‘Amazing Pakistan, Amazing Afghanistan’ inaugurated

LAHORE :The first Pakistan-Afghanistan exhibition of photographs titled “Amazing Pakistan, Amazing Afghanistan” was inaugurated at the “Shakir Ali Museum” in Lahore on Monday. American Consulate Lahore Consul General Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau was the chief guest on the occasion.

The Amazing Pakistan – Amazing Afghanistan photography competition was launched with the support of the Hollings Center for International Dialogue to build trust, mutual respect and promote commonalities among the two countries that have much in common.

 The photography competition was open to the general public and more than 110 photographers from Pakistan and 50 from Afghanistan submitted their original works for the competition. A panel of judges drawn from international organizations judged more than 800 photographs to select top three photos from Pakistan and Afghanistan besides short listing 25 photos from each of the country to create a 50-photo exhibition.

 For the Pakistan category, the first prize went to Malik Fawad Tariq from Gujrat and was awarded a professional camera while the second position was secured by Maqsood Akhtar from Faisalabad was awarded a camera. The third position was won by Yasir Mehmood from Rawalpindi and awarded a laptop computer. The participants whose photos were short listed for the exhibition were awarded professional camera bags and certificates.

 In the Afghanistan category a photograph submitted by Ahamad Reza from Kabul was awarded first prize, Saifur Rehman Saifi from Nangarhar was awarded second and the third prize went to Romal Fahim from Kabul. The award distribution ceremony and exhibition in Afghanistan will take place on October 29, in Kabul.

The US Lahore consul general distributed awards among the winning participants and termed the intervention a unique effort to bring the two neighbors together. She was highly impressed by the photographs shortlisted for the exhibition. The exhibition will continue till October 25.