country has strengths and weaknesses. Emphasising the positive aspects of a country is not about pleasing others or being defensive. In fact, not doing so allows rivals or adversaries to define you and seize the narrative, to the country’s detriment.

Turning to the concept of soft power, its greater importance today is a consequence of our changing times. In a world fundamentally transformed by technological and scientific advances as well as the information revolution the nature of power has also been changing. Widely accepted is the fact that military and economic power are not the only determinants of a country’s international standing and clout. Nor are they regarded adequate any more to guarantee success in securing foreign policy goals. Increasingly a country’s reputation and positive image count and play a pivotal role in earning respect and enhancing its diplomatic weight in international affairs.

Harvard scholar Joseph Nye, who introduced the notion of soft power, defined it as the ability to shape the preferences of others and achieve outcomes through “attraction” rather than coercion or economic incentives. He counterposed the soft power of “persuasion and cooption”, to the “power of coercion” represented by the hard power of military and economic strength. And he saw culture, political values and foreign policy as the main sources of soft power.

Other scholarly studies point out that a range of diverse attributes can comprise soft power resources. They include a country’s governance and human rights record, its educational, scientific and technological prowess, culture and heritage, media and communication, entertainment, tourist attractions, business practices, and of course its foreign policy conduct.

The world’s most powerful states, that possess formidable military and economic strength — and ‘stand on their own feet’ — use soft power in their strategies, and spend a great deal of resources on this, not because they lack confidence, but as this helps to magnify their influence and supplement their ‘hard power’. Western countries have long been practising this while China is now investing heavily in soft power projection and making vigorous efforts to win hearts and minds globally.

Building a positive image as part of a soft power strategy is even more important for developing and smaller countries in order to raise their standing and enhance their outreach in a crowded international environment. In an increasingly multipolar and hyperconnected world, power is much more dispersed between and within states. This drives the need to influence a diverse array of actors and many more nations in pursuit of foreign policy goals. Soft power not just aims at influencing policymakers in other countries but also their publics whose opinion can impact on government policy to support a country’s objectives. Similarly, international opinion matters as it creates perceptions about a country that can help or hinder its ability to achieve its foreign policy goals. Thus, soft power efforts are crucial to positively shape perceptions abroad and ensure that a country’s narrative is heard and accepted.

Endeavours to build a good image and be ‘liked’ in the world enables countries — powerful and not so powerful — to more effectively promote economic (trade and investment) and diplomatic goals (eliciting cooperation to advance core interests). ‘National branding’ represents a key part of these efforts and seeks to convert soft power resources into an identifiable ‘brand’ to attract others. Again, it is a way to engage international attention to promote a country’s economic and commercial interests in competitive global markets.

For Pakistan, which has long suffered from international image problems, in part due to mis-characterisations and deliberate distortions and partly because of on-ground realities, it is even more imperative to undertake soft power efforts to ­correct misperceptions, and more importantly, to project its many positive socioeconomic attributes and rich heritage of arts, civilisation and culture. This requires, for a start, official recognition that the endeavour is vital for the pursuit of its national goals and foreign policy interests. It needs, above all, imagination to craft such a strategy and ­incorporate it into its otherwise staid diplomacy.

The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2021

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Media Analysis — Positive And Negative Impact Of Today’s Media On The Image Of Pakistan

Positive and Negative Impact of Today’s Media on The Image of Pakistan

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Modern art in west and east pakistan.

Seascape with Three Boats

Atteqa Ali Independent Curator

October 2004

Pakistan became an independent state in 1947. Artists created works of art to promote the establishment of Pakistan as a modern country. This joyous occasion, however, was tempered by looming difficulties. The nation was located in two geographically distinct units separated by a thousand miles. The form of its government seemed uncertain—its founders had envisioned a democratic state in which all religions, including Islam , could be worshipped freely. However, because Pakistan was created as the homeland for South Asia’s Muslim population, there was pressure to govern with Islamic law. In this tense political climate, writers critiqued and questioned the founding of the nation in stories, novels, and poems.

Modern Painting in West Pakistan New on the world stage, Pakistani artists aimed to present themselves as modern according to international standards. They adopted styles prevalent in Europe and the United States, but they also experimented with indigenous traditions to see how these could fit into the modern world.

The first artist in Pakistan to have an exhibition of modern paintings was a woman—Zubeida Agha (1922–1997). Trained in both Pakistan and Europe, Agha developed an approach to painting that reflected her education and experience. Her images of landscapes and people are simplified forms made with a variety of vibrant colors reminiscent of both Fauvism and Rajput miniatures.

In the 1950s, Shakir ‘Ali (1916–1975), fresh from Europe, taught and later became principal of the National College of Arts. He brought back with him knowledge about Cézanne and Cubism , which offered new ways of interpreting the natural world in art. ‘Ali’s simplified and heavily outlined images of people, animals, and objects reflect a familiarity with Primitivism, a style developed in Europe yet influenced by Eastern art. Anna Molka Ahmed (1917–1994), coming from London to Lahore with her husband, also experienced the art world in both Pakistan and Europe. Her paintings are suggestive of French Impressionism in her use of thick, impasto brushstrokes to present life in Pakistan.

Shakir ‘Ali, along with Gulgee (1926–2007) and Sadequain (1930–1987; 1980.3.2 ), was also interested in local practices, in particular Islamic calligraphy . These artists experimented with calligraphy in paintings that placed centuries-old texts into modern formats. Gulgee’s calligraphy paintings are abstract and gestural interpretations of Arabic and Urdu letters. His sweeping layers of paint explore the formal qualities of oil paint while they make references to Islamic design elements . Ranging in styles, Sadequain’s representations of calligraphy include anthropomorphic letters that are angular and sharp, similar to his figurative works of the poor and downtrodden. In other calligraphic images, Sadequain transformed text into objects.

Modern Painting in East Pakistan Zainul Abedin (1914–1976) is considered the pioneer of modernism in East Pakistan. Formally, in paintings and drawings, he relied on the Kalighat folk art made in Bengal as well as the art of earlier Indian painters, including Jamini Roy (1887–1972) and Abanindranath Tagore (1871–1951). But in his choice of topics such as famine and working-class life, his subject matter is more socially aware than the work of these earlier artists.

Ali, Atteqa. “Modern Art in West and East Pakistan.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wepk/hd_wepk.htm (October 2004)

Further Reading

Naqvi, Akbar. Image and Identity: Fifty Years of Painting and Sculpture in Pakistan . Karachi and New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Additional Essays by Atteqa Ali

• Ali, Atteqa. “ The Rise of Modernity in South Asia .” (October 2004)
• Ali, Atteqa. “ Modern Art in India .” (October 2004)
• Ali, Atteqa. “ Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in India .” (October 2004)
• Ali, Atteqa. “ Postmodernism: Recent Developments in Art in Pakistan and Bangladesh .” (October 2004)
• Ali, Atteqa. “ Early Modernists and Indian Traditions .” (October 2004)

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‘At once silent and eloquent’: a glimpse of Pakistani visual poetry

Head of department Visual Studies, University of Karachi

Disclosure statement

Durriya Kazi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Whose mischief created a world of beseechers? Each petitioner is seen wearing a garment of paper

This line from the famous Mughul poet Ghalib refers to what he claimed to be ancient Persian tradition of petitioners wearing paper before entering the courts to get justice.

Indeed, for a country that has a low literacy rate , the written word is a central part of Pakistani society. All over Karachi, “wall chalking”, as it is called , lines the streets with announcements of political meetings, informal advertising and messages in support of or against political leaders.

Intelligence agencies and the press pick up writings that appear overnight as a show of political strength or indicators of political party infighting. Sometimes walls carry threats against specific people, such as “ ainda na dehkoon ” (this should not happen again) written by “bosses” to keep the local heavies in check. These are usually written in Urdu calligraphic style.

An unusual message stands out for its untidy spray painted phrase “Perfume Chowk” (perfume crossroads). Curious viewers discovered it was a message written by the heroic owner of a small stall selling attar (scented oil) in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, a suburb of Karachi, whose stall was regularly destroyed by people to whom he refused to give protection money.

A people’s narrative

Countries have many narratives: the official state narrative, the narratives of friends and allies, that of enemies, of moral custodians; and then there is the complex, layered narrative of a country’s people. These occupy sociologists, historians, literary critics, artists, film-makers, musicians, novelists and poets. Beneath the surface waves, one has to dive deeper to understand the true nature of the soul of a people, but occasionally the hidden becomes visible and lends itself to decoding.

This is most true of the place occupied by poetry in Pakistan. Classic forms can be of religious songs such as naats (a poem usually sung without music in praise of the Prophet Muhammad), qawalis (Sufi devotional songs performed by a large group of musicians accompanied by harmonium, drums and rhythmic clapping) and marsias (a poem of mourning and lament recounting the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson and his family at Kerbela ).

But often poems are also more worldly love songs of film; colourful metaphors that take place during mushairas ( public recitation of Urdu poetry ) or poetry events. The preferred form of Urdu poetry is the ghazal , or couplet, which has its origins in Arabic literature via Persian poetry. Ghazals are composed as sophisticated conceits, ostensibly about love, longing, separation and loss, but imply commentaries that range from Sufi love of the divine, to local politics.

Hearing the voice of the individual

The decorated transport of Pakistan is much celebrated for its excessive colourful adornment and painted images. Less noticed are the embedded verses that are an essential part of all trucks, buses and rickshaws.

These are attempted conversations with “someone out there”, an amplification of one’s presence in a society that renders the common man invisible. “ Whispering in our ears ”, these writings express personal feelings, outrage or simply indignation, loss, desire, or a moment of reflection.

Hungarian philosopher Ferenc Hörcher has suggested that conversation “liberates the human self from the bondages of practical life and brings about a sense of equilibrium”. Intimate expressions are externalised in the public sphere addressing an assumed community. These writings symbolise an attempt to wrest authorship by marginalised citizens.

As Pakistani poet Noon Meem Rashid (1910-1975) wrote:

From amidst the crowd of men The voice of the individual is heard

There are 600,000 commercial vehicles, which include buses, trucks and three wheelers (among them rickshaws), that circulate on 260,760 km of roads according to 2010 data published by the government. Most of these vehicles carry writings.

Pakistan is portrayed as a belligerent, angry country, churning out extremists. The poetry on decorated transport tells another story. The most commonly used phrase is Maan ki dua Jannat ki hawa (A mother’s prayer is a breeze from heaven) followed by Dekh magar piyar say (You can look, but with love), and a newcomer, Jiyo aur jinay do (Live and let live).

The themes of the poetry varies with the type of transport. The poetry on long-distance trucks transporting good across the country reflect the insecure journeys they face and the loneliness of being away from their families:

Road se dosti safar se yaari Dekh pyaray zindgi hamari

I befriend the road, my companion is the journey See the life I lead, my dear friend

The city busses are usually more light-hearted and risqué:

Dil Barai farookht. Qeemat ail muskarahat

My heart is for sale. The price: one smile

Aaghaz e jawani hai hum jhoom kay chaltay hain dunya yeh samajhti hai hum pi kay nikaltay hain

I swagger because I am young The world thinks I reel because I am drunk

But occasionally the concerns are serious:

Pata kiya khaak batain nishan hai be nishan apna laga baithay bistar jahan wahin samjho makan apna

How can I tell you my address, I have left no mark Wherever I lay down my bags, that is home

mohabbat na kar ameeron say jo barbad kartay hain mohabbat kar ghareebon say jo hameesha yaad kartay hain

Do not love the rich who only ruin you Love the poor who always remember you

Buses and trucks are usually a lucrative business. The rickshaw on the other hand is usually owner-driven and provides an insight into Pakistani society’s least privileged communities.

Rather than the ghazal couplet seen on trucks and buses, rickshaws have boldly written enigmatic poetic phrases such as Kaash (if only), Bikhray Moti (strewn pearls) zakhmi parinda (wounded bird) akhri goli (the last bullet). Sometimes a rickshaw simply carries the name of a beloved daughter or a Sufi saint.

Funny poems or phrases are common to all forms of transport, making life’s problems and suffering bearable if only for a while. This is a feint that compels us to read between the lines, an essential component of the layered and often esoteric nature of Pakistani society.

Arabic poetry also gave Urdu the influence of Hija or satiric poetry. While the -qit'ah (a light-hearted fragmentary poetic phrase) extolled the virtues of tribal heroes, the hija denigrated rival tribes.

Another influence is that of Sufi poetry. The majority of Pakistani Muslims are of the Barelvi sect , which is interwoven with Sufism. Most decorated vehicles carry messages and prayers collected from Sufi shrines.

This penchant for bitter-sweet or dark humour pervades Pakistani society and may spring from the loss of agency in a region that has been repeatedly invaded since at least 1800 BC, each invader creating a powerful ruling elite imposing its culture and ignoring, for the most part, the lives of ordinary citizens.

In this sense these subtexts are essentially a protest, reaching out to a community longing for social justice and recognition. As poet Noon Meem Rashid wrote :

We are a solitary letter of the alphabet At once silent and eloquent

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Explore Pakistan’s wildest, most beautiful landscapes

Snowcapped Himalayan peaks, rare brown bears, and otherworldly rock formations dazzle travelers to this stunning part of the world.

From the precipitous peaks of the Karakoram range to the fertile Indus River plain, Pakistan is home to a diversity of stunning landscapes. Two new parks —Himalaya National Park and Nanga Parbat National Park—were designated in 2020, covering more than 2,200 square miles of biodiverse, high-altitude terrain in the northern territory of Gilgit-Baltistan .

Although its spectacular topography and fascinating history date back thousands of years, Pakistan is a relatively young nation, formed in 1947 when Partition split the Indian subcontinent into two separate countries.  

Travelers can explore both cultural monuments (lengths of the ancient Silk Road, the ruins of Mohenjo-daro ) and dazzling national parks, alpine lakes, and scenic drives. Here are the best ways to get into that lesser-known, wilder side of Pakistan.

Deosai National Park

Known as “Land of the Giants,” Deosai National Park sits on an alpine plateau backdropped by snow-dusted mountains. Each spring, the lush valley is swept by wildflowers and rare butterflies, earning the name “Summer’s Palace” by locals, who enjoy the wildlife after winter’s thaw.  

( Learn why mountain peaks inspire so many travelers .)

This biodiversity hot spot is home to the Tibetan wolf, Himalayan ibex, Tibetan red fox, and golden marmots, but the government granted the park protected status in 1993 to safeguard the critically endangered Himalayan brown bear. The park was also nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status in 2016.

Kaghan Valley National Park

Northern Pakistan’s picturesque Kaghan Valley is a place of fairytales. According to a local legend, a prince of Persia fell in love with a fairy princess on the crystalline waters of Lake Saiful Muluk. But a giant was also enraptured with the princess, and held her captive. One day, the prince escaped with her, and in his fury, the giant flooded the valley and created lakes with his tears. Today, visitors from around the world travel to Kaghan Valley for its mountain scenery, alpine lakes, and clear night skies.

Makran Coastal Highway

The Makran Coastal Highway is a scenic drive along Pakistan’s Arabian Sea coast. The route starts in Karachi and runs through Gwadar to the Iran border, and is considered a major infrastructural achievement. Unique, lunar rock formations line a section of the highway known as the Buzi Pass in Hingol National Park. Natural rock sculptures, like the sphinx-shaped “Lion of Balochistan,” can be found along the highway.

Hunza Valley

In the northern territory of Gilgit-Baltistan , icy peaks soar above the Hunza River. Situated on the riverbank and surrounded by glaciers and gorges, the town of Hunza traditionally served as a resting place for travelers descending the Hindu Kush mountains into the Vale of Kashmir. The valley is home to snow leopards , markhors, ibexes, and red-striped foxes.

Hingol National Park

Pakistan’s largest national park extends hundreds of miles along the Makran Coast. While Hingol National Park is renowned for its diverse wildlife—Sindh leopards, chinkaras, honey badgers, and Indian pangolins–it is perhaps best known for its cluster of active mud volcanoes.  

( Delve into village life ialong the India-Pakistan border .)

A mix of hot spring activity, gas, and water reacts chemically with the surrounding rocks to form boiling mud. When the mud is expelled, it continuously rebuilds the cones, which are easily eroded. One of the most famous mud volcanoes is Chandragup, a sacred annual pilgrimage site for thousands of Hindus, along with the nearby Hinglaj temple.

Baltoro Glacier National Park

In Pakistan’s eastern Karakoram, Baltoro Glacier is one of the world’s largest valley glaciers. Though difficult to access, it is one of the most highly trafficked regions in Pakistan because of mountaineering destinations including K2, Broad Peak, and the Gasherbrum peaks at its head. The area is not only known for its stunning scenery, but as a life source–a large portion of northern Pakistan’s population depends on meltwater from the Karakoram glaciers.

( Learn how a team of Nepalese climbers summited K2 in winter .)

Neelum Valley National Park

In northern Azad Kashmir, the bow-shaped Neelum Valley is sandwiched between 13,000-foot peaks and blanketed by verdant forest and streams .   The small hilltop village of Arang Kel, dotted with traditional wooden houses, is known as the pearl of Neelum Valley. Hiking paths around the valley afford prime views of mountains and waterfalls.

Attabad Lake

Nestled in the Hunza Valley, Attabad Lake’s vibrant turquoise waters cut through the rocky terrain. Although beautiful, the serene landscape has a violent origin story. The lake was formed in January 2010, when a massive landslide at Attabad Village flooded nearby towns, blocked the flow of the Hunza River, and displaced thousands of people. Today, it’s a popular stop for tourists who can take boats out on the water.

This story was originally published April 5, 2018. It has been updated.

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Building Image of Pakistan English Essay for CSS

Essay is just a literary composition of any given Topic.  Essay cannot be attractive unless you do not give lightness, grace and ease. There are some good techniques of Essay writing, students can develop good essay writing skills by adopting these techniques of essay writing. These techniques of Essay Writing can be helpful in all exams of essay writing including competitive exams like CSS, PMS, PPSC , etc. Building Image of Pakistan English Essay for CSS is to provide the current situation of country, diplomacy, foreign relations, responsibilities of govt. and individuals and analysis over the image and prestige of country.

Introduction

Present image of pakistan.

                     Terrorism’ is our sole identity. We are seen both as a problem and as the key to its solution. Whether we accept it or not, our image and recognition in the community of nations today is only as a breeding ground for religious extremism and militancy and as a country afflicted with a culture of violence and corruption. We are today politically unstable, economically weak, and socially fragmented. The image of Pakistan which was once visualized by the founding father of Pakistan seems no more like a dream. ‘Transparency- International’ has put Pakistan on 34th number? while the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) has been decreased to 83% in the fiscal year 2012. Weak democracy is a political norm and dependence on foreign aid and debt is not something surprising to the world community. Pakistan is often objected to for worst conditions of human rights violation with lack of accountability and transparent legal process are another titles attached to our country’s name? The image of Pakistan as a sovereign state can be achieved by bringing about radical changes at the international and local levels.

Building Image of Pakistan through

Diplomacy and foreign relations

Conclusion:

Share this:, list of important topics of english essays for css, pms, pcs, ppsc, ppsc inspector legal past paper 2015, related posts.

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Guest Essay

An Octopus Took My Camera, and the Images Changed the Way I See the World

By Craig Foster

Mr. Foster’s film, “My Octopus Teacher,” won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021. He wrote from Simon’s Town, South Africa.

I was gifted with a new way of seeing the day I got mugged underwater. I had been filming creatures living in the Great African Sea Forest off the coast of South Africa about a year ago when my camera was grabbed straight out of my hands by a young octopus thief. Wrapping her arms around her bounty, she zoomed backward across the ocean floor.

This was not the first time I’d found myself at the mercy of an eight-armed robber. A couple of years earlier, another curious octopus stole the wedding ring off my wife’s finger, never to be recovered. Octopuses love novel shiny things. Peering into their dens, I’ve found earrings, bracelets, spark plugs, sunglasses and a toy car with a revolving cylinder that the octopus spun round and round with its suckers.

As I wondered how to get my camera back without alarming my young friend, something surprising happened. She turned the camera around and began to film my diving partner and me.

The intriguing images she captured — videos of her own arms draped over the camera lens with our bodies in the background — had a profound effect on me. After many years filming octopuses and hundreds of other animals that call the Sea Forest home, for the first time I was seeing the world — and myself — from her perspective.

We must have looked strange to her in our masks and with our underwater flashlights. But in that moment I remembered that despite all our technology, we are not so different from our animal kin. Every breath of air, every drop of water, every bite of food comes from the living planet we share.

Monday is Earth Day, and I am tempted to ask myself how humanity can save our wild planet and undo the devastation we have unleashed upon the natural world. Where I live, in the Cape of Good Hope, I am privileged to be surrounded by nature, but we are grappling with pollution and dwindling numbers of shellfish, fish, raptors and insect species. Worldwide, we are at a tipping point with an estimated 69 percent decline in wildlife populations.

When I consider the vast network of living creatures on earth, it’s clear that “saving the planet” is the wrong goal. Unless earth gets obliterated by an asteroid or experiences some similar catastrophic event, the planet could go on for several billion years. But without the biosphere that makes it possible for us to eat and breathe, humanity could not survive.

The question we should be asking is what caused the precipitous increase in species loss and what can we do to reverse it. To me, it all started when we disconnected from our wild origins. While agricultural and technological revolutions have enabled massive population growth and innovation , they have also instilled the belief that we can control nature, that our planet is an infinite resource to be mined for our advancement, comfort and entertainment.

Today 56 percent of the world population lives in urban areas, a percentage expected to grow to nearly 70 percent by 2050 . That means that more than half of us are cut off from reminders that we are still part of nature and utterly dependent on its health. It’s only when something truly devastating happens, like the recent flooding in Dubai, that we remember that even the greatest human advancements can be brought to a standstill by nature’s power.

I am not calling for us to leave all modern comforts behind, just pleading for us to get to know nature better, rather than try to “save” her.

In the past decade I have taken more than 4,000 dives in the Sea Forest. My encounters with mollusks, sharks and jellyfish there have convinced me that there is much we will lose if we do not value the tremendous abundance of life on earth.

We do this first by protecting biodiversity hot spots and by restoring degraded ecosystems; the enormous regenerative power I see every day in nature is what gives me hope for the future. It also means learning from and supporting Indigenous people who protect 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and who have, over millenniums, developed many innovative ways to live with the land and sea. One promising example of partnership is a recent grant from the National Science Foundation to support collaboration between Indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science.

Activities that cause long-term destruction of the sea and earth, such as strip mining , deep sea mining and industrial trawling, need to be halted immediately. Farming methods have to change, with greater emphasis on soil recovery and regeneration . We must continue to find alternatives to fossil fuels and push for a worldwide reduction in the production and use of plastics.

But each of us has a role to play, too; it starts with challenging ourselves to reconnect with the wild. So much of our modern world seems designed to tame us: to dull our minds, to separate us from the natural world, to convince us that what will help us survive is more consumption.

Like my octopus friends, we fill our houses with shiny new things. But our piles of stuff are much bigger and the cost of acquisition much greater.

We can break free of this tame conditioning. When we dedicate even just a few minutes per day to observing wild creatures on their own terms, in their own homes, regardless of where we live, we connect with the concept of biodiversity not simply on an intellectual level but also on an emotional level. We see the world differently — and ourselves, too.

How strange it is that one silly primate can see itself as separate from all those it shares this world with. What might happen if we remembered we are a part of this wild world — and let that understanding and humility guide every choice we make?

Craig Foster is a co-founder of the Sea Change Project and the author of the forthcoming “Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World.” His film “My Octopus Teacher” won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2021.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

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T20 Cricket World Cup 2024: Men's fixtures, results, schedule, venues and start times with all matches live on Sky Sports

India to face Pakistan in New York during 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup; tournament runs from June 2-29 with every match live on Sky Sports; England defending champions after winning in Australia in 2022; West Indies and USA co-host this year's competition

Friday 26 April 2024 17:25, UK

The Men's T20 World Cup takes place in West Indies and the USA in June, with England returning as defending champions for an event expanded to 20 teams.

Every match will be live on Sky Sports , starting with the tournament opener between USA and Canada in Grand Prairie, Texas on Sunday June 2 and concluding with the final in Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday June 29.

Group stage

• Group A - India, Pakistan, Ireland , Canada, USA
• Group B - England , Australia, Namibia, Scotland , Oman
• Group C - New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan, Uganda, Papua New Guinea
• Group D - South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Netherlands, Nepal

The top two teams in each group will advance to the Super 8s stage, with the top two in each Super 8s pools then reaching the semi-finals.

T20 World Cup - full group-stage fixtures (all times UK and Ireland)

Sunday june 2.

USA vs Canada - Grand Prairie, Texas (1.30am)

West Indies vs Papua New Guinea - Providence, Guyana (3.30pm)

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Namibia vs Oman - Bridgetown, Barbados (1.30am)

Sri Lanka vs South Africa - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

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Tuesday June 4

Afghanistan vs Uganda - Providence, Guyana (1.30am)

England vs Scotland - Bridgetown, Barbados (3.30pm)

Netherlands vs Nepal - Grand Prairie, Texas (4.30pm)

Wednesday June 5

India vs Ireland - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Thursday June 6

Papua New Guinea vs Uganda - Providence, Guyana (12.30am)

Australia vs Oman - Bridgetown, Barbados (1.30am)

USA vs Pakistan - Grand Prairie, Texas (4.30pm)

Namibia vs Scotland - Bridgetown, Barbados (3.30pm)

Friday June 7

Canada vs Ireland - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Saturday June 8

New Zealand vs Afghanistan - Providence, Guyana (12.30am)

Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh - Grand Prairie, Texas (1.30am)

Netherlands vs South Africa - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Australia vs England - Bridgetown, Barbados (6pm)

Sunday June 9

West Indies vs Uganda - Providence, Guyana (1.30am)

India vs Pakistan - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Oman vs Scotland - North Sound, Antigua (6pm)

Monday June 10

South Africa vs Bangladesh - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Tuesday June 11

Pakistan vs Canada - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Wednesday June 12

Sri Lanka vs Nepal - Lauderhill, Florida (12.30am)

Australia vs Namibia - North Sound, Antigua (1.30am)

USA vs India - Long Island, New York (3.30pm)

Thursday June 13

West Indies vs New Zealand - Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (1.30am)

Bangladesh vs Netherlands - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (3.30pm)

England vs Oman - North Sound, Antigua (6pm)

Friday June 14

Afghanistan vs Papua New Guinea - Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (1.30am)

USA vs Ireland - Lauderhill, Florida (3.30pm)

Saturday June 15

South Africa vs Nepal - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (12.30am)

New Zealand vs Uganda - Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (1.30am)

India vs Canada - Lauderhill, Florida (3.30pm)

Namibia vs England - North Sound, Antigua (6pm)

Sunday June 16

Australia vs Scotland - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (1.30am)

Pakistan vs Ireland - Lauderhill, Florida (3.30pm)

Monday June 17

Bangladesh vs Nepal - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (12.30am)

Sri Lanka vs Netherlands - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (1.30am)

New Zealand vs Papua New Guinea - Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (3.30pm)

Tuesday June 18

West Indies vs Afghanistan - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (1.30am)

T20 World Cup - full Super 8s fixtures (all times UK and Ireland)

• Group 1 - Group A winners (A1), Group B runners-up (B2), Group C winners (C1), Group D runners-up (D2)
• Group 2 - Group A runners-up (A2), Group B winners (B1), Group C runners-up (C2), Group D winners (D1)

Wednesday June 19

A2 vs D1 - North Sound, Antigua (3.30pm)

Thursday June 20

B1 vs C2 - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (1.30am)

C1 vs A1 - Bridgetown, Barbados (3.30pm)

Friday June 21

B2 vs D2 - North Sound, Antigua (1.30am)

B1 vs D1 - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (3.30pm)

Saturday June 22

A2 vs C2 - Bridgetown, Barbados (1.30am)

A1 vs D2 - North Sound, Antigua (3.30pm)

Sunday June 23

C1 vs B2 - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1.30am)

A2 vs B1 - Bridgetown, Barbados (3.30pm)

Monday June 24

C2 vs D1 - North Sound, Antigua (1.30am)

B2 vs A1 - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia (3.30pm)

Tuesday June 25

C1 vs D2 - Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1.30am)

Knockout stages

Thursday june 27.

Semi-final #1 - Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago (1.30am)

Semi-final #2 - Providence, Guyana (3.30pm)

Saturday June 29

Final - Bridgetown, Barbados (3.30pm)

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How did teams qualify?

West Indies and USA earned automatic entry by being hosts, with the latter to now play in the tournament for the first time, while England, Pakistan, New Zealand, India, Australia, South Africa, Netherlands and Sri Lanka secured their places by finishing in the top eight of the previous T20 World Cup in 2022.

Afghanistan and Bangladesh were then included after being the next two highest teams in the T20I rankings, with every other spot determined by regional qualifiers.

Ireland and Scotland came through the European section and Papua New Guinea emerged from the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier.

Canada - who will also make their tournament debut - progressed through the Americas Qualifier, while Nepal and Oman are the Asian qualifiers, with Namibia and Uganda coming through the African Qualifier to complete the line-up.

Watch the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup this June live on Sky Sports or stream the best sport with NOW .

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A trial is underway for the Panama Papers, a case that changed the country’s financial rules

Trial underway for Panama Papers, a case that changed that country’s financial rules

The Supreme Court stands in Panama City, Monday, April 8, 2024 as the trial starts for those charged in connection with the worldwide “Panama Papers” money laundering case. (AP Photo/Agustin Herrera)

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Juergen Mossack, partner of the law firm Mossack-Fonseca, leaves the Supreme Court during the trial of the “Panama Papers” money laundering case in Panama City, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Agustin Herrera)

Lawyers and court workers leave the Supreme Court during a recess for the trial of the “Panama Papers” money laundering case in Panama City, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Agustin Herrera)

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Eight years after 11 million leaked secret financial documents revealed how some of the world’s richest people hide their wealth, more than two dozen defendants are on trial in Panama for their alleged roles.

The repercussions of the leaks were far-ranging, prompting the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and bringing scrutiny to the then-leaders of Argentina and Ukraine, Chinese politicians and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others.

But those on trial now for alleged money laundering are principally the leaders and associates of the now defunct Panamanian boutique law firm that helped set up the shell companies used to obscure those really behind them.

The leaders of that firm, Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca, are among those on trial.

WHAT IS THE PANAMA PAPERS CASE ABOUT?

Panamanian prosecutors allege that Mossack, Fonseca and their associates created a web of offshore companies that used complex transactions to hide money linked to illicit activities in the “car wash” corruption scandal of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

In December 2016, Odebrecht pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to a charge related to its use of shell companies to disguise hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes paid in countries around the world to win public contracts.

According to Panamanian prosecutors, the Mossack Fonseca firm created 44 shell companies, 31 of which opened accounts in Panama to hide money linked to the Brazilian scandal. The judge on the case, Baloisa Marquínez, last year decided to also merge the Odebrecht-related charges to prosecutors’ allegations about the firm’s work for German giant Siemens. Prosecutors allege a former executive with the company used entities created by Mossack Fonseca to transfer funds for bribes.

A Siemens spokesperson declined to comment, noting that it is not a party to the Panama case and that it involves former Siemens employees in their private capacity.

WHAT DO MOSSACK AND FONSECA SAY?

The 71-year-old Fonseca has not been present for the trial, because his lawyer said he is hospitalized. But he had previously said his firm did not control how their clients used the shell companies the firm created for them. Its role was simply the creation and sale of the companies.

Mossack, a 76-year-old lawyer originally from Germany, said in a statement to The Associated Press that “we categorically reject that we have committed any crime, not Mossack Fonseca nor the subsidiaries … and we hope that can be proved in the trial. If there is in fact justice in our case, they have to absolve us.”

Both men were arrested in 2017, but had awaited trial out on bond.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIRM?

Mossack Fonseca helped create and sell around 240,000 shell companies across four decades in business. It announced its closure in March 2018, two years after the scandal erupted.

“The reputational deterioration, the media campaign, the financial siege and the irregular actions of some Panamanian authorities have caused irreparable damage, whose consequence is the complete cease of operations to the public,” the firm said in a statement at the time.

HOW DID THE SCANDAL AFFECT PANAMA?

Panama’s international reputation for financial services was tarnished by the scandal.

The European Union included Panama on a list of tax haven countries — low taxes or fiscal opacity — which led international financial institutions to demand the implementation of measures that would allow scrutiny of the banking and financial systems.

Consequently, the country’s business creating shell companies plummeted some 40% within a year of the scandal.

WHAT CHANGES DID PANAMA MAKE?

Panama’s government implemented changes to make it possible to identify the ultimate beneficiary behind limited liability companies and their assets.

Changes also sought to give greater responsibility to the registered agents — typically lawyers from Panamanian firms — listed for the shell companies.

The objective was to make it possible for Panamanian authorities to respond to requests to assist in investigations.

Julio Aguirre, an expert and financial specialist in Panama, said the government wants the registered agents to actually keep an eye on the companies. Before, “the law didn’t ask them to follow up, there wasn’t that legal obligation,” he said.

Banks had also previously been restricted in their ability to know who was really behind accounts. “They gave the bank the vehicle to obtain that information,” Aguirre said.

Cricket: Blackcaps rookies put hands up for Twenty20 World Cup selection against Pakistan

Blackcaps coach Gary Stead is impressed with his team's unexpected showing against Pakistan. Credits: Image - Getty, video - Newshub

After suffering a heavy defeat at the start of their Twenty20 tour of Pakistan, the writing seemed on the wall for a depleted Blackcaps squad, but this fringe collection under skipper Michael Bracewell has turned the five-match series on its head. 

After a seven-wicket win in game three, New Zealand have pulled off a four-run victory to lead the series 2-1, giving selectors plenty of ponder before their World Cup team announcement. 

The experienced head of allrounder Jimmy Neesham brought the contest home for the tourists in the final over, but it was the Kiwi newcomers who reduced Pakistani fans to tears.

"We came here with a goal to learn as much as we could," said fast bowler Will O'Rourke. "Obviously, we're a pretty young side, we tried to push the way that we play and hopefully that worked out in wins.

"It's worked out nicely so far."

With seven frontline Blackcaps at the Indian Premier league, this was an opportunity for a fringe collection to not only win against Pakistan's best at home, but to push for World Cup selection, to be announced Monday. 

"You never know, with injuries and different things that can pop up at the last minute," coach Gary Stead told Newshub.

Highlighted in yellow was opener Tim Robinson, who topscored with a half century in his debut series, while Dean Foxcroft chimed in with a handy 34 runs off 26 balls. 

O'Rourke produced the man-of-the-match performance, with figures of 3/27, including the prize scalp of Pakistan star Babar Azam.

"Today was my day," he said. "I got lucky with a couple of wickets here and there."

Luck played no part, just quality seam-bowling, with O'Rourke and Ben Sears instrumental in halting Pakistan's early charge. 

Dangerman Fakhar Zaman led a courageous Pakistani fightback, but on 61, he too fell to some Sears magic, as the homeside fell four runs short.

"These players will be our future, so that's the encouraging thing," said Stead. "That's the nice thing about these sorts of tours for us - it naturally gives us a way to keep building depth."

This group has one last chance for recognition, with the fifth and final game on Sunday (NZ time).

The origin of all things: Kyotographie 2024 – a photo essay

The 12 th annual Kyotographie photography festival features 13 exhibitions staged in striking locations across the Japanese city of Kyoto. Photographers from around the world submitted pictures on the theme of ‘source’

• The Kyotographie international photography festival runs until 12 May

S pring in Kyoto ushers in cherry blossom season, but it also marks the return of one of the biggest photo festivals in Asia. Kyotographie, now in its 12th year, fuses the past and present with its striking images and unique locations. The 13 exhibitions are staged in temples, galleries and traditional private homes across the Japanese city, showcasing the work of national and international photographers.

The festival is loosely centred on a theme – and this year the directors, Lucille Reyboz and Yusuke Nakanishi, asked participants to focus on the word “source” by delving into the essence of beginnings and the nexus of creation and discovery.

The Yamomami struggle. Photograph by Claudia Andujar

The source is the initiator, the origin of all things. It is the creation of life, a place where conflict arises or freedom is obtained; it is the space in which something is found, born or created. It is a struggle Claudia Andujar and the Yanomami shaman and leader Davi Kopenawa know too well. The Yanomami Struggle is the first retrospective exhibition in Japan by the Brazilian artist and activist Andujar with the Yanomami people of Brazil.

It is more than 50 years since she began photographing the Yanomami, the people of the Amazon rainforest near Brazil’s border with Venezuela, an initial encounter that changed their lives. Andujar’s work is not just a showcase of her photographic talent but, with Kopenawa accompanying the exhibition to Japan for the first time, it is a platform to bring the Yanomami’s message to a wider Asian audience.

The Yanomami Struggle. Photograph by Claudia Andujar

The first part of the exhibition features photographs taken by Andjuar in the 1970s, alongside artwork by the Yanomami people and words by Kopenawa. The second part narrates the continuing violence inflicted by non-Indigenous society on the Yanomami. The project is a platform for the Yamomani people to be seen and protected from ongoing threats. The exhibition, curated by Thyago Nogueira from São Paulo’s Instituto Moreira Salles, is a smaller version of one that has been touring the world since 2018.

The Yanomami Struggle, by Claudia Andujar, and artwork by the Yanomami people.

The Moroccan artist Yassine Alaoui Ismaili (Yoriyas) is showing new work made during his Kyotographie artist-in-residence programme for young Africans. The images from the Japanese city feature alongside his project Casablanca Not the Movie.

Children Transform the Sheep for Eid al-Adha into a Playground in Casablanca. Photograph by Yassine Alaoui Ismaili (Yoriyas)

Yoriyas gave up his career as a breakdancer and took up photography as a means of self-expression. His project Casablanca Not the Movie documents the streets of the city where he lives with candid shots and complex compositions. His work, which combines performance and photography, encourages us to focus on how we inhabit urban spaces. The exhibition’s clever use of display and Yoriyas’s experience with choreography force the viewer to see the work at unconventional angles. He says: “The camera frame is like a theatre stage. The people in the frame are my dancers. By moving the camera, I am choreographing my subjects without even knowing it. When an interesting movement catches my eye, I press the shutter. My training has taught me to immediately understand space, movement, connection and story. I photograph in the same way that I choreograph.”

The contrasts in Casablanca take many forms, including social, political, religious and chromatic. Photograph by Yoriyas

From Our Windows is a collaboration bringing together two important Japanese female photographers, both of whom shares aspects of their lives through photography, in a dialogue about different generations. The exhibition is supported by Women in Motion, which throws a spotlight on the talent of women in the arts in an attempt to reach gender equality in the field. Rinko Kawauchi, an internationally acclaimed photographer, chose to exhibit with Tokuko Ushioda who, at 83, continues to create vibrant new works. Kawauchi says of Ushioda: “I respect the fact that she has been active as a photographer since a time when it was difficult for women to advance in society, and that she is sincerely committed to engaging with the life that unfolds in front of her.” This exhibition features photographs taken by each of them of their families.

Photograph by Rinko Kawauchi.

Kawauchi’s two bodies of work, Cui Cui and As It Is, focus on family life. The first series is a family album relating to the death of her grandfather and the second showcases the three years after the birth of her child. Family, birth, death and daily life are threads through both bodies of work that help to create an emotional experience that transcends the generations.

Rinko Kawauchi and Tokuko Ushioda at the Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art

Kawauchi says: “My works will be exhibited alongside Ushioda. Each of the works from the two series are in a space that is the same size, located side by side. The works show the accumulation of time that we have spent. They are a record of the days we spent with our families, and they are also the result of facing ourselves. We hope to share with visitors what we have seen through the act of photography, which we have continued to do even though our generations are different, and to enjoy the fact that we are now living in the same era.”

Ushioda’s first solo exhibition features two series: the intimate My Husband and also Ice Box, a fixed-point observation of her own and friends’ refrigerators. Ushioda says: “I worked on that series [Ice Box] for around 20 years or so. Like collecting insects, I took photographs of refrigerators in houses here and there and in my own home, which eventually culminated in this body of work.”

Entries from Tokuko Ushida’s series Ice Box.

James Mollison’s ongoing project Where Children Sleep is on display at the Kyoto Art Centre with a clever display that turns each photograph into its own bedroom.

A child portrayed in Where Children Sleep, Nemis, Canada.

Featuring 35 children from 28 countries, the project encourages viewers to think about poverty, wealth, the climate emergency, gun violence, education, gender issues and refugee crises. Mollison says: “From the start, I didn’t want to think about needy children in the developing world, but rather something more inclusive, about children from all types of situations.” Featuring everything from a trailer in Kentucky during an opioid crisis and a football fan’s bedroom in Yokohama, Japan, to a tipi in Mongolia, the project offers an engrossing look at disparate lives.

From Where Children Sleep, Nirto, Somalia

Joshim, India. Photographs by James Mollison

Phosphor, Art & Fashion (1990-2023) is the first big retrospective exhibition devoted to the Dutch artist Viviane Sassen . It covers 30 years of works, including previously unseen photographs, and combines them with video installations, paintings and collages that showcase her taste for ambiguity and drama in a distinctive language of her own.

Eudocimus Ruber, from the series Of Mud and Lotus, 2017. Photograph by Viviane Sassen and Stevenson

The exhibition opens with self-portraits taken during Sassen’s time as a model. “I wanted to regain power over my own body. With a man behind the camera, a sort of tension always develops, which is often about eroticism, but usually about power,” she says. Sassen lived in Kenya as a child, and the series produced there and in South Africa are dreamlike, bold and enigmatic. She describes this period as her “years of magical thinking”. The staging of the exhibition in an old newspaper printing press contrasts with the light, shadows and bold, clashing colours of her work. The lack of natural light intensifies the flamboyant tones of the elaborately composed fashion work.

Dior Magazine (2021), and Milk, from the series Lexicon, 2006. Photographs by Viviane Sassen and Stevenson

Viviane Sassen’s immersive video installation at the Kyoto Shimbun B1F print plant. Photograph by Joanna Ruck

The source of and inspiration for Kyotographie can be traced to Lucien Clergue, the founder of Les Rencontres d’Arles, the first international photography festival, which took place in 1969. Arles, where Clergue grew up and lived all his life, was a canvas for his photography work in the 1950s. Shortly after the second world war, many Roma were freed from internment camps and came to Arles, where Clergue forged a close relationship with the community. Gypsy Tempo reveals the daily life of these families – their nomadic lifestyle, the role of religion and how music and dance are used to tell stories.

Draga in Polka-Dot Dress, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1957. Photographs by Lucien Clergue

Little Gypsy Girl in the Chapel, Cannet 1958

During this time, Clergue discovered, and then helped propel to fame, the Gypsy guitarist Manitas de Plata and his friend José Reyes. Manitas went on to become a famous musician in the 1960s who, together with Clergue, toured the world, including Japan.

Kyotographie 2024 was launched alongside its sister festival, Kyotophonie , an international music event, with performances by Los Graciosos, a band from Catalonia who play contemporary Gypsy music. Meanwhile, the sounds of De Plata can be heard by viewers of Clergue’s exhibition.

The Magic Circle, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, 1958, by Lucien Clergue.

Kyotographie 2024 runs until 12 May at venues across Kyoto, Japan.

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