ISLAMABAD: This weekend, starting Friday, 8th February, the Documentary Association of Pakistan (DAP) will bring to the nation’s capital the Chalta Phirta Documentary Festival in collaboration with the Nomad Art Gallery.
DAP is an initiative to promote the art of documentary films, to strengthen the community of documentary filmmakers, and to provide mentorship and training to documentary filmmakers working in Pakistan.
The organization is working toward popularizing the culture of documentary watching in Pakistan by arranging film screenings in public spaces across the country for free. One of those initiatives is the Chalta Phirta Documentary Festival.
“It’s a traveling documentary film festival that will go to Pakistani cities, such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Quetta, Peshawar, and Gilgit,” DAP members Tazeen Bari and Anam Abbas told Arab News over email.
DAP aims “to broaden its audience and outreach to cities that are frequently ignored when it comes to the provision of thriving cultural and social events” through the festival.
Chalta Phirta will showcase a new set of documentary films in each of these cities on a biannual basis, hoping to spark important conversations through them on national level.
“Our primary goal was to reach varied and diverse audiences and the only way to do this is to bring documentaries to their doorstep,” Bari told Arab News.
“The festival also allows us to connect with filmmakers from outside our own circles and help this community grow. It also connects us to various arts and community spaces and actors in different cities, which will hopefully lead to continued engagement.”
To date, films have been screened in Quetta, Faisalabad, Jamshoro, Peshawar and Karachi with plans to head to Gilgit, Lahore and Multan next. This weekend the festival will be running simultaneously in both Islamabad and Hyderabad.
“It gives us great joy that we can have these films screened in two cities at the same time,” Said Abbas to Arab News.
In each city, films are being screened at small to medium scale local venues and organizations and educational institutes.
Have DAP faced censorship in their quest?
“We are working with small venues which are generally safe spaces. Censorship has not yet been an issue as it would be in cinema halls or state operated spaces. While we may be surveilled, we have not been stopped,” said Abbas.
The festival also includes “The Feeling of Being Watched,” by Arab-American filmmaker Assia Bendaoui, “Sindhustan” from India, and “The Judge,” an American film following the life of a female Palestinian judge. In total Chalta Phirta is taking 22 films to 11 cities.
So far, the ambitious festival has been met with warmth.
“In our first event in Gujranwala, the projectionist at the venue came up to DAP member Risham and thanked her for opening his eyes to what documentary films can do,” said Bari.
Additionally, the festival has been gaining interest.
“We have been receiving requests from cities outside our 11 city program, and we are working together with them to see how we can expand our journey,” said Abbas.
Asked what DAP hoped Chalta Phirta to achieve, Bari and Abbas said: “Divide and rule seems to be the modus operandi everywhere. It is important that we are able to reach and talk to each other and hear and watch each other’s stories without the mitigation of corporate media or paranoid rulers. Whether it is a story about a bomb disposal squad, or a transwoman in politics, young disaffected men trying to flee to a better life or feminist activists reforming their cities, this festival seeks to make space for a conversation about Pakistani identity and a Pakistani dream that is inclusive.”
Chalta Phirta Documentary Festival reaches Islamabad this weekend
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Chalta Phirta Documentary Festival reaches Islamabad this weekend

- The organizers say it is important to reach and talk to each other and hear and watch each other’s stories
- The festival also makes it possible for filmmakers to connect and form a bigger community
Empress Market: a Karachi commerce icon built to bury ashes of a rebellion

- It was at this site where the British executed participants of the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny in the Indian Sub-continent
- Unaware of its grim past, people visit the place for grocery shopping and to see its magnificent Gothic architecture
KARACHI: In the heart of Karachi’s Saddar neighborhood, the Empress Market stands as a towering relic of British colonial ambition, where the scent of fresh produce mingles with the sharp tang of spices, and shopkeepers hawk everything from live poultry to antique coins.
But few realize that underneath its ornate clocktower and gothic arches lies a darker, forgotten history that is stained by rebellion and retribution for those who took part in the 1857 uprising against British rule in the Indian Sub-continent.
It was at this site where the British executed scores of mutineers and their local sympathizers after they got to know of their plans and later constructed this magnificent market between 1884 and 1889 to prevent the place from becoming a commemorative site.
“The Empress Market building has a very unique architectural design, but apart from its design, its history is very interesting, which actually reveals why it was built in the first place,” Tania Ali Soomro, a Karachi-based architect, told Arab News this week, elaborating on the site’s grim past.
“The rebels of the freedom struggle would be punished here. The method of punishment was such that they would be tied in front of cannons and then fired upon.”
The 1857 mutiny, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, was a major uprising in India against the rule of the British East India Company, which began with a revolt by Indian soldiers of the Company in Meerut on May 10 that year and later spread to Delhi, Kanpur, Agra and Lucknow.
Though the uprising ultimately unsuccessful, it demonstrated the widespread discontent with British rule and paved the way for the rise of the Indian nationalist movement.
Historian Gul Hassan Kalmati notes in his book, ‘Karachi — Glory of the East,’ that following the failed rebellion, four mutineers, including Sooraj Bali Tivari and Ram Din Panday, were tied to the cannons and executed at the site of Empress Market.
Citing a confidential British document, titled ‘Secret document number D/223/1857, dated 14th September 1857, Secret Branch,’ Kalmati writes Tivari and Panday had led soldiers of the 21st Native Infantry Regiment, but two informants, Ram Bane and Lakhshman Gadari, alerted the British and thus failed the rebellion.
“The local people had started celebrating this place as a commemorative site. They would light oil lamps there and began to renovate it like a shrine,” Soomro said, adding this burgeoning memorial prompted the British to act.
“To erase this memory, the British decided to create something which is public and holds strong social value. As a result, the market was established at this location.”
In her book ‘The Dual City: Karachi During the Raj,’ Yasmeen Lari, a celebrated Pakistani architect, agrees with the notion.
“Although the imperialists were particular in commemorating significant events, it is not surprising that a plaque was not placed at the site of the Empress Market to mark the spot where native sepoys had been executed,” she writes.
The market was named in honor of Queen Victoria, the then Empress of India, with its Gothic architecture reflecting British authority with local adaptations.
“If we talk about the design, the architectural style of this building is Gothic, but it has been built in a somewhat localized and contextualized way,” Soomro said, adding the building was designed by James Strachan, who was an engineer.
“His distinct style, including linearity, pointed arch windows and the clock tower, can be seen across several buildings he designed, including DJ Science College and Sindh Madrasatul Islam [in Karachi].”
Lari describes the market as a “very handsome building designed in what is known as the ‘Domestic Gothic Style’.”
“While the use of the alien Gothic form was understandable, the presence of an atrium was highly unusual for the time,” she writes in her book.
“With a frontage of 231 feet on Preedy Street, its four galleries, each 46 feet wide, surround the generous size courtyard, 130 feet by 100 feet. The single-story building is not pretentious except for the tall central tower that rises to a height of 140 feet.”
The market was so beautiful that while praising it, Commissioner Pritchard had said that the “only one other market [that] surpassed it in the whole Presidency was the ‘Crawford Markets’ of Bombay,” according to Lari.
The most monumental feature of the building is its clock tower, which is positioned right at the center of the front wing. It was designed in a very symmetrical manner, with the front and back being exactly the same.
It has two levels. The first level features an arched entrance at the very bottom and then there is a balcony above it. The balcony is adorned with beautiful wrought iron grills. The second level has the clock installed and above that, the canopy of the tower serves as the cover for the structure.
Each wing of the market was originally dedicated to a separate function, a different type of shopping, according to Soomro. In some areas, there were wet groceries, and in others, dry groceries.
While this zoning has blurred, the market remains a vibrant hub.
“It’s a very historic and old market, and the best thing about it is that you can find everything in bulk — it’s called a one-stop shop,” said Zia Shahid, a regular at Empress Market.
“From vegetables to dry fruits, from groceries to various other items, you can get everything here at very good rates.”
But it isn’t just the wide variety of items that attract shoppers to the market. Many visit the place due to its magnificent structure and to take photos.
“We had heard a lot about how the art of photography stands out here in this market, in its own unique way,” said Afaan Adnan, a 21-year-old student, unaware of the site’s bleak past.
“We needed to take some pictures in which we could tell stories. Empress Market is a key part of Karachi, where countless stories unfold. We are here to capture them.”
But for shopkeepers like Y.B. Sethna, Empress Market is deeply personal as his family has been here since 1938.
“In 1938, my grandfather came to the market... After 1946, there was Partition, so the person he was working with at the time left and he said to my grandfather, ‘you’ve worked hard with us, so why don’t you take over this shop?’,” he said, adding that his grandfather, father and uncle used to run the grocery shop before him.
Sethna’s long association with the market has kept him from moving elsewhere.
“When I was seven years old, they [Sethna’s grandfather and other elders] would hold my hand and bring me here,” he said, adding people often ask him why he didn’t open a shop at a less crowded place with relative calm.
“The attachment I had with this place was so strong that I couldn’t leave it.”
On World Press Freedom Day, Pakistan honors journalists killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza

- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 200 journalists, making it the deadliest conflict ever for media workers across the world
- PM Sharif commends responsible role of Pakistani media in confronting India’s recent unfounded accusations with ‘facts, truth’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday hailed journalists who lost their lives while reporting in conflict zones like Gaza, saying their dedication continues to inspire many across the world.
The statement came on the World Press Freedom Day on May 3 that aims to raise awareness about the importance of press freedom and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The period from October 7, 2023, when Israel launched its war on Gaza, to May 3, 2025 has proven to be the bloodiest period of the 21st century for journalists. According to the Palestinian government, 202 journalists were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza during this period.
The Committee to Protect Journalists says such a deadly and bloody war has never been seen before in which such a large number of journalists lost their lives, while Reporters Without Borders says the Israeli army deliberately targeted Palestinian and Lebanese journalists and media workers.
“[We] honor the sacrifices made by those who have lost their lives in pursuit of truth, especially reporting in conflict zones like Gaza and Palestine,” President Zardari said in his statement on the day.
“Their courage and dedication continue to inspire us.”
The media is indispensable in promoting dialogue, highlighting issues of social, economic and environmental significance, uncovering corruption and advocating for the marginalized communities, according to the Pakistan president.
Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the right to freedom of speech and a free press, subject to “certain restrictions.”
“I commend the responsible role of the Pakistani media in national interests, which confronted the recent Indian water aggression and the use of the media for unfounded accusations with facts and truth and destroyed India’s nefarious objectives of creating an atmosphere of war in the region,” Sharif said in his message on the World Press Freedom Day.
“I hope that our responsible media will continue to support and guide our efforts to protect national and public interests in the same manner.”
Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors have plummeted after India accused Pakistan of backing an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people on April 22. Islamabad has rejected the charge and called for a credible, neutral international probe into it.
Sharif promised that his government would wholeheartedly work with journalists for their betterment.
“As a responsible democratic society, our collective responsibility is to ensure that journalism continues to serve the public good based on facts, ethics and freedom,” he said.
Pakistan ranks 152nd out of 180 countries on the RSF press freedom index, and journalists in the country have long complained of increasing state pressure on traditional media. Social media platform X is officially banned, but accessible using VPNs, while YouTube and TikTok have faced bans in the past.
“We have taken a number of steps for the protection and welfare of journalists, but more needs to be done by providing them a safe, secure, and enabling environment,” President Zardari said.
“A culture where journalists feel secure to perform their duties without fear and harassment is the need of the time. I urge the media to uphold the highest standards of journalism, accuracy, and professionalism.”
Pakistan will strike any Indian structure built to divert its water, minister says

- India suspended a key water-sharing treaty with Pakistan after an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi has blamed on Pakistan
- Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack that killed 26 tourists and described India’s suspension of the treaty as an ‘act of war’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will destroy any structure built by India to divert its share of water under the Indus Waters Treaty, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Friday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries over an attack in the Kashmir region.
India suspended on April 23 the World Bank-mediated Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 that ensures water for 80 percent of Pakistani farms, saying it would last until “Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism.”
The development came a day after an attack killed 26 tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam tourist town. India said two of the three militants who attacked tourists were from Pakistan. Islamabad denied the allegation and said any attempt to stop or divert the flow of Pakistan’s water will be considered an “act of war.”
Speaking to a private news channel on Friday night, Asif said diverting Pakistan’s water was also a “face of aggression” against the country and entire nations could die of thirst and hunger because of it.
“That will be aggression against Pakistan,” he said. “So, even if they made an architectural attempt of this kind, then Pakistan will destroy that structure.”
Pakistan has rights to the western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, according to the Indus Waters Treaty. India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow. India can use the western rivers for limited purposes such as power generation and irrigation, without storing or diverting large volumes.
Asif’s comments came hours after Pakistan’s top generals blamed the April 22 attack on New Delhi’s “governance failures” and its strategy of using such incidents for political gains, warning Pakistani security forces were ready to respond to any attack on the country’s sovereignty.
Pakistan Army’s top brass gathered at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Friday to review the geo-strategic environment, with a particular focus on the Pakistan-India standoff and the broader regional security situation, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.
“The Forum noted, with serious concern, India’s consistent pattern of exploitation of crises to achieve political and military objectives. They have been following a predictable template — whereby internal governance failures are externalized,” the ISPR said.
“These incidents have often coincided with unilateral moves by India to alter the status quo, as seen in 2019 when India similarly exploited the Pulwama incident to unilaterally alter the status quo of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, through revocation of Article 370,” it added.
The 2019 Pulwama attack killed 40 Indian paramilitary personnel and was also blamed on Pakistan before New Delhi revoked the region’s special constitutional status to integrate it in the Indian union, a move repeatedly condemned by Islamabad.
Tensions have been high in the South Asian region since last week’s attack in Kashmir, a situation exacerbated by retaliatory actions between the two nuclear-armed rivals, including the expulsion of diplomats and citizens, border closures and airspace shutdowns.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with envoys from Gulf allies and briefed them on Islamabad’s stance regarding the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir, seeking to defuse tensions.
The international community has encouraged both sides to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through dialogue.
Pakistan’s factory PMI dips in early sign of global tariff headwinds

- New orders slumped while export orders in particular plummeted
- Employment fell for a second month as manufacturers cut costs
KARACHI: Pakistan’s manufacturing sector growth slowed to a seven-month low in April, with the HBL Pakistan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)easing to 51.9 from 52.7 in March, as concerns over global trade weighed, HBL said in a press release.
The latest dip in the index hints at the impact of US President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs, said Humaira Qamar, Head of Equities & Research at HBL.
“We believe that the latest PMI dips are early signs of the headwinds to the global economy from the introduction of US tariffs,” said Humaira Qamar — Head Equities & Research at HBL.
New orders slumped while export orders in particular plummeted. Employment fell for a second month as firms cut costs, said Qamar.
Qamar warned that any US stagflation would hurt Pakistan’s exports, particularly to the US which accounts for 18 percent of its total, potentially prolonging the manufacturing downturn, though lower commodity prices could provide some relief, she added.
Despite the slowdown, the PMI remains above 50, indicating expansion amid a favorable inflation outlook.
Qamar said she expects an interest rate cut on Monday due to strong deflationary pressures. But a Reuters poll suggests Pakistan’s State Bank will hold rates steady at 12 percent, following a surprise pause in its last meeting due to geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns.
Pakistan’s annual inflation rate fell to 0.3 percent in April, well below the Ministry of Finance estimate of 1.5 percent to 2 percent. The central bank forecasts average inflation to be in the range of 5.5 percent to 7.5 percent for the fiscal year ending June.
Pakistan’s largest bank, HBL, and global financial information and analytics firm S&P Global launched the index In February to track the country’s manufacturing sector.
China’s BYD partners with local firms to launch largest EV charging network in Pakistan

- 128 DC fast chargers will be installed across Pakistan over the next three years
- Pakistan approved EV policy in 2019 with a target of 30 percent electric vehicles by 2030
KARACHI: China’s BYD, the world’s largest New Energy Vehicle (NEV) manufacturer and Pakistan’s Mega Motor Company (MMC) have partnered with Hub Power Company (HUBCO) to launch the country’s largest NEV charging network, the company said on Friday.
NEVs refer to alternative-fuel vehicles that rely on electric, hybrid, hydrogen or other non-traditional power sources instead of conventional gasoline or diesel engines
BYD, a global leader in battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, has expanded aggressively in Asia, Europe and Latin America. Mega Motor, a subsidiary of Pakistan’s HUBCO, is spearheading the local manufacturing, distribution and sales of BYD-branded vehicles.
“This nation-wide rollout of infrastructure marks one of the most significant developments in the country’s shift toward electric mobility by addressing a critical gap in Pakistan’s EV ecosystem and establishing the most extensive NEV charging network,” BYD said in a statement.
“As part of this strategic and groundbreaking roadmap, HGL will install approximately 128 DC fast chargers across the country over the next three years, with 50 installations planned by December 2025.”
It added that the charging points would be placed every 150-200 kilometers of highways and motorways along with malls, hotels and hospitals.
“Range anxiety remains one of the most significant barriers to NEV adoption across Pakistan,” BYD Pakistan Vice President Sales and Strategy Danish Khaliq said.
“Through this groundbreaking partnership with HUBCO Green, we are not just addressing a logistical issue but shaping the entire mobility landscape of the country.”
BYD and MMC partnered last year to introduce electric vehicles (EVs) in Pakistan, aiming to accelerate the country’s transition toward sustainable mobility.
The government approved the National Electric Vehicles Policy in 2019, setting a target of 30 percent EVs by 2030. In March, Pakistan inaugurated the country’s fastest EV charging station in Islamabad.
Earlier this year, Pakistan announced a 45 percent reduction in power tariffs for electric vehicle charging stations. The government is also planning financing schemes for e-bikes and the conversion of two and three-wheeled petrol vehicles.
According to a report submitted by the power ministry, there are currently more than 30 million two- and three-wheeled vehicles in Pakistan, which consume more than $5 billion worth of petroleum annually.
In January, China’s ADM Group revealed plans to invest $250 million in setting up an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Pakistan.