Islamabad: A rare photographic chronicle documenting the formative years of Pakistan and the tenure of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as the country’s first Governor-General will go on display at the National Art Gallery (NAG) from August 20, as part of the celebrations marking Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day.
Titled ‘Quaid-i-Azam: The First Governor-General of Pakistan 1947-1948, ‘ the landmark exhibition is being presented by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with the Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi.
The exhibition will be inaugurated by Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi as chief guest.
Presented with the support and guidance of Director General PNCA Muhammad Ayub Jamali, the exhibition has been organized by the Visual Arts Division of PNCA and curated by Mariam Ahmed, Director, Visual Arts Division, PNCA.
The exhibition offers visitors an exceptional visual record of the early years of Pakistan through the lens of Ziauddin Barni, recognized as Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s official photographer.
Barni accompanied the Quaid on numerous official engagements and meticulously documented significant moments during the formative phase of the newly established state.
Among the most poignant photographs in Barni’s legacy are those documenting the Quaid-i-Azam’s final days, death and funeral ceremonies in September 1948. These images provide an invaluable visual record of one of the most defining moments in Pakistan’s history.
The photographs displayed at the National Art Gallery constitute only a portion of the material preserved from Barni’s personal archive by his family, particularly his granddaughter Zarreen Baqir.
A number of other photographs preserved in national archives are also believed to have been taken by Barni, although historical cataloguing of such images does not always identify the photographer.
Barni’s archive consequently holds particular historical significance as the first fully identified photographic record of Pakistan’s post-1947 leadership, capturing both the personality of the country’s founding leader and the evolving political and institutional landscape of the new state.
Originally presented in 2023 at the Mohatta Palace Museum, Karachi, in partnership with Dawn Media, the exhibition was curated by Abdul Hamid Akhund and Hameed Haroon.
Its presentation at the National Art Gallery brings this important photographic archive to Islamabad audiences in the context of the 80th Independence Day celebrations.
Through the photographs, visitors will be able to witness not only portraits of the Founder of Pakistan but also rare glimpses into the political, social and institutional life of the country during its first year of independence.
The collection offers an intimate perspective on Quaid-i-Azam’s public engagements, official responsibilities and leadership at a critical juncture in the nation’s history.
The exhibition is expected to provide artists, historians, researchers, students, academics, media representatives and members of the public an opportunity to engage with a rare body of photographic material that documents Pakistan’s transition from a newly created dominion into an emerging state.
