'The city’s streets are like an open book': exploring Karachi – in pictures

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/oct/08/street-life-karachi-pakistan-in-pictures-instagram

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Bilal Hassan lives in Karachi, a city he describes as a “mad palette” of colours. With a population of more than 21 million people, Karachi is home to a diversity that Hassan admires: “being the largest city in the country, people from all backgrounds, creeds and religions flock to it from far and wide, bringing with them their dreams of being able to succeed in the big city”.

“The city’s streets are like an open book,” he says; “each corner has a story to tell, from the beautiful truck art murals that are brimming with optimism and a new found stability, to the bullet-ridden facades and sectarian graffiti reminding the passerby of the city’s turbulent past.” Hassan explains that Karachi has recently undergone a massive clean-up drive to remove this graffiti and replace it with art as part of a project called Reimagining the Walls of Karachi.

Aware of the media’s focus on Karachi – and Pakistan – as a place of violence and instability, he insists that is “just a small part of the story. Through my photography I want to show the world my city as I know it past the depressing headlines.”

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