The Citizens Archive of Pakistan [CAP], a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, has released exclusive images from their Oral History Project (OHP) as a celebration of Pakistan’s Independence Day.
These photographs feature historical figures and moments from Pakistan’s history such as broadcaster, Mr. Mustafa Ali, announcing the creation of Pakistan on the radio, a congregation of the Delhi Muslim Student Federation and the state of refugees who left all their belongings in India when they migrated to Pakistan.
The Oral History Project lies at the heart of CAP. The stories emerging from the Project, the secrets behind old photographs and the personal experiences of our nation’s rich and varied people feeds the material used in the Outreach Tours, the Shanaakht Festival and several other exhibitions. The OHP concentrates on people talking about significant events in their lives during the early days of Pakistan, providing an alternative perspective to historical literature.
The OHP works with different communities in Pakistan under sub-projects such as the Minority Project and LollyWood Through The Ages. The project also aims to archive and preserve various records such as letters, newspapers, refugee cards, official correspondences and passports.
Speaking about Independence Day and the Oral History Project, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director CAP said, “The images that we have released from our archives share a glimpse of our nation’s history and the struggle for Pakistan.
Insight into personalities from our past was crucial in shaping the political, social and cultural landscape of the Pakistan we know today. We hope that these images are of interest to all Pakistanis, young and old, and help us better understand the scope and scale of this truly momentous day. The Citizens Archive of Pakistan wishes all Pakistanis a very happy Independence Day-Pakistan Zindabad!”
CAP serves as the first ever private Pakistani initiative to collect, archive, study, disseminate and exhibit all aspects of Pakistan’s history after partition, their vision is to become the foremost museum and heritage centre of Pakistani history and culture, demonstrating the strength and spirit of Pakistan from the perspective of a citizen.
