Pictorial exhibition on Sustainable Development Goals opens

A photographic exhibition, titled “Pakistan -- Sustaining development: Human stories through photography”, opened at the Sadequain Art Gallery, Frere Hall, on Wednesday afternoon.

Based on 102 photo exhibits, the show pertains to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with special reference to Pakistan.

The show has been jointly organised by the Agence France-Press (AFP), the European Union (EU) and the UN, with special assistance of the Embassy of France at Islamabad, UK AID and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, speaking at the inauguration, said, “We have to admit that it is still a long way to reach the SDGs. We have to work together to achieve them. I assure all those present here this afternoon that the local government of Sindh is fully committed to supporting all ongoing and future programmes pertaining to the SDGs.” 

He said that it was a task that the government could not manage all alone and the cooperation of the stakeholders, including the private sector, was imperative.

Vittorio Cammorota, the director of the United Nations Information Centre at Islamabad, said, “We consider it our privilege to bring this exhibition to Karachi. It presents the people of the province of Sindh a golden opportunity to expand their knowledge and understanding of the SDGs. Promoting the SDGs is the top priority of the UN bodies in Pakistan.” 

Later, talking to The News, he said, “It is too early to comment right now as the SDGs were postulated just two years ago, but what could be said is that Pakistan is doing a commendable job at the provincial level.”

Amelie Herenstein, the AFP Bureau Chief, said, “It is a real honour for the AFP, Pakistan, to present for the first time our photos to the Pakistani public. We have chosen to focus on the human angle of the stories showing the realities of life as they may be for the millions of Pakistanis.

It also depicts the resilience of the Pakistani people to bounce back from catastrophes like the massive floods of 2010.” 

French Consul General in Karachi Francois Dall’Orso said that he was very happy over the participation of France in the show. He wished the exhibition all success.

However, all the 102 photographs were more a general depiction of various aspects of Pakistan, like its topography, its ways of life, the people’s vocations and other miscellaneous aspects. There are breathtaking views of Pakistan’s second highest peak, the Nanga Parbat, and Lake Saiful Malook in the Kaghan Valley. Then there’s the photograph of a veiled woman with her face half-hidden by the veil with the caption reading, “A victim of domestic violence”. 

The exhibition is a really informative one, especially for Pakistanis as it acquaints them to so many aspects of their country that they may not be aware of otherwise. It continues up until June 7.