Adil Najam
One of my all-time favorite posts on ATP was a picture similar to this and with a very similar headline (also see here). We used it as an ATP Quiz and asked people what city in Pakistan it was. Most people got it wrong (frankly, I too would have). We repeated the quiz again later; similar results.
But getting it right or wrong was not the point.
The point was that the picture – in that case, as in this, of Quetta at night – contradicted our mental image of the city. The assumptions and presumptions we have made about it. And in that moment of surprise was also the opportunity of reflection. To think about what assumptions and presumptions we have about ourselves. Any why? And how they impact how we see ourselves as well as how others do?
Today, I saw this very similar picture of Quetta- in Dawn, and from an exhibition called ‘Pakistan through a Lens’ which features photographs from 25 contemporary Pakistani photographers, including Agha Waseem Ahmed who took this photograph of Quetta.I was attracted to it for the exact same reason I was attracted to the earlier very similar picture of Quetta. And, once again, the exact same questions rose in my mind.
Maybe our readers can help me think through the answers. Even if not, enjoy this spectacular photograph and think about what image would come to your mind if I said “Quetta.”
Thank you for picking up the story Dr Najam and for creating ATP and providing constant inspiration. This blog is staple reading for me and has been part of my research while curating the exhibition, ‘Pakistan Through a Lens.’
Mr Agha Waseem Ahmed was chosen for his superb work on Balochistan, its people and landscape. Exactly the reason why Dr Najam chose him too, to portray a Pakistan which twinkles at night and is full of colours in the day – still!
Here are some more of his shots from Balochistan (& if you want to know more about the exhibition).
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=16366&id=115 367048491080
Amazing picture, Quetta didn’t come to my mind when I look at it, I thought it to be Karachi or Lahore.
Are you sure that is Quetta? Looks more like Islamabad.
If this had been a quiz, I would never have recognized it.
Thanks for posting this photo of Quetta. It has brought back many memories, and I feel nostalgic as I write these lines. I grew up in Quetta, lived there for over 25 years. It used to be one of the cleanest cities in Pakistan, famous for its fruits, friendly people and shopping centers selling cheap smuggled goods.
After built anew after the horrific earthquake of 1935, Quetta has served as an important trade and communication route to Afghanistan since the days of British. It is a strategic army base with presence of famous Staff College and Infantry School.
The summers in Quetta used to be mild and many people from other provinces, when it was school holidays there, visit the city to spent summer with their relatives/friends.
The food was fabulous especially Sajji, Kebabs, Namkeen Gosht. Lal Kebab was a famous eatery place. I wonder if it is still there. Saranan, a small dusty town on the route to Chaman and Kandhar was famous for the Namkeen Gosht. Ziarat, whereQuaid-e-Azam spent his last days, was another popular summer resort.
A trip to Quetta by train is worth considering as the train passes through the famous Bolan Pass. Laying of train tracks through this mountaineous pass was an engineering feat of its time.
I can go on and on talking about Quetta. I feel so sad when I now read stories of killings, unrest there and hope that the governmnet there could revive the past glory of this beautiful place.
I found another picture of Quetta by night on Wikepedia. Here is the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Quetta_At_Night. jpg