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Home → Tours and Travel

Street Scenes from Islamabad

By Talha Najeeb 43 Comments
Last Updated On April 30, 2023

Islamabad is the capital city of Pakistan. Contrary to some negative media depictions, it is a clean, beautiful and well-planned city nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. I was born and raised there. I left at the age of 20, when I immigrated to the US. Like all displaced people, my place of birth has a special place in my heart and I try to visit as often as I can.

The motivation to return has only gone up since I’ve picked up photography, because of the sheer magnitude of photo opportunities it offers. And while the landscape is beautiful, it is the pulsing-with-life, never-a-dull-moment street life that always attracts me and my camera. In this particular series, I feature – among other things – images of the some of the low-wage workers who toil behind the scenes to power the engine of this bureaucratic and diplomatic regional hub.

Caption: A young laborer takes a break from the day's work, napping on a cart parked outside the walls of a mansion. The rear end of an SUV parked inside is a barely visible reminder of the stark income inequality that plagues that part of the world.
Caption: A young laborer takes a break from the day’s work, napping on a cart parked outside the walls of a mansion.
The rear end of an SUV parked inside is a barely visible reminder of the stark income inequality that plagues that part of the world.
NIKON D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 100, 1/800, f/1.8
Young boys who work as waiters at a local chai khana (tea house) that services the working class.
Young boys who work as waiters at a local chai khana (tea house) that services the working class.
NIKON D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 250, 1/125, f/1.8
Caption: Waiter at an upscale chai khana (tea house) that services the capital's elites (notice stark contrast with the previous image)
Caption: Waiter at an upscale chai khana (tea house) that services the capital’s elites (notice stark contrast with the previous image)
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 2000, 1/30, f/2.8
knifesharpnertoolbox
A culture of cooking at home means lots of knives and lots of sharpening – and no one does it like the pros. Do not be fooled by this man’s stoic expression, he was very friendly and posed readily for this shot.
NIKON D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 100, 1/400, f/1.8

According to Wikipedia: Saidpur is a Mughal-era village on the slopes of the Margalla Hills and located off the Hill Road to the east of Daman-e-Koh in Islamabad. The village has the footprints of various civilizations, including Gandhara, Greek, Buddhist, Mughal, Ashoka and the colonial periods, and now serving as a popular recreational spot for both local and foreign visitors.

The narrow winding streets and alleys of Saidpur village are teeming with interesting scenes. The locals are friendly and did not appear to mind me & my big hulking dSLR:

naan
Tanduri naan (flatbread cooked in a clay oven) is to Pakistan what the baguette is to France. This image was taken at a naan shop in Saidpur village.
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/50, f/1.8
Tailor busy at work. According to the sign at the entrance, the shop also sells gas cylinders (to supplement the village's intermittent supply).
Tailor busy at work. According to the sign at the entrance, the shop also sells gas cylinders (to supplement the intermittent city’s intermittent supply).
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/50, f/1.8
Nothing like heated political discussions to while away long days at the shop
Nothing like heated political discussions to while away long days at the shop
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/640, f/1.8

Rawal Lake is a man-made reservoir that supplies water to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Now part of the Lake View Park, it attracts visitors from neighboring areas, particularly the Khyber-pakhtun-khwa (Khyber, land of the Pakhtuns/Pashtuns) province. Lake side picnics, live music and boat rides are the favored activities.

Boats for hire
Boats for hire
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/15, f/11.0
Life jackets optional
Life jackets optional
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/15, f/11.0

Aabpara bazaar is another bustling market with narrow alleys and streets that offer a non-stop supply of photo ops.

Most offices require formal attire and a quick stop at the cobbler's provides the requisite shoe shine.
Most offices require formal attire and a quick stop at the cobbler’s provides the requisite shoe shine.
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/320, f/1.8
Most offices require formal attire and a quick stop at the cobbler's provides the requisite shoe shine.
NIKON D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 100, 1/1600, f/1.8
Everyone needs sunglasses (except for the person selling them)
Everyone needs sunglasses (except for the person selling them)
NIKON D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 100, 1/2000, f/1.8
Morning tea
Nikon D610 + 85mm f/1.8 @ 85mm, ISO 100, 1/160, f/1.8
This young man was helping his father set up shop
This young man was helping his father set up shop
NIKON D610 + 35mm f/1.8 @ 35mm, ISO 100, 1/2500, f/1.8

Shah Faisal Masjid (King Faisal Mosque) is Islamabad’s most recognizable landmark and a huge draw for tourists. It is also one of the most photographed sites with most compositions being close-ups sans crowds preferably with a flaming sunset in the backdrop. There was no such possibility when I went so I decided to go showcase a more typical mid-day scene, tourists and all.

Masjid Faisal - Faisal Mosque
Masjid Faisal
NIKON D610 + 14mm f/2.8 @ 14mm, ISO 100, 1/25, f/11.0

Pakistan has much to offer the world but tragically, due to political instability, it is yet to fulfill even a fraction of this potential. The local people are hard-working, hospitable and friendly. I hope through this series I have
been able to provide a minuscule window into that part of the world.


This guest post was contributed by Talha Najeeb. Please visit his website to see more of his work.

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Filed Under: Tours and Travel Tagged With: Guest Posts, Pakistan, Travel, Travel Photography

About Talha Najeeb

Talha Najeeb is a self-taught landscape, travel and street photographer. Please visit his website and his Flickr page to see more of his work.

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Suchit Nanda
Suchit Nanda
March 13, 2017 3:19 pm

Thank you for sharing this Talha Najeeb and Nasim Mansurov. Enjoyed the images and the narrative.

I am from India and as you can imagine it isn’t “easy” to visit Pakistan for a number of geo-political reasons but I did in 2005 and here is a blog I would like to share www.suchitnanda.com/photo…/index.htm and there are more images on my website www.photonicyatra.com under the travel section.

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Joshua Boldt
Joshua Boldt
February 8, 2017 12:43 pm

Thank you for sharing, Talha.

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junior
junior
January 18, 2017 4:52 pm

Very nice captions. I would have enjoyed the one with the person that sharpens the knives if his face was in the picture. Since that is a hobby that I enjoy, and know how hard it is to develop the skill to do it well. I think if your country’s population focuses on developing there economy and human rights it will prosper. They should look within and not blame the great satan or India for their faults. Peace be with you and yours.

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  junior
January 18, 2017 6:40 pm

Since I am an American citizen, your comments about ‘your country’ are quite apt – I strongly think that US should be focused on the economy and human rights, especially considering recent events. But then, I don’t think that’s what you meant. Even then, I visit the country of my birth quite often and find the people to be very introspective (it’s big in the Sufi tradition) – sometimes, almost to a fault. They want nothing more than to better their condition. Some other facts that may interest you: Pakistan is a democracy. The stock exchange is at all time highs, ranks number one in Asia and fifth globally. GDP is > 4%.
There is the world that the local media portrays. And then there is the real world.
And unto you peace.

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Mohammad H. Ali
Mohammad H. Ali
January 12, 2017 9:42 am

Pakistan has issues yes, but honestly, it’s just so hard to convey to someone that hasn’t had some sort of connection to the place that it’s – in general – pretty welcoming, generous, kind and safe. Yes, different from the headlines that you may see at times, but google any photo essays from people who have spent a few days in the different regions. Islamabad is a remarkable city in terms of design and location and administration – frankly speaking, it’s a bit boring in some ways because it is so planned out. Contrast the city to Lahore or to Karachi, and there you will find ridiculous amounts of history and culture and simply stunning photo opportunities of daily life. For someone just getting familiar with Pakistan, yes, Islamabad makes total sense – especially since the english language can get you around easily, but if you are a bit more adventurous – and feel comfortable getting around the country – I’d totally suggest visiting other regions – simply because the photo opportunities are tremendous. Google Lake Saiful Muluk for landscapes/scenics or google Punjab or Karachi for some vivid, rich, colourful, dynamic street photography. I’ve always thought a good amount of time spent at the shrines would be interesting to photograph – you’d be surprised at how welcoming and accepting many Pakistanis are.

My 2 cents anyhow.

me on instagram www.instagram.com/mohammad.h.ali/

me on flickr www.flickr.com/photo…10606@N02/

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Adrian Monoang
Adrian Monoang
January 10, 2017 5:59 am

Talha,

Amazing work to capture the place that is special to your heart.

Great photos and narrations – I really enjoyed reading this article. Thank you. Cheers, Adrian

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John Moyer
John Moyer
January 9, 2017 9:54 pm

I am a big fan of fast 85mm + 35mm lenses for city street photography. Also a 20mm and 180mm see occasional use, but the first two are the main choice.

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  John Moyer
January 9, 2017 10:43 pm

My favorite combo as well, as you can see …

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Casey
Casey
January 9, 2017 6:12 pm

Talha , I felt a connection, a draw to every picture the tones, the BW, the sharpness , the colored prints. Thank you

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  Casey
January 9, 2017 10:29 pm

Thanks Casey.

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Martin Leblanc
Martin Leblanc
January 9, 2017 10:35 am

“due to political instability” Hm, maybe if they did away with honor killings, treating women like farm animals, killing people based on religious opinions etc. in short, if they did away with the retrograde ideology of death they’re generally promoting then people would be more inclined to travel there. The idea of traveling there scare the crap out of me, and I’m a man; most western women would be terrified just with the idea of setting a foot there.

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Nasim Mansurov
Nasim Mansurov
Admin
Reply to  Martin Leblanc
January 9, 2017 12:24 pm

Martin, I am personally from Uzbekistan and I have visited a number of countries that the media would portray as “very unsafe” for the same reasons mentioned in your post. What you hear from the news is extreme over-exaggeration of very specific cases that happen usually in either very extreme or very uneducated parts of the Muslim world. In every nation, culture, race and religion, you will find a good number of idiots that negatively represent them. There is no such thing as honor killings or treating women as farm animals among the majority of Muslim nations or countries where Muslims represent the majority, such as Uzbekistan. What you see on the news, is a few idiots like ISIS or the Taliban, who have as much to do with Muslims as KKK has to do with Christianity, or FLDS with the Mormons. Nobody wants to associate themselves with such savages.

When you have a chance, I encourage you to visit countries like Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Jordan and Malaysia. You will come back a changed person with a very different perspective, I can promise you that.

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  Nasim Mansurov
January 9, 2017 10:42 pm

Strongly second that sentiment Nasim.

This blog is about art and politics should be kept out of it but I’ll say one thing: it’s a complicated world out there and we could all benefit from is greater understanding of each other’s perspectives and in a way, isn’t that what photography is all about? Every time we look at an image, we’re seeing a scene as someone else saw it. It is why we can photograph the same famous landmark again and again and yet end up with completely distinct results, each carrying the signature perspective of the person who captured it. What then could be a better metaphor for the plurality of viewpoints that exist in the world than the art of photography? So let’s continue to let this medium – like all art forms – be a force that brings us together rather than driving us apart.

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Sajjad hussain
Sajjad hussain
Reply to  Talha Najeeb
January 14, 2017 6:09 pm

Well Said Mr.Najeeb, this blog purely for photography not discussing the politics and racism .
By the way such a beautiful pictures you had posted based on daily life of common people, please shares some landscape photos of Northern Pakistan to show rest of the world that what God gifted to this Country, many thanks again

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David
David
Reply to  Talha Najeeb
January 22, 2017 4:55 am

Thank you, Talha, for sharing a side of your country that breaks the unrepresentative stereotypes! And I agree with everything Nasim says here.

Let’s keep using photography as a force for tolerance, understanding and increased knowledge of the world!!

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Suvendu Rudra
Suvendu Rudra
January 9, 2017 1:55 am

Sir,
Thanks for sharing those beautiful photographs and experience.Myself,a third world person personally feels our Indian Subcontinent always survive better than first world with our pure heart.
Regards,
Suvendu Rudra

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  Suvendu Rudra
January 13, 2017 2:49 pm

Thank you (and concur)

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Ranender Kumar Jain (RK)
Ranender Kumar Jain (RK)
January 8, 2017 11:34 pm

Nice expression thru your pics and article…really enjoyed while reading and seeing.

All the best for your future endeavor..

– R K
(India)

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Talha Najeeb
Talha Najeeb
Reply to  Ranender Kumar Jain (RK)
January 13, 2017 2:48 pm

Thank you Ranender

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Reply

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