KARACHI: Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Saturday evening inaugurated an exhibition of newspaper advertisements organised by the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) at Frere Hall to highlight the significance of such adverts in Pakistan’s history.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Wahab said he wants his children and the children of other people to witness the exhibition in order for them to know what our country is all about.

“[Exhibits tell us that] in a subtle and humorous way things could be said and marketing could be done. If we’re to bring back that kind of creativity, we need to inspire people. Such displays allow people to understand how illustrious our past was, and if the past was glorious, then the future could also be good. Our elders did all of that,” he said, adding: “Now we’re facing a decline, but no problem. It’s all part of an evolutionary process. Let us draw inspiration from it to make our future better.”

The mayor said the KMC in a few years has revived a lot of public spaces in the city including City Council Hall, Frere Hall, Khaliqdina Hall, Denso Hall, Hasan Ali Hoti Market and Empress Market.

“I want people to go there. And if you hold events at those sites, people will be able to visit them. I’d like to offer the APNS that whatever event you want to arrange at these places, that particular place will be provided to you free of cost. This means because of you we will be able to bring people there,” he said.

He also offered the APNS to hold a creativity exhibition, which will be funded by the KMC.

APNS President Sarmad Ali says ads from 1947 on display

APNS President Senator Sarmad Ali thanked Mr Wahab for opening the exhibition. He said the newspaper industry and the mayor have a longstanding relationship, as his father, Wahab Siddiqui, was one of the respected journalists of the country. “So we treat the mayor like a member of our household.”

Talking about the display, Senator Ali said the adverts on view range from those printed in 1947 to the ones published up until a few years back.

“You will see advertisements of products which today we can’t even think of marketing, or the kind of copywriting that’s done in them, we don’t see the likes of it today. It reminds us of a Pakistan which used to be liberal and that’s been lost somewhere. We hope we’ll discover it again,” he said.

He said the exhibits underline how creatively print advertisements can be used. “Today, creativity is no more, and people have begun copycatting.”

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2026