'At once silent and eloquent': a glimpse of Pakistani visual poetry

Intelligence agencies, press pick up writings that appear overnight as a show of political strength

Whose mischief created a world of beseechers? Each petitioner is seen wearing a garment of paper

This line from the famous Mughul poet Ghalib refers to what he claimed to be ancient Persian tradition of petitioners wearing paper before entering the courts to get justice.

Indeed, for a country that has a low literacy rate, the written word is a central part of Pakistani society. All over Karachi, “wall chalking”, as it is called, lines the streets with announcements of political meetings, informal advertising and messages in support of or against political leaders.

Intelligence