We start the journey to Shimshal, leaving Islamabad behind.

Shimshali People

Pak Youth Outreach

This particular phase of Satwa Guna Project (http://www.photodesign.ro & http://www.photodesign.ro/blog) is developed in collaboration with Pakistan Youth Outreach Programme http://www.pakyouthoutreach.com

Mr. Faisal Ilyas

The Day start with immense surprise and finally we got what we had been waiting for 11 days, in the morning we rushed to Deputy Director Ministry of External publicity and Broad Casting Wing. Mr. Faisal Ilyas. Mr. Faisal a nice ,sober and gentle nature man with great respect for the job and for the country, every day received us with great zeal every day , when we went to met him. He assured us the clearance will come soon from the concern departments as the formalities go right according to the country law, since Stelian had a Journalist visa and needed clearance from different agencies!

We reached his office at 11:45Am, as every day visit his office for the past 8days excluding two holidays!. Today was great surprise, when we reached his office he received us with gentle smile and said, hopefully the approval is clear today, he called the Interior ministry concerned person and finally there was a letter with a file on his table! …and the word came out of his mouth…you have green signal..waw it was a joyful moment for us. He wanted again my mobile number and also my brothers, and wanted to stay in touch, further said if any sort of problem you come across just call me ! Thank you Mr,Faisal.

As we were rushing to hotel, near the EP wing office , at junction point, a police guard(Islamabad Police),on the barrier stopped our car and asked for my ID card. I provide him my card. Looking at my card he then asked me to dismount the car. I was in long shorts and tshirt (Nikon), i told him what is up, he then told me i need to check you well. I said, i have nothing that huge dressing where i can hide anything explosive or destructive. But i noticed there was something in his left hand, while he was trying to check my body with hands, i told him to open his hands, he was shy and gently moved his hands back to his pant pocket, left that drug or something that we couldn’t’ know and then straight came for the checking, i noticed there was drug in his hand and he was trying to put the drug in my pocket and get me caught in committing crime to take drug in my pocket.

He put that drug back to his pocket ,at the same time stelian came near and showed his Card that was issued him from Ministry of information and broad casting. He couldn’t get the Card and got frightened. He thought we are from PTV a Government Tv Channel. He was nervous but we didn’t push him and let him go. So be careful like this somewhere across the world and may be also in Pakistan.
Flying with joy rushed to Hotel to get things packed and run to buy tickets, the road between Islamabad to Gilgit is blocked at four places and the first bus we will catch from Islamabad to Bisham 8 hours drive with big luxury bus. We were excited to buy our tickets.
Today I took stelian to the old part and dense area also business hub:). He was very surprised and got mad at me,(”why you didn’t tell me Mirza about this place”) I like this kind of place ,where are people with full of joy and life.

I wondered why this guy want this kind of crowded and dense area, since people escape from crowds and noise. Being a mystical photographer ,he loved to live with people and love to take shot of social life and hopeful people of different walk of life!

He found several good photo shots, that exactly fits with his project (Illusion of forms). There was a guy climbing up a wall of bricks, having a hole, piercing through a hole, he linked with hope that in social bleak part there is always light and hope, that was incredible experiment ever I had!
Wondering in the empty street of Rawalpindi with complete silence, we took some very good shots as well that matches the mystical part of Stelian project. The area is old and constructions are from British arena. The buildings are old and in sluggish condition. But still reminds and tell the history of that olden age.

The architecture depicts the artistic work of the architects those who were so adapted in their art work.

Later we went to different shops to check up with prices for our Expedition and documentary program, we met different people and all welcome us with GREAT joy and respect, they offered us ,fruit while they were opening their Iftar, since its Ramadan ”moth of Fasting”

When the dusk spread around we went to a shop ( Islamic book shop) . Stelian looked at two books (Muslim Saints and Mystics) and Holy Quraan. He liked both of the books. The book shop, indeed it was a big store filled with different colors of books, most of them were Islamic books. Stelian liked two books and wanted to buy , the Holy Quran and Muslim Saints and Mystics. The books were pretty expensive seeing the interest, the young guy Abid Hussain, offered the Holy Quran as gift to Stelian. It was indeed his first present from any Pakistani (except me :). We were so happy and shook hands with young guy and left to a bakery to buy something to eat. With Nestle juice and Banana we agreed, it was completely dark and still we were walking , enjoying ,laughing and making fun in the streets, its more than three hours in the streets of Rawalpindi.

Abid Hussain

The joy even couldn’t ended when we ride a taxi and rushed to hotel, in the taxi ,we couldn’t control the laughter,fun and jokes. Please check the video of the exclusive interview with Stelian as he escaped from a bomb blast and traveled from Rawalpindi in motor boats .

Well , please wish us good Luck with our mission, we are leaving tomorrow on our mission, to make the documentary about first Pakistani and Muslim girl to climb two mountains 6050m and 6400m in the Karakorum Upper Hunza ,shimshal area Pakistan.

We will make the expeditoin shoping in the morning and ee hope to leave at 8pm local time, its excited that the bus ride will be full of fun and enjoyment. We will enjoy the Karakorum range all way up to gilgit and Shimshal!

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