The people of Karachi are principally apathetic. Yes, they may be resilient, ambitious, and even assertive — but underlying all their notable qualities, is a resounding, self-imposed aloofness. A preconceived indifference is the quality which they wear as a badge of honour. Therefore, as a true Karachiite, when I went to the opening of Pakistani People and United Nations — Human Stories through Photography I was intrigued, but also had the outlook of a seasoned sceptic.

Produced by the UN in collaboration with the Karachi Municipal Cooperation, and opening at the Frere Hall’s Sadequain Gallery, the show featured 74 photographs documenting human stories and the work done by 19 UN agencies in Pakistan, in major sectors i.e. education, employment, food security, health, gender equality and social justice, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and rule of law and governance.

The UN Information Centre Director, Vittorio Cammarota, the force behind this exhibition, said that the show highlighted “what is being done for the Pakistani people, in collaboration with the Pakistani people”. Throughout the curation process he was adamant of two things: all the photographs must feature Pakistani people, not people from the UN agencies, and that the show must be exhibited in a public space. Both these demands were translated into the physicality of the show, and were instrumental in immediately deconstructing mine and fellow viewers’ cynicism.

The photo-journalistic quality of photographs on view created an evocative and inspirational show

The selection of Frere Hall, with its public, living heritage status, and respect for Karachi’s past and present, really added to the context in which this show was presented and thus understood by the viewers. What could have very easily been ‘just a photography show’ was much more than that. Viewing the photos on display really made one feel like they had ownership of the discourse surrounding the issues that were highlighted.

Most of the photographs featured people who were looking directly into the lens of the camera, which may be a tried and tested journalistic method, but it is no less evocative. Colour, saturation and exposure were altered for dramatic effect, but the size of all the photographs was kept constant. A black and white photo of an exhausted boy, squinting in the harsh afternoon sun at a brick factory, a young girl’s bright smile in a classroom; their candid, unmediated gaze forced a response from the viewers. These photos were taken by commissioned photographers, both local and foreign, but a show of this scale and genre will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of photojournalists into activism.

Accompanying the extensive show on Pakistani people is a selection of photographs from the show We the peoples. In honour of the UN’s 70th anniversary, this touring show is a collection of historical photos portraying the work of the United Nations in its 193 member states, over the past 70 years.

Pakistani People and United Nations … was not a show that discriminated. Difficult themes and stories were certainly exposed, but the context in which they were presented was positive, highlighting the importance of the media, citizen empowerment and how stories must be told responsibly if progress is to be made. The show’s focus on Pakistan’s people shines a narrow but penetrating light through the usual gas cloud of generalising about the UN work and offers heretics the possibility of learning more.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 14th, 2016