Young Pakistani artists take new path through landscapes of Mughal miniature art

The collage shows miniature work by Jahanzaib Akmal: "Cain and Abel," left, and artist Sohni Farrukh posing for a picture with her work showcased at an art exhibition in Islamabad, Pakistan, on October 3, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Jahanzaib Akmal/PK Art Collective)
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Updated 22 November 2021
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Young Pakistani artists take new path through landscapes of Mughal miniature art

  • Miniature masters began to capture the complex stories of scriptures and people in the Indian Subcontinent over one thousand years ago
  • Art of miniature painting in the region was perfected under Mughal rulers between the 16th and 19th centuries

ISLAMABAD: The language of centuries-old traditional miniature painting is drawing renewed attention among young Pakistani artists who find in it a departure point to make work exploring contemporary realities. 
Miniature masters in the Indian Subcontinent began to capture the complex stories of scriptures and people as early as in the ninth century. Some of their paintings accompanied Buddhist, Hinduist, Jain and Muslim religious texts, some other illustrated secular literature — romances, dramas, poems. Calligraphy also often played role in them, and their painted borders, or illuminations, can be as intricate as the images themselves.
Art dealers would often unbind these illustrations and sell them separately, which is how they became popular and highly sought after at the international market, where they were admired and collected by people as various as Rembrandt and the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.
The art of miniature painting in the Subcontinent was perfected under Mughal rulers between the 16th and 19th centuries. The legacy of their court painters has inspired not only renowned Pakistani artists such as Shazia Sikander, Imran Qureshi, and Aisha Khalid — the pioneers of the neo-miniature movement — but also emerging creators who give a contemporary and personal spin to the classic form. 
Jahanzaib Akmal, who studied art at the National College of Arts in Lahore, has created his own signature style by combining miniature painting with his love for video games.
His works depict Mughal rulers in video game landscapes reminiscent of the classic Mario Brothers by Nintendo or the 1980s hit Space Invaders.
“A mixture of games and miniature paintings is how I understand a contemporary visual language,” the 28-year-old artist from Quetta, Balochistan, told Arab News. “I combined my love for history, games, and art, I came up with a refreshed concept of revisiting the eight-bit games and the Mughal Emperors for our recent generations to relate to.”
“Miniature paintings hold a very special place in the artworld. They are perceived as prestigious. The imagery has evolved over the years, with many artists doing their part and adding their spin to it.”




Contemporary miniature work by Jahanzaib Akmal: “Midnight rendezvous” and “Thunder in the clouds,” 2021. (Photo courtesy: Jahanzaib Akmal)

Former lawyer Sohni Farrukh, a 31-year-old artist from Islamabad, quit her job as a lawyer and started taking miniature painting classes last year. She enrolled in a course by artist Komal Shahid Khan and fell in love with the classic form.
“I immediately fell in love with the process and the outcome, though it took me a while to get a hang of the techniques,” she said.
She has been drawn to miniature painting since childhood.
“I first saw miniature art at an exhibition when I was very young and since then have been enamored by it,” she told Arab News. “The intricate process, the traditional aspect, is beautiful to me. It’s almost sacred in its methodology and makes you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself, carrying on and preserving a tradition dating back hundreds of years.”
Farrukh’s plays with saturated colors not found in traditional miniature painting. She draws inspiration both from the centuries-old art and the neo-miniature style, combining them also with Chinese art elements.
“I am greatly inspired both by traditional and neo miniaturists in their technique and subject matter and try to address topics such as gender fluidity and female sexuality, while infusing my work with bursts of color,” she said.




Miniature work by Sohni Farrukh “Our Lady Buraq meets Chand Bibi” and “Pink Lotus with a Halkar border,” 2021. (Photo courtesy: Sohni Farrukh)

Another emerging miniature artist is Iranian-born Maryam Baniasadi, whose family settled in Lahore.
She has trained under renowned miniature painter Bashir Ahmed from the National College of Arts, who encouraged her to explore the form, which she later combined with Persian miniature tradition.




Work by Maryam Baniasadi: “NCA Lahore building” and ” The classroom,” 2018. (Photo courtesy: Maryam Baniasadi)

“Throughout history miniaturist were traveling from Iran to sub-continent and vice versa so for me also I was kind of doing that in a contemporary way,” Baniasadi said.
“I believe this really helped me to come up with my own concepts and connect my roots being Iranian with Pakistan where I am living in and is my second home.”


Indian travel firms report drop in Turkey, Azerbaijan bookings over Pakistan support

Updated 4 sec ago
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Indian travel firms report drop in Turkey, Azerbaijan bookings over Pakistan support

  • Both countries have remained popular destinations for Indians, but now bookings are down by 60%
  • Indians are also canceling planned trips to the two countries after they openly supported Pakistan

BENGALURU: Indians are cancelling holidays in popular resorts in Turkey and Azerbaijan after the countries supported Pakistan during its recent conflict with New Delhi, two booking firms said. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi said was backed by Islamabad.

Pakistan denied involvement, but intense fighting broke out when India struck what it said were "terrorist camps" in Pakistan last week.

They agreed a ceasefire on Saturday which has largely held.

Turkey and Azerbaijan, popular budget holiday destinations for Indians, issued statements backing Islamabad after India's strikes.

"Bookings for Azerbaijan and Turkey decreasing by 60% (over the last week) while cancellations have surged by 250% during the same period," a spokesperson for MakeMyTrip said.

EaseMyTrip's Chief Executive Officer, Rikant Pittie, said the platform had seen a 22% rise in cancellations for Turkey and 30% for Azerbaijan "due to recent geopolitical tensions.”

Travellers had switched to Georgia, Serbia, Greece, Thailand and Vietnam, he added.

Another ticketing platform, ixigo, earlier said in a post on X that it would be suspending flight and hotel bookings for Turkey, Azerbaijan and China.

EaseMyTrip's founder and chairman Nishant Pitti said in a post on X that 287,000 Indians visited Turkey last year and 243,000 visited Azerbaijan.

"When these nations openly support Pakistan, should we fuel their tourism and their economies?" Pitti said.


Pakistan and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 

Updated 15 min 42 sec ago
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Pakistan and Kuwait review trade, investment cooperation during bilateral consultations 

  • Fourth round of Pakistan-Kuwait Bilateral Political Consultations held in Kuwait, says Islamabad 
  • Pakistan has increasingly eyed trade, investment to ensure consistent, sustainable economic growth 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Kuwaiti officials reviewed their countries’ cooperation in trade, investment, human resource collaboration and other economic spheres, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as the two sides held their bilateral political consultations. 

Pakistan and Kuwait held the fourth round of their Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) in Kuwait on Wednesday. The Kuwaiti delegation was led by Sameeh Essa Johar Hayat, the Gulf country’s assistant foreign minister (Asia Affairs) while Additional Foreign Secretary (Middle East) Shehryar Akbar Khan led the Pakistani side. 

“The two sides reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations including trade, investment, human resource collaboration, consular and people-to-people contacts with a view to further enhance bilateral cooperation,” the statement said on Wednesday. 

It added that the two delegations also exchanged views on regional and international issues, and reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation and consultation.

“While expressing satisfaction over the upward trajectory in bilateral relations and the momentum of high-level interactions and exchanges, both sides agreed to further deepen engagement in diverse areas of mutual interest,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said. 
It said that the next round of the BPC between the two sides will take place in Islamabad on mutually agreed dates.
Since narrowly escaping a default in 2023, Pakistan has eyed increasing foreign trade and investment with regional allies, especially Gulf countries. 
Islamabad formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military government body, tasked with attracting international investment in key economic sectors such as tourism, agriculture, livestock, mines and minerals and others. 


Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir

Updated 14 May 2025
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Pakistanis call on Delhi, Islamabad to engage in ‘serious dialogue’ over Kashmir

  • Attack in Indian-administered Kashmir sparked armed conflict between India, Pakistan last week
  • Root cause of the conflict between two nations is disputed territory of Kashmir claimed by both

KARACHI: Residents in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi said on Wednesday that India and Pakistan must engage in serious dialogue over the Kashmir issue, as they resumed their daily routines four days after a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

The spark for the latest chaos was an April 22 attack in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them tourists.

New Delhi blamed the incident on “terrorists” backed by Pakistan, a charge denied by Islamabad. India and Pakistan have fought three major wars and been at loggerheads since their independence.

“The foremost matter is Kashmir itself. We, Pakistan, are clearly stating that we are ready to talk, and India must approach this with sincerity,” said Karachi resident Shams Keerio.

“Without serious dialogue that includes negotiations over Kashmir, these talks will not succeed.”

Another Karachi resident, Amir Nisar, said the issue should be resolved according to UN resolutions. He also called on India to respect the ceasefire brokered by Washington between the two states.

“If they do not respect it, then I believe that if a real war breaks out between Pakistan and India, it can lead to the loss of lives of millions of people,” he said.

“[Indian PM] Narendra Modi, being from a big country, should be aware that he should refrain from war.”

The two nuclear-armed nations have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir. India and Pakistan both claim territory in full but govern only parts of it.


One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan

Updated 14 May 2025
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One killed, 10 wounded in grenade attack on pro-army rally in Pakistan

  • About 150 people in cars, motorcycles in Quetta were celebrating Pakistan's retaliatory strikes against India
  • No group immediately claimed responsibility but suspicion is likely to fall on separatist Baloch Liberation Army

QUETTA: A suspected militant on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade at participants of a pro-army rally in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least one person and wounding 10 others, police and hospital officials said.

The attack occurred in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, said local police chief Mohammad Malghani.

He said about 150 people in cars and on motorcycles were heading to a hockey ground in the city for a government-organized event to celebrate the military’s recent retaliatory strikes inside India when the man threw a grenade at them.

Wasim Baig, a spokesman at the Civil Hospital, said at least two of those wounded were in critical condition.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Baloch Liberation Army, a separatist group that has waged a years-long insurgency in the province.

Pro-army rallies have been held across Pakistan since Sunday, when the United States brokered a cease-fire between Pakistan and India, which were engaged in one of their most serious confrontations in decades.


Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’

Updated 14 May 2025
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Pakistan resolves to enhance UAE ties into ‘mutually beneficial economic partnership’

  • Shehbaz Sharif speaks to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan
  • Pakistan PM thanks UAE for playing constructive role to defuse South Asia tensions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed his country’s resolve to strengthen Pakistan’s ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) into a “mutually beneficial economic partnership,” his office said in a statement.

Sharif’s government has moved closer to the UAE in recent months in its efforts to attract international investment and ensure stability for Pakistan’s fragile $350 billion economy.

In January last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said.

Sharif spoke to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan over the telephone, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. He noted “with great satisfaction” that bilateral cooperation between the two countries was progressing, especially in the areas of economy and investment.

“He [Sharif] renewed his strong resolve to transform the existing Pakistan-UAE ties into a mutually beneficial economic partnership,” the statement said.

Both leaders discussed Pakistan’s recent tensions with India which triggered an armed conflict between the two nations recently.

India and Pakistan pounded each other with missiles, drones, and artillery fire last week. The conflict erupted when India fired missiles into Pakistan last Wednesday after weeks of tensions over an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr 22. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, while Islamabad denied involvement.

US President Donald Trump announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire between the two states on Saturday after Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes.

“During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed profound gratitude for UAE’s diplomatic efforts and constructive role to defuse the recent crisis in South Asia,” the PMO said.

“He added the UAE had always stood by Pakistan, through thick and thin.”

Sharif’s office said he reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to uphold the ceasefire understanding, as well as its resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity at all costs.

“The UAE President welcomed the ceasefire understanding, while appreciating Pakistan’s efforts for peace,” the PMO said.

Separately, Sharif also spoke to UN chief Antonio Guterres to thank him for his efforts to defuse tensions in South Asia, the PMO said.

The UAE holds immense importance for Pakistan, given that it is Islamabad’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry.

It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.