Photo competition celebrates Pak-UK shared heritage

The winning entries will be showcased at exhibitions across the country and in the UK

Local photographer Yasir Mehmood has won a photography competition on celebrating 70 years of UK-Pakistan ties and sponsored by the British High Commission.

The competition, launched in February, evinced great interest from a mix of amateur, semi-professional and professional photographers in both Pakistan and the UK.



Out of around the 400 entries which were received, a panel of judges including British Council Country Director Rosemary Hilhorst, senior photographer and Pakistan Television Assistant Controller Creative (IT) Azhar Hafeez, and photojournalist Sara Farid sat down and sifted them to pick a winner.

Mehmood’s photograph beat off the competition and was adjudged as the winning entry.

“I would like to thank everyone for sending in their pictures. The standard was very high. It was difficult to decide which photograph best captured our theme of ‘Shared History and Shared Future’,” said British High Commissioner Thomas Drew.

“To celebrate 70 years of bilateral relations, we will hold further events and exciting competitions throughout the year,” he added.

“I am thrilled to win the British High Commission’s 70th Anniversary photography competition,” said Mehmood after the results were announced.

He explained that in his winning photograph, he had tried to capture young students who were the future of Pakistan and who also benefit from the UK’s support for the education system in the country.

“I am also excited that this photograph will be widely used to celebrate 70 years of relations between the UK and Pakistan,” Mehmood added.



The winning photographs will be put on display next week at events to celebrate the Queen’s birthday in Pakistan. Later, the photo will be displayed at exhibitions in Pakistan and the UK.

The image will also be published in a special photography book which is being created to celebrate 70 years of relations between the UK and Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2017.