Amna Zuberi

Call it Narra, Nalla, Ezzarband or Qamarband; for someone born in the elastic era, it’s never occupied my mental space for a second even. At home for dadi it was her Qamarband, for Abba it’s his Ezzarband. For me it’s always been, why the hell can’t men on the streets tuck it in their shalwars vs it swinging away. Recently on an assignment, in a small village near Burewala, in the house I was photographing women loom weavers, on a charpai not too far, a small fragile lady expeditiously spun her fingers through silken threads. This is Mansura Begum. Who has been weaving narray since the age of 7, a skill passed onto her by her mother to supplement the household income. 80+ she still weaves 2 narray a day. As she proudly showed her work, the intricacy and design detail left me simply fascinated. Who would have thought that such hardwork and skill went into weaving the humble Narra. My mother tells me that in the early 60’s like parandas, silk embellished narras were a part of a brides dowry in Punjab. In today’s age it remains an unacknowledged craft. The significant amount of talent home-based skilled workers have particularly in traditional crafts like textiles, not only goes unrecognised, but is loosing its space at a very high pace today. #lensculture #tellingstories #passionpassport #everydayeverywhere #natgeoyourshot #explorepakistan #womenphotographers

An afternoon playdate with @hashimali90 ’s @iqbalbegumofficial A concept store curated with the memories of his grandmother, in the heart of Lahore. Gali Surjan Singh | Dehli Darwaza Lahore 2025 #lensculture #tellingstories #passionpassport #everydayeverywhere #natgeoyourshot #womenphotographers #sonymea #streetfinder #walledcityoflahore #dehligate

@coke_studio Aayi Aayi’ is a celebration of resilience… An anthem of the innate spirit, strength & passion of women. It only makes sense to start sharing my visual journey for the season, by celebrating the beautiful women of the ‘Aayi Aayi’ world. @coke_studio @zulfiqarjkhan @hashimali90 @giraffepakistan @saimabargfrede @fatimabutt.11 @qanit_fahem @veerushan @asteriamusic_ @wbadar @zubairmallick @marvi.sahiban Song: @nomanalirajper_ @babarmangi @marvi.sahiban Editorial Photography for Coke Studio Pakistan. #onassignment #lensculture #mysonymea #cokestudio #sindh #womenphotographerscommunity #everydaypakistan #sindh #tellingstories #500px #natgeoyourshot

He no longer stands apart. The surface rises around him. What was beneath, becomes everything. #prismofrealms #solsticecollection #abbascarpets #luxuryi̇nteriors #handwovenrugs

There are moments when light begins to shift. A Solstice. From it, new dimensions emerge, revealed through a prism. #prismofrealms #solsticecollection #abbascarpets #luxuryliving #interiordesign

Men have called me mad; but the question is not settled, whether madness is, or is not the loftiest of intelligence ~ Edgar Allan Poe Portrait of a stranger

The return of Basant, the arrival of Bahaar For: @iqbalbegumofficial Creative & Art direction: @hashimali90 & @hashimalidesignstudios Muse: @tehreemanwer Hair & Makeup: @rajabyraja

I read, real, lasting relationships involve more than constant passion; commitment… effort… navigating challenging times. Evolving through periods of intense connection and periods of distance. From fireworks to a deepening bond of trust, support & respect. Yet choosing the other daily, at times even when the feelings fade. This, reminded me of you & I Lahore. 5 decades of love & at times intense hate, one foot in and the other always out of the door… later, I still choose you 🤍 Closing 2025 with a morning in early December, when I think I once again fell in love with you, my home. a

App ka parcel customs nay hold kiya wa hai’ [your parcel’s held at customs], I was told. All I heard was ‘Khawari’, and a trek to Mall Rd, I didn’t want to make. Mentally prepared to be dragged pillar to post, I ended up at the Lahore General Post Office. The 5 times I was sent between 3 different offices for paperwork, one end of the building to the other, they could have sent me a couple of times more, and I wouldn’t have complained. Having crossed it twice each day for 4 years in college, I could have never imagined what a architectural masterpiece the GPO building was till this day that I was on the inside. Am still awestruck remembering what I experienced. Having spent my undergrad years in this neighbourhood, and explored most of it inch by inch, this monumental landmark always remained off limits. And still is, for most shehr walas… Sitting at a strategic location next to the Lahore High Court, on the Mall Rd, the GPO was established in 1887 replacing the format telegraph office in Anarkali Bazar. Engineered by Sir Ganga Ram, and designed by Ram Singh, in true Indo-Saracenic tradition, its iconic red brick dome is what most of us would have seen from the road side and recalled as the GPO. Inside endless rows of tall arches line corridors on all side of the main building, casting a melody of light beams and sharp shadows. The High ceiling dome echoes with the day’s business. Tall arched windows bring the outside world inside the large halls, Intricate woodwork and ornate details tell a story of both victorian influences and mughal elements. A place you aren’t allowed to visit will hardly be a place you’ll be allowed to photograph. So after being requested and then warned by Peons, I was finally chased out by the security guards on taking a detour to explore more. Is there really a need for the GPO building to be a ‘well kept secret’, and not open it to public visits, when it’s being scarcely used…? Non the less my ‘khawari’ turned out to be an absolute gift that day! 2025

Jummerat As the Thursday afternoon sun softens and its rays bend, it marks the beginning of Shab e Jumaa. A day deeply rooted in Islamic traditions and practices. In Sufi tradition, it’s an evening, regarded blessed, when the gates of paradise are opened, the mercy of Allah flows abundantly, and angels descend to earth. A time of sacred spiritual growth, self-reflection, and connection with the Divine. Across the Indian subcontinent, the reverence of this eve cuts across spirituality, beliefs and cultures, as devotees from across the spectrum gravitate to dargahs and Sufi shrines in search of being heard. Such is the weightiness of ‘Jummerat’ for the seekers. Nov 2025 #passionpassport #explorepakistan #everydaypakistan #tellingstories

SAVAN For @iqbalbegumofficial Models: @sarahszindagi @zerishmunawar @affanalii_512 Makeup & Hair: @sherazmakeupartist Creative director: @hashimali90 Art Direction & Styling: @hashimalidesignstudios

After a 2 year hiatus, from fashion gigs on the side of my mainstream work, I once again tested the waters, with @iqbalbegumofficial Savan Collection. But when the vision is all about telling a story, how can one not… Thankyou for trusting me with your baby @hashimali90 For: @iqbalbegumofficial Models: @sarahszindagi @zerishmunawar @affanalii_512 Makeup & Hair: @sherazmakeupartist Creative direction: @hashimali90 Art direction & styling @hashimalidesignstudios