Ajrak is the hallmark of Indus valley civilization. The rich crimson and deep indigo with black and white colors; that separate each symmetrical pattern on royal shawl, symbolizes a radiant and highly synchronized reddish maroon terrain that is spread all around the surface on which it is made. This is exactly how you feel when you see Ajrak being made for the first time, especially when they make it in bulk where one piece is made distinct from other with horizontal and vertical borders farming symmetrical patterns.

Many of us know Ajrak as a prestigious cloth of Sindh but a very few know what history it bears before it started as a permanent tradition of the land of civilization. A cloth resembling the pattern of Ajrak was first found tied around the shoulders of a king priest when diggings took place at Mohenjo-Daro. The similar patterns on cloth were also found in excavations in the Old World around Mesopotamia in trefoil scattered with small circles with interiors filled in red dye. The trefoil symbolizes three sun-disks merged together to represent the union of gods of sun, water and earth. Nature plays an important role in the making of Ajrak. Craftsmen work in total accord with the environment where the trees, animal, rivers, sun and even mud are all a part of its making. The standard size of an Ajrak cloth is 2.5 – 3 meter.

Ajrak is derived from an Arabic word Azrak meaning blue as blue is the prime dye of Ajrak printing. For Sindh it is more than fabric, it is the symbol of respect and hospitality. Both, people who hold valued positions and those who are ordinary inhabitants of River Indus, have the same usage of Ajrak in their respective lives. Guests are traditionally honored with this cloth when they visit Sindh and it is also an important part of their cultural events and gatherings.

When talking of the Sindhi Culture, the idiom “from cradle to grave” would perfectly fit on the usage of Ajrak which starts right from a child’s birth when Ajrak is used as a hammock.  It is a fundamental part of Sindhi culture and an integral part of Sindhi apparel. Men would wear it as turbans or as a shawl around their shoulders and women would wear it as dupatta or chaadar. It is an integral part of a girl’s dowry in Sindh. Ajrak has such dominance in Sindh’s culture that wearing it means the honor and autonomy of the province. Ajrak is used not only as shawls but also as dupattas, turbans and in bed sheets, cushions, mats, mugs etc.

The making of Ajrak is an amazing and arduous art. Interestingly as it is an art that cannot be learned in schools yet its perfection has never been seen altered since its inception. The complicated designs are first carved by skillful craftsmen on wooden blocks and then transferred to the cloth immersed in crimson-blue dye. Block making is family craft and passed down from generations to generations. Several blocks are made to print patterns effectively and with great precision throughout the cloth. For this ruler, compass and other geometrical tools are also used to maintain the balance and harmony of repeated patterns. An authentic Ajrak is made by printing the symmetrical pattern on both sides of fabric using the method called Resist Printing.

Ajrak now, is not only an inspiration for Sindhi people but people all over Pakistan and even outside Pakistan. People truly admire this esteemed art of beauty, perfection and harmonization of well-established and remarkable patterns made by the hands of skillful craftsmen. Ajrak is not the pride of one province rather its identity of our national heritage throughout the globe.

Recently fashion industry has also realized the importance of this art and has tried to mold the contemporary form of Ajrak in more trendy and classy manner but Ajrak needs more efforts to preserve it true forms and to establish this art as constant part of our cultural and international reputation

Lok Virsa was established in 1974. It is a specialized organization with expertise on research and development of local arts and crafts. Lok Virsa’s existence is a souce of creating awareness and knowledge of Pakistan’s cultural heritage. Lok Virsa does this by collecting, documenting, disseminating and projecting folk & traditional heritage. Bringing the arts of the entire country together on a platform and its documentation is at the heart of the institute’s mission. Dedicated individuals undergo the rigorous field work, to bring back valuable results to the central archives and production facilities housed at the Lok Virsa complex at Garden Avenue Shakarparian Hills Islamabad.

Over the past few decades Pakistan’s cultural heritage has constantly been overshadowed and influenced by other cultures. Sadly, as a nation it has been a severe case of cultural imposition, cultural imperialism and cultural diffusion. This has resulted into a slow and gradual process of cultural extinction. Lok Virsa was thus established as the much needed platform to systematically preserve and strengthen a fading identity. This does not imply holding back progress or turning back the wheels of time but merely to institute measures and protections against disruption of the local art.

Since its inception, Lok virsa has been serving several purposes. It has been engaged in researching, collecting, documenting, preserving and disseminating our oral tradition and folk and traditional culture. Lok virsa has helped strengthening and nurturing the roots of Pakistani culture and thus projecting the true identity of its culture. It has established several cultural complexes and Museums for the purpose of displaying living arts and crafts, cultural artifacts and rare objects from all parts of Pakistan.

Lok Virsa has contributed a lot towards establishing cultural industries, art and craft galleries, artisan villages and has always been active in organizing cultural festivals. It has also been a great source for people to gain knowledge and understanding of Pakistani cultural heritage. One of the main objectives of this organization is to prepare and implement similar plans to promote the cultural heritage of Pakistan.

Lok Virsa is a member of several well reputed world organizations which are responsible for the promotion of culture and heritage. These organizations include UNESCO, The World Craft Council, International Council of Music, The Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO and The International Council of Museums.

Folk Heritage Museum, established by Lok Virsa preserves the living folk and traditional culture and crafts of Pakistan. It displays the cultural heritage of Pakistani people. The living style of the different areas of Pakistan is exhibited here. The place has preserved several statues, pictures, pottery, music and textile work and has a large display of embroidered costumes, jewellery, woodwork, metalwork, block printing, ivory and bone work. Displaying some of the finest works  of art from our culture Lok Virsa stands to be the finest cultural museum in Pakistan.

The maintenance and promotion of the traditional culture is very crucial in safeguarding a nation’s identity. Pakistan is a developing nation and like most other developing countries is in a transitional phase. It faces the challenge of preserving its cultural heritage all the while struggling to meet the needs of the nation in this modernized industrial world.

With globalization and advancements in technology arts have become industrial rather individual. Its bad luck that a country like Pakistan is at the consumer end. This motivates the exporters to export large quantities of industrial art products such as films, books, magazines, video tapes, TV, and audio tapes from all around the Globe. The appreciation for it own arts and culture has thus badly suffered. Lok Virsa has realized the situation and is struggling hard for the strengthening and appreciation of our local art forms.

Time flies and so does the change occurs simultaneously in Tradition. Therefore, for a country to advance and succeed it is crucial that they both move together in harmony with each other. You cannot even imagine succeeding, more so, developing, without regard of its cultural heritage and the neglect of its roots and identity.

It would be right to say that Lok Virsa is not any ordinary exhibition Centre which puts folk cultural of Pakistan on display but it is also very keen towards the survival of this beautiful culture by bringing the beauty of it to the lime light.

Pakistan has experienced the worst flood in its history in summer 2010.  Heavy monsoon rains triggered the flood which has been devastating, killing over 1500 people and affecting something like one-fourth of the entire country’s population. Tragically, the losses borne in this flood are much greater than the combined losses of the three recent mega disasters, namely Tsunami 2004, Pakistan earthquake 2005 and Haiti Earthquake 2010, as supported by the data.

This flood has several socio-economic and psychological impacts on the lives of those affected. The disaster of losing your closed ones along with anything you had processed coupled with the fear of never being able to stand on your own again is heart breaking. The nation has united once again to help the victims of the flood but it still isn’t enough to make things right for now.

Economy of Pakistan has borne a huge loss. Being an agricultural country, our crops have always been the strength of our economy and sadly something like crops worth $2 Billion or may be more have been taken away by the flood. Significant amounts of sugarcane, rice and grain harvests have been washed away. People, especially farmers have lost everything they had leaving their lands barren. The loss of livestock and the damaged pasture land will badly affect the Pakistani economy.

On the other hand artisans of Pakistan also are and will be badly affected by the flood. They will have a hard time rising above and coming back to the state they were in. Firstly, any inventory or raw materials these artisans were holding has been drowned in flood. For most of the artisans these are the only sources of income. Artisans of Pakistan in general are already underprivileged and this loss would mean further deterioration of their esteem and social status.

The infrastructure of the affected areas has been terribly destroyed. Dams, power stations, schools, bridges, roads, drinking water and hand pumps, all have been severely damaged. These will have several negative impacts on the lives of a Pakistani artisan, even those whose inventories have been saved. With the roads and bridges affected, these artisans have lost the communication and access to the local market or suppliers. Although they have lesser at stake compared to those who have lost all the inventory in the first place, still if these do not get a way into the market, they will not be able to support these artisans.

In the village of Shah Jamal, Dera Ghazi Khan, there were almost 35 looms which were functioning and were a source of income to several artisans. The village has lost all its connection with the entire country since the bridge that made the connection has been destroyed by the floods. Although looms were taken out of the houses before the flood could destroy them, yet the houses of these artisans and their families have been badly affected. Many artisans have moved to safer places but with the damaged infrastructure it seems to be very troublesome for these artisans to easily get back to the village even if the water level comes down.

There are major health concerns facing these artisans. The areas have been infected with several diseases and not much help and guidance is available with these artisans. If things don’t get better and more lives are lost, it would not be easy to swallow the loss. Monetary loss could be accepted by being positive and believing that things can get better in the future. Losing the skill in itself, which is the true asset, will be a huge loss to bear along with several other damages that have been done to the economy.

On top of all of these is the psychological burden and trauma these artisans would have to go through. People who have lost their loved ones and their homes and themselves are homeless and miserable are going through too much for one mind and one heart. The burden is huge and no one is strong enough to easily stand all that. Their problems and mental disturbance is therefore totally understandable.

All the loss has to be rebuilt and the best way to do it for the artisans is to get them back to work as soon as possible. The quicker this can be achieved, the better hope for a brighter future shall prevail, and the better light can they see in the darkness they are experiencing.

The artisans, the farmers and whoever has been affected, all have a long way to go. The struggle has only just begun and the journey is very tough, but with the honest contribution on the part of the nation as a whole and the Government, their misery could be shared and made less painful for them.

Being a multi-cultural country, Pakistan enjoys the celebrations of several festivals. Apart from the religious festivals celebrated in Pakistan, there are several others that have their cultural significance. Festivities take place all around the year in Pakistan. These are a symbol of happiness, enthusiasm, colors, prayers and rituals. People of Pakistan are very lively and energetic. They are all a part of a joint community where each depends on another creating a sense of brotherhood among them.

Festivities of Pakistan could be categorized as those celebrated on religious grounds and those celebrated on other-than-religion grounds.

Since the majority of the population is Muslims, the religious festivities are more or less celebrated all across the country and the cultural impact on them is pretty much the same nationwide. These include Eid-ul-Fitar and Eid-ul-Azha most importantly.

Eid-Ul-Azha

Other festivals include Shab-e-Barat and Eid Milad-Un-Nabi. All these religious festivals have a great significance in our culture and are a pre dominant part of it.

Eid Prayers

Muslims all across Pakistan would Fast during the month of Ramadan, and celebrate the blessing of being able to do the same on First of Shawal. The added cultural aspect to this celebration is the extension of it for 3 days. It is a time to rejoice, arranging a get together with family and friends.

Mehndi

On the other hand, our cultural festivals are a representative of our history, heritage, faith, language and the overall environment of our country. Our cultural festivals represent our rich culture with impressions of Indian and Middle Eastern cultures. Many of these Festivals are an opportunity for the craftsmen of our country to express themselves through their art.

Sibi Festival is an integral part of the Baloch culture. Celebrated at Sibi, in the last week of February, Sibi Festival is a good trailer of the Baloch Culture. The season is pretty warm and humid in Sibi all around the year and this is one of those few periods when the area experiences a relatively pleasant weather. Back in the 15^th century Sibi was used a meeting area for all the tribal chiefs and that’s where the roots of this tradition are found. The English built the tradition of an annual meeting along with a Mela where thousands of tribesmen would gather along with their animals.

Sibi Festival

The Fair would have a number of recreational activities. Artisans have found an opportunity in this tradition since people from Punjab and Sindh often visit to enjoy the experience of being at the Sibi Festival. The events taking place at the festival include cultural shows, camel races, folk music and traditional dances as well as an exhibition of arts and crafts and various handicrafts. Being a part of Baluchistan, most of these handicrafts are from Baluchistan but there are a few artisans who would come from other provinces to take part in promoting the culture and tradition of our arts and crafts.

Exhibition

Jashn-e-Larkana is another Festival celebrated in Larkana- Sindh, in the last week of February. It is a three day occasion and the events are pretty similar to Sibi Festival however the Sindhi culture is evident. Competitions are held in the area’s traditional sports, Kabaddi mostly. Exhibition of Sindhi handicrafts, jewelry and special traditional dresses are held and are the biggest attraction of the Festival.

Nauroze is only held in Gilgit, Hunza, Chitral and Skardu. Polo tournament is the main highlight of the Festival. Held from 21^st to 23^rd March, Nauroze is another colorful event with other attractions such as the folk dances, local sports, music and dances. Display of local handicrafts is an important part of these festivals.

Shandur Polo Festival is again a traditional polo tournament between the teams of Chitral and Gilgit and Chitral and is held at the Shandur pass which is the highest polo ground in the entire world. Dances, Music and exhibition of handicrafts are added attractions that attract tourists from all over the world.

Shandur Polo Festival

Lok Mela is a one week festival held every year at Lok Virsa Islamabad. It is a great opportunity to witness the culture and arts and crafts of Pakistan. It includes Folk music, music and dance contests, craftsmen at work and the sale and exhibition of handicrafts.

Lok Virsa

These and many other festivals of Pakistan depict the true spirit of a common Pakistani.  These festivals give these artisans a chance to introduce and involve themselves in order to get recognition, appreciation and a reward for their work. These festivals are a good representative to the true colors of our culture, the way it has been in our heritage for several years.

Chick art is another unique and extraordinary expression of a Pakistani artisan. Chicks are generally referred to as the curtains made of bamboo or wood. The art originated in Kasur and the village Rasul Nagar. Back then, artisans made simple chicks that were used as curtains and were a cheaper way to keep the warmth of sun away from coming into their homes. Traditionally these chicks also served the purpose of keeping one’s privacy. These were the times when people living in villages usually made and used these chicks. They did not have properly constructed homes and the neighbors and friends could enter their homes whenever they desired. Thus chicks were used as a veil to keep privacy.

Since the past six to seven years the trends have changed tremendously. The simple job of making chicks and their simple usage evolved and a complete paradigm shift took place. Chicks today have become more of an art then a regular piece of work. With the great innovations that have been made in this field, the society has accepted and welcomed it as a cherished and appreciated art. Today chicks are no more used as a veil or just as a precaution to save ones home from getting warm but, these are now used as a trend, a fashion accessory, something ornamental and something that beautifies your homes.

The basic raw material used in making chicks is wood, bamboo sticks, Glue, the thread of “Pasham” and certain other ornamental objects like mirror pieces, beads, laces etc. Generally speaking, the raw material is acquired from local areas, so for the chicks made in Lahore, artisans would generally procure wood from Lahore itself.

"Raw Material"

The method is simple, yet interesting. It is amazing to know that just like a manager would break his job into tiny little pieces of work, so do these artisans do, while they have no idea how good the managers they are. The art of making chicks is also divided into small pieces of work. The artisan has a design in his mind. He would begin the work with the preparation of all the ornamental objects which are planned to be used to decorate the chick. Once they are all set, wood is cut into several equal rectangular pieces. The wood is then painted and polished if required to lighten or darken the shade of the wood. Once done, these pieces of wood are stitched together using the thread of Pasham and a special needle which is both thick and large. Ornamental pieces that are already prepared are then decorated on the chick and a cloth is stitched at the back of the chick and the sides of it.

Threaded Sticks

Most of the artisans have had this art in their families for ages. Their forefather also used to make chicks, its just that in those times it was a relatively simpler art. Whatever the situation may be, these artisans are very well acquainted with the work. There is not much guidance to these artisans as to how they should innovate. The major source of innovation for these artisans is their direct contact with the customers and the customer demand. The common practice is to make a few predefined samples and hang them on the walls of their shops. The customer when orders, asks for any changes that he may require and this is what moves these artisans to change their designs and letting go of the conventional ways of doing things.

The artisans mostly have a fixed monthly income, while the owner earns the profit. The owner is often the artisan too and complains that the profit margins aren’t very attractive. These artisans have migrated to bigger cities in hope of a better future from far flung areas. They are not very well educated but are extremely skillful, friendly and co-operative.

Culturally chicks are now used in Pakistan in the houses of the middle class as well as the elite. They are beautiful and give a traditional yet charming look to our homes. These chicks are not traded by these artisans or even the middle men to export them abroad. The only point of contact of these artisans with the foreign world are the tourists and the Pakistani nationals who live abroad who would come and take these either as souvenirs for their friends or for the sake of beautifying their own homes abroad.

Chick art is a time consuming and thoughtful work. It calls for the skill and hard work of an artist. Our artisans have what it takes to prove being skillful and hardworking. These artisans are working hard to decorate our homes, May be its time that we do something to decorate theirs…

The province of Balochistan, where brings an image of barren lands and mountains also holds an exclusive richness in its culture that is intriguing yet unknown to many, who live in other parts of Pakistan.

Among other gifts from this province, Baluchistan really stands out for its embroidery. The fine-looking hand embroidery that women at home create is prized not just in Pakistan but also abroad. These traditional patterns the Balochi women create with a variety of colors require a lot of hard work and concentration. These patterns are time taking yet they cannot be copied by speedy embroidery machines. One can easily tell the difference between the machine embroidery and the hand embroidery, and the hand embroidery is what people prefer. The reason is simple; the hand embroidery is unique and appeals much more to the aesthetics of people than the machine embroidery.

When you go to Balochi embroidery women, they show you a variety of patterns, made as samples on a big cloth. The customer chooses the patterns of choice and provides the women with threads and cloth. These women then create personalized designs for each customer, according to the color scheme and the chosen fabric. These designs can take days to be prepared but they are worth the time. The Balochi women are not usually allowed to go out of their homes to earn a living, so they create amazing pieces of art while staying at home.

These patterns are made on shawls, waist coats, caps, dresses, wall panels, floors and sofa cushions. Tiny round mirrors are used in the embroidery that make the embroidered stuff stand out from the other types of embroidery. What is fantastic about this embroidery is that it is never old and extremely adaptable. It can be merged with new fashions and seems highly trendy, when a mix of traditional embroidery is created with new styles. The embroidered wall panels are fascinating and give homes an artistic hint. Floor and sofa cushions also attract a lot of attention because they are so beautifully made and  lots of color contrasts are used that cannot be ignored by the human eye.

We certainly need to cherish this artistic talent which is a part of our culture and identity, so it does not die away. A lot of effort and time is required for this hand embroidery; it cannot stay active without the right amount of support and appreciation. The present fast-paced lives are making it harder for people to indulge in creating such crafts but it is possible to keep this tradition alive, by providing it the support and appreciation it deserves.

I often felt that words are blameless and never fall short if you have a composed thought.  I was wrong. My expression can be of a vague decree but it’s the words that have incarcerated my thoughts this time. I am scribbling in the midnight and there is an endless quest for the right words to describe the place where I was born, the place I hold so dear to me. I call it “the city of blinding lights”.

Pakistan is believed to be the home of carnage and I live in its very heart. This part of Pakistan is a colorful piece of patchwork amid all the red and morose, it pumps color, activity and hope in the veins of our beloved nation. Behold! For I am about to unravel the name of our little paradise… The city of blinding lights is none other than Lahore!! Lahore is the city which, to me, breeds a world within. It can be best described as a place filled with vivacious colors and effervescent spirit.

It is the emblem of our rich culture which is reflective in the historical sites of Lahore Fort, Shalamar gardens, Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Museum and also in the exquisite pieces of literature which originate from here. Lahore is rightly celebrated with countless names; some call it the city of schools and colleges, some recognize it as “the fashion centre of Pakistan” and yet some know it as the hub of scrumptious food. It is an amalgam of it all and much more. So if you haven’t visited this beautiful city than please take note of a popular saying:

“He, who has not seen Lahore, has not yet been born”.

It’s about time that you Step out of your bubble and explore this glorious piece of heaven on earth.

For my assignment of “entrepreneurship” I had to start a business with a donkey cart and while doing that assignment I came across an exciting sport, a sport which had been an important cultural activity since many years in Karachi, the city known for its diverse cultural activities and rich traditional history is famous for donkey cart races. The donkey cart race is a different kind of spectacle for both the participants as well as the spectators because it includes all the ingredients of a thrilling sporting event.

Donkey cart race originated from the days when roman chariot races were a popular sport and the early chariot race appears to have had four wheeled cart, pulled by a team of onagers. However today instead of chariots we have Donkey Cart racing which runs deep in the old city culture of Karachi.

The area of Lyari Karachi wears a jovial look whenever donkey cart races are held. The donkeys used for these races are usually younger and much more expensive than local manufactured bikes. 25 to 30 participants take part in this race. Each participant at least covers an area of seven kilometers. The interesting thing about this sport is that everyone gets a reward of Rupees 5000/-, even those who are not able to make it to finish line.

Poor people barely find time to involve in activities of fun and entertainment and are mostly fatigued and tired. This sport provides a less expensive opportunity to these people to enjoy and revive the historical and cultural event of Pakistan’s busiest city. The race is a source of heroism that keeps their human dimension, exploits and provides them determination. It’s a source of festivities that shares a genial spirit in holidays under the rays of heated sun, it brings generosity in them by binding people by offering them a free spectacle with gifts distributed at the end of this sport and an image building of not only the city of Karachi but of Pakistan as a whole to be a country that stands for recreation and celebrations.

Pakistani people are very sentimental. They would often get very sad about the fact that the western world knows not much about Pakistan and they’re always like “Oh! is it somewhere near “India”? well! given the history of both countries Pakistani people would get all worked up. But I have two good reasons to tell them to relax!

1- Thankfully Pakistan’s on good terms with the neighbour now and

2- Well Come’on! Lets be honest! India’s been there for centuries. It is obviously more famous than Pakistan

But there is something funny about the fact that India is not India! and Pakistan is India! Surprised? Let me take you a few years back. Like a couple of centuries back?

See, when Aryans invaded or as many other historians might say “came” or “happened upon” this part of the earth there was this sea that they began to call “Sindhu” but when Persians came here they translated it in their language and began calling it “Hindu”- oh n here i would like to tell you that “Hindu” is not a religion, it is used to refer to people who belong to the surroundings of “Hindu” river and when Greek came into the equation, they changed the name to “Indu”. And well, as I hear, Greeks have this habit of putting an additional “S” after words so the river came out to be known as “INDUS” which is why the state was named “India”

As for 1947, Pakistan and India became independent states and the rest you, generally speaking, would know! But The Indus River became a part of “PAKISTAN” and the land which was not “INDIA” began to be called so.

India is a misnomer for the place it is called so, by. Bharat would be the appropriate name and  also… lets not forgot, Pakistan also has several things to be proud of so lets not feel bad about it. Its just a little Irony!

Pakistan has a million reasons to feel proud of its thousands of year’s old and rich tradition of arts and crafts. In the post-independence period Pakistan has experienced a reasonable growth and innovation in its arts and crafts industry. The Pakistani artisan, whether he has expertise to deal with salt handicrafts or onyx or wood, has been continually contributing to take our culture one step ahead. He is well known and is popular for producing quality products using clay, stone, wood, marble, fabric, metal, leather and much more.

A Pakistani artist is a common and simple man. He’s not very educated and does not have the technical knowledge of markets and the way economic factors affect the demand of their products. However, the skills he has are unmatched. He would work with great interest and enthusiasm. He is hardworking, creative, inventive and sincerely dedicated to the forms of art that have been passed on to him by his ancestors.

Artisans of Pakistan have other professions too, Farming being the most common. The work burden of these artisans is often shared by all the family members. It is often like a small organization where 6-7 people work, its just that they are not formally appointed employees but an entire family working on the same art. Many artisans who are also Farmers by profession often use their self-grown vegetables as their daily food. Meat and chicken is often a treat to them.

Artisans of Pakistan dress up like any other national of Pakistan does. Their dresses do vary according to the areas they belong too. However whatever the area it might be, these artisans would more often dress very traditionally. Women would almost always have their heads covered with a Chaadar and men would wear shalwar kameez most commonly.

Wedding is an esteemed tradition for these artisans. They believe it to be one of their earliest duties to get their children married as soon as they grow up and seem to be able to manage a family. Most artisans would get married in their teen ages and the average family size of a Pakistan artist is 7-8 people.

These artisans have more or less a common set of beliefs and a similar lifestyle. Most of these are Muslims by faith and although poor, unlike the rich they are helping by nature and are closely linked and concerned about their neighborhood and their relatives.

Pakistani artisans are common people with many of them living below the poverty line. They would often take loans to build a setup for their skills but sadly because of low rewards they are seldom able to repay the loans. This is one of the several hardships these artisans face in their will to pursue their traditional arts and crafts.

The major reasons of the near extinction of several arts in our country are that there is little respect for the profession and the profit margins are very thin, so much so, that  these margins are at times not even sufficient to support a proper living for these artisans. Thus to attain a better standard of living, the younger generations finds no incentive and motivation in pursuing the much heard of and prestigious art of their forefathers.

Pakistani art and Pakistani artisans have given Pakistan a thousand reasons to be proud of. They are the true asset of our country, one which can change the perception about our homeland. If promoted and helped and empowered, these artisans can help in brand image building of Pakistan so that the world has reasons to believe that there “IS” a brighter side to the picture.