At what age did you lose your sovereignty?

Published May 15, 2011
Karachi, already facing a daily dose of traffic jams is troubled yet again by a jam due to traders demonstrating against excessive loadshedding on May 12.Control yourself people, control yourself.
Karachi, already facing a daily dose of traffic jams is troubled yet again by a jam due to traders demonstrating against excessive loadshedding on May 12.Control yourself people, control yourself.
Really, do we have so much water to waste? I guess that's how the barren land is flourishing with greenery.
Really, do we have so much water to waste? I guess that's how the barren land is flourishing with greenery.
It's the simple yet shocking things like why this woman is working in such conditions and why and how her child is sleeping next to her?
It's the simple yet shocking things like why this woman is working in such conditions and why and how her child is sleeping next to her?
Only in Pakistan will one see electrical wires held up with bamboo poles.
Only in Pakistan will one see electrical wires held up with bamboo poles.
Even art in Pakistan is beginning to be infused with the premise of terror?and I thought that was one area which I could rely on to have a peace of mind.
Even art in Pakistan is beginning to be infused with the premise of terror?and I thought that was one area which I could rely on to have a peace of mind.
Yes, ?adding fuel to the fire? is something that can be said every now and then.
Yes, ?adding fuel to the fire? is something that can be said every now and then.
Come Friday, a colossal blast kills over 80 people.These people certainly do not want to stand in fear all the time, but have we really given them any choice?
Come Friday, a colossal blast kills over 80 people.These people certainly do not want to stand in fear all the time, but have we really given them any choice?
?and then another blast not only kills several passengers, it rips apart nearly every bit of a Pakistani pride called truck art.
?and then another blast not only kills several passengers, it rips apart nearly every bit of a Pakistani pride called truck art.
Then there is people like this. Same thing, different day, and a different person to hold up high.
Then there is people like this. Same thing, different day, and a different person to hold up high.
?while they are the angry ones letting off steam against security officials outside the Pakistan Parliament.
?while they are the angry ones letting off steam against security officials outside the Pakistan Parliament.
I couldn?t believe my eyes when I saw this one.Can anybody explain to me what in the world is going on? Someone actually got folk dancers to indulge in and provoke merry-making outside the Pakistan Parliament?
I couldn?t believe my eyes when I saw this one.Can anybody explain to me what in the world is going on? Someone actually got folk dancers to indulge in and provoke merry-making outside the Pakistan Parliament?
Not that we didn?t have our hands already full, who could have known that on the same day as the so called ?in camera? briefing, another man far away asked for some camera time too to announce his return to the country in just a few months. Good going!
Not that we didn?t have our hands already full, who could have known that on the same day as the so called ?in camera? briefing, another man far away asked for some camera time too to announce his return to the country in just a few months. Good going!
Are you serious? Yet another marvelous huge smile ? in Moscow that is.You know, I didn?t really get the point of my senior most supervisor to keep writing blog-letters to Mr President complaining how he's always away?until NOW.
Are you serious? Yet another marvelous huge smile ? in Moscow that is.You know, I didn?t really get the point of my senior most supervisor to keep writing blog-letters to Mr President complaining how he's always away?until NOW.
Coming back to a very significant photo of daily life in Pakistan, illustrating beautifully the status of women as well as minorities in our country.Martha Mughar, 62, stands in her vegetable stall waiting for customers in an alley of a Christian neighborhood in Islamabad.
Coming back to a very significant photo of daily life in Pakistan, illustrating beautifully the status of women as well as minorities in our country.Martha Mughar, 62, stands in her vegetable stall waiting for customers in an alley of a Christian neighborhood in Islamabad.
?and so finally we reach the picture my boss pointed out. A police post being dismantled during an anti-encroachment operation. You have to love the irony of not only this but the next photo as well.
?and so finally we reach the picture my boss pointed out. A police post being dismantled during an anti-encroachment operation. You have to love the irony of not only this but the next photo as well.
(This photo is self explanatory)
(This photo is self explanatory)
After 16 photographs I landed upon this one.Unlike the other word that could have been used in the title for this gallery, this girl collecting fallen wheat at a grain market gave me the hope that Pakistan can regain what it has lost. There will surely be a better day.
After 16 photographs I landed upon this one.Unlike the other word that could have been used in the title for this gallery, this girl collecting fallen wheat at a grain market gave me the hope that Pakistan can regain what it has lost. There will surely be a better day.

So my boss had been after me since a couple of days to enlighten our readers and viewers visually, what in all reality the word ‘sovereignty’ for Pakistan means now.

First things first I made one hundred per cent sure that I got the meaning right myself. After that was confirmed I pondered for hours frantically on how to get this task done. Although he had as a reference shown me a photo in the Dawn Newspaper which appears at number 15. Of course it would make more sense if you browse through all the photos to get to it.

Several hours later I discovered that by going through just a few photographs depicting life in Pakistan, it was simply right there in front of me…and for a moment, I had lost all hope that we might not regain what our country seemed to have lost some time ago… – Text and captions by Hasaan Haider/Dawn.com. Photos by agencies.

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