ISLAMABAD: Photographs portraying the colours, life and people of Pakistan were presented at a fundraiser held at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Tuesday.

Titled Panorama Pakistan, the exhibition was inaugurated by Fareena Mazhar, who is secretary of Ministry of National Heritage and Culture Division (NHCD). The art fundraiser had been a collaborative effort of the PNCA, Syed Abu Akif, former federal secretary and Rabia and Tahira Families Trust to support people affected by the floods.

The organisers said that unpredicted rains this year had caused destruction across most of the country, resulting in loss of precious lives and livelihoods. Dealing with such an immense magnitude of destruction, through emergency relief operations was a challenge difficult to imagine, the organisers said, adding that attending to post-flooding damages, innumerable displaced families, prevention of related diseases and so on are some of the problems faced by those affected by the floods.

Fareena Mazhar said: “We would request everyone to visit the exhibition, with exquisite photography, and to invest generously in acquiring works of their choice, be it for homes or offices. This is an investment in humanity, as well, and it is our sincere prayer that whatever we collect can be of help to alleviate the miseries faced by the victims of this huge catastrophe.”

The display includes impressions of landscapes, architecture, portraits, and some still life. The PNCA was set up to spearhead the development of arts in Pakistan. The council aimed to build an environment conducive to the flourishing of the arts, where the arts were accessible to everyone and artists and art groups had the commitment, financial support and resources to excel at home, as well as on the world stage.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2022