By Jack Hill

Anthony Loyd and I have set off for Afghanistan and Pakistan to follow up on a series of stories we did here back in 2008. First stop Karachi:

 

Colourful chicks in the bird market offer a hint of a vibrant and buzzing atmosphere. From a photographic point of view the city is great – there is a freshness and enthusiasm for having your picture taken that has long gone back home.

There is a darker side, however. On the plane over to Islamabad, a British Pakistani laughed when I said we were headed to Karachi. He said knowingly: “Ah, Sin City” referring to the dystopian graphic novel by Frank Miller.

Karachi is Pakistan’s biggest city and the nation’s financial capital. With high levels of organised crime and sporadic ethnic violence and terrorist attacks, perhaps my friend on the plane had a point.

 

A stall holder in the market. Dyeing hair with henna is a common practice across Pakistan and the Middle East to disguise the signs of ageing.

Ethnic Pashtuns at a tea shop in the market. Tea drinking in Pakistan is an important cultural ritual. Pakistanis tend to mix the tea and milk in a pot before serving - thus eliminating the milk first or tea first dilemma faced by the British.

Local residents in Machar Colony. Sited on reclaimed land next to the port area it has a population of over 700.000 from up to ten ethnic groups. The fishing and ship breaking industries are the biggest employers the area.

General view in Machar Colony.

A boat builder near to Machar Colony.

Given ongoing security concerns, security is high in the city. Here a Pakistani Ranger, a paramilitary force, at a vehicle checkpoint near the city centre.

The ubiquitous black kites, circling above a main road near the city centre. At any one point there are thousands of these scavenging birds circling over the city.

Selling ornamental fish by the side of the road.