Pakistani artist Iman Sara uses Mughal miniatures to create niche in fine line tattooing

A collage of photos shows fine line tattoos depicting Mughal miniature art drawn by Pakistani artist Iman Sara. (Photo courtesy: Iman Sara)
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Updated 01 February 2023
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Pakistani artist Iman Sara uses Mughal miniatures to create niche in fine line tattooing

  • Without apprenticeship options in Lahore or fake skin to work with, Sara had to experiment on her own body and has 120 tattoos 
  • Fine line tattoos are relatively new to the tattoo industry and Mughal miniature motifs are virtually unheard of in body art

LAHORE: When miniaturist Iman Sara decided during the first coronavirus lockdowns in 2020 that she wanted to learn tattooing, she scoured through a number of body art parlors in her hometown of Lahore and discovered that there was not a single practitioner who had a formal arts education and could teach her the craft.

Then an idea struck her: she could be the first one.

A graduate of the Miniature Department at the National College of Arts (NCA), for the past three years Sara has been making her mark as a fine line tattooist, using her expertise in Mughal miniatures to create a niche in the body art industry. 

Fine line tattoos, which involve creating designs with very fine, delicate lines, are relatively new to the tattoo industry, compared to the thicker lines and heavy color shading of traditional machine-made tattoos. And Mughal miniature motifs are virtually unheard of in body art.

So, without any apprenticeship options in Lahore or fake skin to work with, Sara had to experiment on her own body, working with Mughal motifs as her way of grounding her art in her subcontinental roots. She started practicing on her legs, then moved onto her arms, her torso and finally her hands, pouring over videos on the Internet, and researching hygiene and cleanliness to avoid infections in fresh skin wounds.

Soon her friends, husband and siblings also wanted to get tattoos from her. As word spread, other people started approaching her too, setting her off on a professional trajectory.

“I had a friend in America [who got] me all the equipment I needed,” Sara, who has 120 tattoos on her body, told Arab News from London, where she is now based and working at Lost Fox Studios. “During quarantine I taught myself how to tattoo.”




A forearm tattoo with a Mughal mermaid motif made in London on January 18, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Iman Sara)

Sara most frequently uses a 0.30mm Round Liner instrument, which comprises a tight cluster of needles, narrower than the needles used for traditional machine tattoos, but ideal for fine line work.

“We used to paint with brushes that were made of 10-15 strands of squirrel hair [for miniatures at NCA]. They were very thin, so it was a natural transition to fine line tattooing,” the artist said. “The miniature background was a blessing, same hand pressure, clean lines, attention to detail.”




Custom Mughal miniature tattoo made in London on November 22, 2022. (Photo courtesy: Iman Sara)

Sara said she had wanted to be a tattoo artist since she was 14 years old:

“But living in Pakistan, I never thought it would be a possibility for me, especially being a girl.”

Before moving to London, Sara had a client waiting list of 200 in Lahore, while the biggest tattoo parlor in Pakistan, Inkgrave Studios in Karachi, currently averages around 50 clients a month and has a waiting list of about 20 people.

One of the most experienced tattoo artists in Lahore, Meer, who only uses his first name and learnt tattooing in Thailand and Poland, said he had “never seen anything like it,” when describing Sara’s work.

“With tattoos that small and lines that thin, it would take years of experience to keep a steady hand,” he told Arab News. “Even now I see people around me, we make mistakes, ink spills out of the stenciled area. That’s easier to cover up when you have thicker lines.”




Custom miniature of a woman holding a sitar made in Lahore on September 17, 2022. (Photo courtesy: Iman Sara)

But the margin of error was “much smaller” in Sara’s work, Meer said:

“I’ve been tattooing in three countries. Watercolors are hard, but you can still use a free hand on those, this seems harder.”

An artist, model and digital content creator from Lahore who publicly uses the name Baemisaal said she found out about Sara through a colleague and had gotten multiple tattoos done from her.

“Seeing her tattoos up close instantly got me obsessed with her line work and precision. As an artist myself, detailing and finesse is super important to me,” she said. “I went to see her a year ago. I’d been wanting the tattoos I have now since I was literally 14. I [just] couldn’t trust anyone because some of my tattoos are my own illustrations.”

But Sara’s work is “so incredibly unique,” Baemisaal said. “Everywhere I go, people ask if they can look at my tattoos.”

What was best about the miniaturist, Baemisaal said, was that she gave her clients “complete freedom” over their designs.

“Some tattoo artists insist on doing things their own way,” the model said, “which never makes sense to me since it’s our bodies, the tattoos [are] etched on our skins forever.”


India withdraw from veterans’ cricket semifinal against Pakistan amid tensions

Updated 4 sec ago
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India withdraw from veterans’ cricket semifinal against Pakistan amid tensions

  • World Championship of Legends is sanctioned by England and Wales Cricket Board
  • Tickets to be refunded after Pakistan advances to final following India’s withdrawal

LONDON: India have withdrawn from a semifinal clash with Pakistan in a tournament featuring retired players amid tension between the nuclear-armed neighbors, organizers of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) said on Wednesday.

A group match between the two teams was also called off earlier this month in the veterans’ competition sanctioned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Tickets will be refunded for the semifinal match which was scheduled to take place in Birmingham on Thursday, WCL organizers said in a statement on Instagram, adding that Pakistan will advance to the final.

India and Pakistan, who have not played bilateral cricket since 2013, are set to face off in the Asia Cup on September 14.

The WCL is in its second edition, running from July 18 to August 2 in England, with six teams representing India, Pakistan, England, Australia, South Africa and West Indies competing across four venues including Edgbaston, Headingley, Leicester and Northampton.

A total of 18 matches are being played in this round-robin T20 format with playoffs at its conclusion.

The tournament was launched in 2024 and returns this year with high-profile former international stars like Shahid Afridi, Yuvraj Singh, Kevin Pietersen, Brett Lee, Eoin Morgan and Chris Gayle drawing crowds.

The India Champions, captained by Yuvraj Singh, entered as defending champions after beating Pakistan in last year’s final.
 


Pakistan hails ‘significant milestone’ as satellite launched with China to boost disaster response, food security

Updated 31 July 2025
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Pakistan hails ‘significant milestone’ as satellite launched with China to boost disaster response, food security

  • SUPARCO says the satellite will support precision agriculture, climate monitoring and urban planning
  • The launch deepens Pakistan-China space ties as astronaut training for Tiangong mission underway

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday announced the successful launch of its Remote Sensing Satellite in collaboration with China, calling it a “significant milestone” and expressing hope that the development will aid disaster management, food security and environmental protection.

The launch marks another step in Pakistan’s growing engagement with outer space with Chinese assistance. The two countries are also preparing to send the first Pakistani astronaut into space aboard China’s Tiangong space station, with training programs currently underway.

“Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the National Space Agency of Pakistan, proudly announces a historic achievement with the successful launch of Remote Sensing Satellite from Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), China,” SUPARCO said in a statement.

“Remote Sensing Satellite will provide imaging capabilities to revolutionize urban planning, disaster management, food security and environmental protection,” it added. “It will also greatly aid in monitoring climate change, managing water resources, mapping agricultural patterns and tracking deforestation.”

The satellite was launched with technical cooperation from the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China.

SUPARCO said the satellite will also support national development initiatives such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) by mapping transportation networks and identifying geohazard risks.

The statement noted the launch would serve as the foundation for an integrated Earth Observation System aimed at supporting national priorities and sustainable development.

It informed that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also praised the efforts of engineers and technical experts from both countries, calling the launch a symbol of “unwavering commitment to technological progress.”


Pakistan says ‘landmark’ trade deal reached with US as Trump announces oil cooperation

Updated 24 min 37 sec ago
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Pakistan says ‘landmark’ trade deal reached with US as Trump announces oil cooperation

  • Finance ministry says the deal will reduce tariffs on Pakistani exports and expand market access
  • Minister Aurangzeb says his country sought to go beyond trade, deepen strategic ties with the US

KARACHI: Pakistan said Wednesday it had reached a trade deal with the United States after weeks of extensive negotiations, paving the way for reduced tariffs and deeper economic ties, as US President Donald Trump highlighted a new partnership to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves.

The announcements came after the US imposed a 29 percent “reciprocal tariff” on Pakistani exports under Trump’s trade measures announced in April, a move that raised alarm in Islamabad amid concerns over its fragile economic recovery. Washington later suspended the tariffs for 90 days to allow for negotiations with affected countries, including Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb led the negotiations from Pakistan’s side with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The breakthrough came just ahead of the August 1 deadline.

“In a landmark development, Pakistan and the United States finalized a trade agreement today aimed at boosting bilateral trade, expanding market access, attracting investment and fostering cooperation in areas of mutual interest,” Pakistan’s finance ministry said in a statement issued from Washington.

“The agreement will result in reduction of reciprocal tariff especially on Pakistani exports to the United States,” it added. “This deal marks the beginning of a new era of economic collaboration especially in energy, mines and mineral, IT, cryptocurrency and other sectors.”

The statement followed a final round of talks in Washington on Wednesday morning.

Trump also referenced to the agreement in a social media post, saying the two countries had concluded a deal to work together on oil reserves.

“We have just concluded a Deal with the Country of Pakistan, whereby Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves,” he said. “We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership.”

Last week, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said the two countries were “very close” to a trade deal following a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.

Pakistan’s finance ministry said the deal complements ongoing efforts to broaden the scope of the strategic partnership between Islamabad and Washington.

“The agreement enhances Pakistan’s access to the US market and vice versa,” it informed. “Additionally, the deal is expected to spur increased US investment in Pakistan’s infrastructure and development projects.”

In a video message, Finance Minister Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s objective was always to move “beyond the immediate trade imperative,” calling the agreement “a real win-win situation” for both nations.

“There are several sectors we will begin working on — starting with energy, then moving to minerals and mining, and also digital infrastructure and the broader new economy we are envisioning,” he said.

“We have come a long way from where we started and where we now stand in terms of our overall strategic partnership with the United States,” he added.

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the US president and expressed hope that the deal would pave the way for deeper collaboration between the two countries.

“I wish to convey my profound thanks to President Trump @realDonaldTrump for his leadership role in finalization of the historic US-Pakistan trade agreement, successfully concluded by our two sides in Washington, last night,” he said in a social media post.

“This landmark deal will enhance our growing cooperation so as to expand the frontiers of our enduring partnership in days to come.”


Pakistan approves AI Policy 2025 to create jobs for youth, enhance public services

Updated 31 July 2025
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Pakistan approves AI Policy 2025 to create jobs for youth, enhance public services

  • Policy aims to train one million AI professionals by 2030, set up an AI Innovation Fund and venture fund to boost private sector involvement
  • AI will not only modernize economy but also enhance productivity in agriculture, public services and governance, says PM Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s federal cabinet this week approved the National AI Policy 2025 to democratize artificial intelligence, state-run media said, aiming to enhance public services and generate employment opportunities for the youth. 

Pakistan has recently undertaken initiatives to digitize its economy and employ the use of artificial intelligence to improve services. Through its ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative, the government has attempted to focus on expanding broadband and 5G infrastructure, promoting digital literacy, youth engagement and innovation, developing e‑governance services for citizens and supporting investment in tech startups, IT zones and export-driven IT firms.

The AI policy was approved during a meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said in a report. 

“The policy aims to democratize access to artificial intelligence, enhance public services, and open up new employment and innovation avenues,” APP said. 

The AI policy aims to train one million AI professionals by 2030, establish an AI Innovation Fund and AI Venture Fund to boost private sector involvement in artificial intelligence, APP reported. 

The national policy also aims to create 50,000 AI-driven civic projects and 1,000 local AI products in the next five years. The government intends to make the use of artificial intelligence inclusive through the distribution of 3,000 annual AI scholarships and facilitate 1,000 research projects, the state media said.

The policy also aims to ensure the inclusion of women and persons with disabilities through accessible education and financing, strengthening cybersecurity and national data security protocols, promoting global partnerships and compliance with international AI regulations, APP said. 

Sharif said his government aimed to provide the youth opportunities in the field of AI.

“Our youth are Pakistan’s greatest asset,” he was quoted as saying by the APP. “Providing them with education, skills, and equal opportunities in AI is a top priority.”

An AI Council and a comprehensive Master Plan & Action Matrix will oversee the AI policy’s implementation, APP said.

“AI will not only modernize our economy but also enhance productivity across agriculture, public services, and governance,” Sharif said. 


Pakistan’s central bank leaves policy rate unchanged at 11% in surprise move

Updated 24 min 14 sec ago
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Pakistan’s central bank leaves policy rate unchanged at 11% in surprise move

  • Central bank says policy rate kept unchanged as inflation outlook worsened due to unprecedented hike in energy prices
  • Economists say state bank will remain cautious, adopt “wait-and-see approach” before taking monetary policy decisions

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank announced on Wednesday it was keeping the interest rate unchanged at 11% despite a majority of the economists predicting a rate cut, with analysts linking the “cautious” approach to the government’s aim to ensure price stability amid a surge in energy prices.

The decision came as a surprise after the majority of Pakistan’s economists predicted a reduction of 100 basis points in the policy rate due to easing inflation in the country, which reached 3.2% in June.

The central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a second consecutive time after slashing it by 1,100 basis points during the last year to keep inflation in check, which had surged to 38% in May 2023.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad said the decision was based on easing consumer prices as well as core inflation, which otherwise remains “static” but eased to 7.2% last month. However, an unexpected hike in energy prices had worsened the inflation outlook.

“The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) met today and decided to maintain the current policy rate at 11%,” Ahmad said at a press briefing in Karachi after the MPC meeting.

State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmed speaks during a press conference at the SBP building in Karachi on July 30, 2025. (APP)

“The inflation outlook has somewhat worsened in the wake of higher-than-anticipated adjustment in energy prices, especially gas tariffs,” the central bank said in a separate statement.

Economist Khaqan Najeed, Pakistan’s former finance adviser, said the central bank had chosen a “path of continued caution and vigilance,” which aimed to consolidate stability gains before stimulating growth through monetary easing.

“The mention of ‘somewhat worsened’ inflation outlook due to energy tariffs was a key justification for not easing [the monetary policy],” he said.

Sana Tawfik, head of research at the brokerage research firm Arif Habib Ltd., agreed.

“For now, they will keep the interest rate at 11%, stabilize it and see the impact of its previous rate cuts as well as how recent floods and energy prices translate into the economic indicators,” she told Arab News.

Tawfik said Pakistan’s rising imports and resulting pressure on its external account had also influenced the SBP to keep the policy rate unchanged.

“Going forward, it appears that the state bank will remain cautious and will have a wait-and-see approach to take its decisions according to the global economic developments,” she said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government is attempting to revive Pakistan’s debt-ridden economy with the help of a $7 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mushtaq Khan, an economist who is also the founder of a boutique advisory named “Doctored Papers,” described the SBP’s decision to keep the interest rate unchanged as a “smart move.”

“The external sector will be more vulnerable in FY26, so it’s a cautious step as needed,” he said.

Ahmad said this year Pakistan would need to repay $25.9 billion in foreign debt, of which about $16 billion were in bilateral loans that would be rolled over while the remaining $10 billion would have to be repaid.

This includes $1.8 billion in Eurobonds that are maturing this year.

“Going forward, we will see no difficulty in our debt repayments,” he said, citing increasing remittances that he said would cross the $40 billion mark this year.