I first saw one of these beauties in Washington DC. They were being lugged all across the world as part of a travelling exhibition on the countries on the Silk Route. Last year in Karachi, affection for these spectacular vehicles deepened. Truck art is a hallowed tradition in Pakistan and it’s not surprising for a truck to spend a whole year at a workshop being beautified. Poetry (both of high and dubious quality), politics and religion are the main inspirations. You’ll find the occasional Imran Khan poster but the elaborately painted eyes to ward off buri nazar and lots of miniature mirrors and bells are more common. This one is called Road ka Shehzada. My friend Fahd brought it for me from Islamabad and handed it to me graciously after his cricket team had completely decimated ours at Feroze Shah Kotla. It would have been rude to ask him what it cost.





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