ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, said on Sunday art could serve as a powerful tool of soft power for his country, helping project its positive image on the world stage, as he visited an exhibition by a leading Pakistani artist in Dubai on its concluding day.
Titled “Vanishing Points,” the event ran from April 13 to 20 as part of Alserkal Art Week and was held at Concrete, a prominent contemporary art space at Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue.
Curated by Nada Raza, Director of the Alserkal Arts Foundation, the show featured Imran Qureshi’s latest body of work, spanning photography, video, painting and a site-specific installation, offering a vivid meditation on urban life and the visual chaos of South Asian cityscapes.
Known for pioneering a contemporary revival of Indo-Persian miniature painting, Qureshi’s practice blends traditional techniques with modern perspectives.
“Imran Qureshi’s art vividly transforms Pakistan’s day-to-day life into breathtaking visual narratives,” Tirmizi said after touring the exhibition.
“Through his lens, the bustling streets, Sufi shrines and architectural heritage come alive, arising a deep sense of connection,” he continued. “His depiction of a Sufi tomb with Qawwali resonating in the background is particularly mesmerizing and emotionally powerful.”
The ambassador emphasized the importance of art as a form of diplomacy, saying it could promote cross-cultural understanding and enhance Pakistan’s global standing.
He also pledged support for future cultural collaborations in the UAE, particularly with platforms like Alserkal Avenue that promote diverse artistic voices.
A recipient of Pakistan’s Sitara-i-Imtiaz, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, and France’s Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a prestigious distinction recognizing significant contributions to the arts and literature, Qureshi is among the internationally celebrated artists.
His works are housed in prominent collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Qureshi’s works are also featured in Art Dubai, another major international art fair running in the city.
This year’s Art Dubai edition includes work by 10 Pakistani artists, reflecting the country’s growing presence on the global contemporary art scene.
At Dubai exhibition, Pakistan’s envoy says art can shape global perception of his country
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At Dubai exhibition, Pakistan’s envoy says art can shape global perception of his country
- Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi visits Imran Qureshi’s exhibition during Alserkal Art Week in Dubai
- He says art can build cross-cultural understanding, pledges support for future collaborations in UAE
Pakistan joins seven other Muslim states in condemning Israel’s latest ceasefire violation
- Repeated violations by Israel constitute “direct threat” to political process, hinder peace efforts, says joint statement
- Joint statement issued as tensions flare in Middle East after Israel killed 32 Palestinians, including children, on Saturday
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim states condemned Israel in a joint statement on Sunday for violating the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, saying that such efforts undermine peace efforts in the Middle East region.
The joint statement was issued after Israeli air strikes killed 32 people in Gaza on Saturday, the Palestinian territory’s civil defense agency said. A US-brokered fragile truce in Gaza entered its second phase last month but violence in the Palestinian territory has continued. Israel and Hamas both accuse each other of violating the agreement.
The joint statement was issued by the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and UAE.
“The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the State of Qatar strongly condemn Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians,” the statement said.
The statement said such acts risk restoring stability at a time when regional and international parties are working to advance the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s peace plan and implement the UN’s Security Council resolution.
It said repeated violations by Israel constitute “a direct threat” to the political process and hinder ongoing efforts to create appropriate conditions for transitioning to a more stable phase in the Gaza Strip.
The countries stressed the necessity of “full commitment” to ensure the success of the second phase of Trump’s peace plan. The joint statement urged all sides to exercise restraint, refrain from any actions that may undermine the peace process and create favorable conditions to move forward toward early recovery and reconstruction.
The countries also backed the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Israel’s latest strikes took place after Tel Aviv announced it would reopen the crucial Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday for the “limited movement of people.”
The Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the Hamas authority, has said Israeli attacks have killed at least 509 people in Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect.
