Exhibition: Capturing economic, socio-political developments through the lens

The photos capture mixed moments of hope and misery in Pakistan.


Our Correspondent September 29, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Imagine photographs of the most important socio-political and economic development in Pakistan over the past three years.


From the 2010 floods to the rehabilitation of Swat, the Asia Bibi case, the Cricket World Cup and Osama Bin Laden’s killing, all these have been captured in 14 photos that were unveiled in an informal photo exhibition at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) office on Thursday.

The photos, which capture mixed moments of hope and misery, chronicle the first three years of Pakistani-German journalist Hasnain Kazim’s stint as the correspondent of Der Spiegel, a German news magazine, for South Asia.

Kazim said he is a reporter and a writer by profession, but loves taking photographs as he believes “words and photographs together form a unity that takes a journalist closer to truth.” The photos, that mostly depict youth and children, accompany Kazim’s reporting assignments.

The discussion during the event witnessed participants blaming journalists for spreading an image of fear and stressing them to portray the positive side of society.

Though Kazim said he reports on positive developments as well, he believes the imbalance in reporting on Pakistan stems from the imbalance in Pakistani society, where even freedom of movement is restricted in certain areas.

The event also marked the end of the tenure of Anja Minnaert as the resident director of FES and signalled a welcome for the incoming resident director, Philipp Kauppert.

FES is a German non-profit organisation committed to promoting democracy, education and human rights around the world.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2012.

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