A combo of cop and artist

Policing and arts are deemed mutually exclusive domains. One who deals with criminals during duty hours is not expected to engage in painting in leisure hours.

DSP Muhammad Naeem Khan has, however, defied the norm. After realising his artistic talents during the police service, he decided to nurture them and begain painting in his leisure hours.

Now, after having spent more than 36 years in the police service, he is going to retire in a few days. His retirement from his artistic career seems to be far away.

A large number of canvases with finished and unfinished works are scattered in an orderly manner in his studio inside his house. Most of them display his talents in realism.

There are a large number of portraits — some painted in hyper-realism. On one canvas, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is smiling wearing a badge of the Pakistani flag. On another, a rural woman is depicted in a sitting posture. A folk musician smiling with a stringed instrument is among the best portraits in the room.

There are also scenes showing multiple persons. An unfinished piece shows Asif Ali Zardari receiving guard of honour from soldiers. Another scene depicts a medieval setting with three men dealing with jewellery items against the backdrop of a mosque. Its colours are amazing.

When policemen often come in the limelight for being themselves involved in crimes, it is natural that some develop a negative perception about cops. DSP Khan’s artworks help soften such perceptions.

When he joined the police force in 1987, he had no idea that he was born with artistic talents. In his police career, he was posted in several police stations, and served at different posts including that of SHOs.

He was involved in police action against the Lyari gang war, target killers and Taliban. In the line of duty, he faced murder attempts at least three times.

An armoured personnel carrier (APC) driver embraced martyrdom while DSP Khan was severely injured during an attack by gangsters while he was serving as the Pak Colony SHO in 2011.

Earlier, he survived an attack by Lyari gangsters in the Memon Goth area when he was posted as the Chakiwara SHO in 2005. A sub-inspector, Ale Raza, was injured in the attack.

In 2002, Khan remained safe in another attack by some gangsters based in Lyari. It is said that when he was posted in Lyari, streets would quieten whenever his footsteps were heard. Due to this, people of the area had started calling him ‘Sannata’.

“The police force has been my real job and passion. Maybe I was a born artist but if that was so, I realised it late. Art was added to my life accidentally,” he told The News.

He gives the credit for his painting career to artist Iqbal Mehdi with whom he spent much time.

“While seeing his [Mehdi’s] works, I don't know when I started feeling the artist inside me,” DSP Khan said.

About his art, he said he worked in oil on canvas and had tried various painting styles, including portraits, landscapes and calligraphic paintings. He explained that although he primarily painted in realism, he had also created abstract artworks.

Among the Pakistani artists, DSP Khan says those who inspired him the most include Gulgee, Sadequain and Jamil Naqsh. Among the legendary European artists, some of his favourites

are Picasso, Michelangelo, Cezanne and Rembrandt.