KARACHI: An exhibition of rare photographs of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah by Ziauddin Barni from the collection of his granddaughter Zarreen Baqir opened at the Mohatta Palace Museum on Tuesday evening.

The exhibition was formally inaugurated by Ms Baqir.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Baqir said, “It’s very important to me that these photographs be shared with the public. Firstly, I wanted people to know who was the man behind the camera who took so many of the iconic photos of the Quaid-i-Azam. Secondly, because they’re an important part of our nation’s history. I feel this exhibition was many year’s overdue, but I’m glad it coincides with Pakistan’s 75th anniversary, which makes it all the more meaningful.

“My grandfather [Barni] died when I was only six years old. I did not really get to know him very well. But my mother and his sisters kept his memory alive. I grew up hearing stories about him. He led a really interesting life as a photographer and film-maker. I was quite fascinated by his journey.

“He grew up in Punjab in a landed family. He forged his path to see where his passion and talent would lead him. He became an award-winning photographer in the 1930s and ‘40s and worked in government service as well. He was working in the ministry of information when he became the Quaid’s official photographer. He went on to make documentary films and spent two years in Hollywood, training and working at leading studios, MGM, Warner Bros among others, learning film-making and eventually setting up his own production company. But his passion was always photography. So it gives me great pleasure that we’re able to honour his work here today,” she said.

Work of Quaid’s official photographer Ziauddin Barni is on display at Mohatta Palace Museum

Speaking on the occasion, CEO of the Dawn Media Group Hameed Haroon said Ziauddin Barni was hardly a household name in Pakistan but it is not the first exhibition of his works. There had been an earlier exhibition at the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

“With this exhibition, the visual culture of Mr Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, will be hugely enhanced in the minds of the young children. Ms Baqir decided with the help of her family to collect all the negatives and pictures that can be positively attributed to Ziauddin Barni. He was Mr Jinnah’s official photographer, between 1946 till his death, and subsequently continued photography in Pakistan… He is the first major photographer who can positively be identified as having been of Pakistani origin and the official photographer to Mr Jinnah. He had the kind of photographic opportunities which very few people had,” he said.

“This is not the full output of Ziauddin Barni. There are about 200 pictures directly in Zarreen Baqir’s collection. There are suspected other 300 to 400 pictures which have never in this country been ascribed to Ziauddin Barni,” said Mr Haroon.

Referring to the Aug 11, 1947 events, he argued, “Like the movie reels from that period which were destroyed, like the audio tracks from that day [Aug 11] which were destroyed, the photos from that period have also been withheld. We do have one photograph of Mr Jinnah in the Constituent Assembly in Ziauddin Barni’s positively attributed collection.”

He told the visitors to the exhibition that there are five galleries where images have been put on display. The pictures in the first hall are from 1947, the second 1947-48, the third are dedicated to the memory of Ziauddin Barni, the fourth are about Mr Jinnah’s visit to the NWFP and the fifth are related to his funeral.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2023