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This mosque was built by Nawab Hashim Khan. This area is also named after him as well as this mosque. We painted the mosque with truck art around two years ago.
My name is Haider Ali, I'm 31 years old. I belong to Karachi.
My father migrated from Jalandhar in East Punjab to Karachi after partition. He has been working in Garden Market ever since.
Before Partition you didnt see as many trucks as you do now. Trucks started being used in 1960. Those who had camel carts acquired trucks and wanted to adorn them in the same way.
They wanted to paint images of their villages . the maidens holding pitchers of waters beside wells. There was no planning to it it was spontaneous,
First the colors were made out of powder mixed with linseed oil and turpentine. Now we get ready made paint.
The truck owner with 40-50 trucks doesn't hesitate in spending money. Even 20 lakhs becomes a meager amount when decorating the trucks.
Garden is a very old market. It started in 1955. Its still alive and has now become a whole sale market. We supply the entire country with truck hardware.
Over here people have a variety of professions.
Most people come in at 10 am at 9am the place is empty. Different work has different timings. Work ends at six around the time of evening prayer. Some people work all night if they have to meet a deadline. Specially those in the engineering side of things.
Choudhry Riasat hotel is a popular tea joint along with Frontier hotel. There was a place called Quetta Chaman hotel which has now shut down.
We only have holidays on Sunday. If someone gets shot we shut down immediately. If there is a strike we leave at once.
Our favorite musicians are Noor Jehan and Attaullah Khan Essa Khelvi . His music seems to match our art perfectly. Poetry to paintings.
In the future this work will become a rarity or will only be lauded in the west. Noone is willing to learn the skill. It will disappear.