Portrait: Raja Islam, Railway station

Portrait: Raja Islam, Railway station
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Via Flickr:
This is one of my favourite portraits of my friend, Raja Islam. He is a computer programmer by day and cricketer / photographer by night. This frame just pops out. I have always admired British Raj era buildings including railway stations. So its good to shoot someone there!

Shelabagh, Balochistan

Shelabagh, Balochistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

These are the British era keys for trains, railway station and the records and God knows what, at one of the most outstanding railway stations in Pakistan. This railway station is purportedly named after a woman of this name. You can see the tunnel, the longest in the country, on an old Rs.5 note. This note is no more used. You can also note the cross design on the keys marking the religion of the designers of this railway system, still in use in the country.

Chaman railway station

Traveller: Chaman railway station
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Yup. That's the last railway station this side of the border. And in good times or in any other country this would have been THE station. Unfortunately, disintegrating neighbour, Afghanistan, and some bad political situation within the country has caused this station to be static and very slow. That's unfortunate but till now it still retains its old colonial outlook. And I simply love the timeless posture of this man.

Baluchistan Diary - Day 6 / Kanmehtarzai Railway Station

Kanmehtarzai Railway Station, Baluchistan
Originally uploaded by Ameer Hamza

Our main target for Day 6 was to travel up towards Pishin area and visit the now dis-used Railway station called KANMEHTARZAI. It is said to be the highest station in Asia but I am really not sure about it. I will have to recheck it with some authentic railways data. But I must say that there was this spectacular scenery ahead and I hope that Government of Pakistan will once again make it a destination. Meanwhile, all tracks have been taken away and proabably sold as scrap. We moved on.

This expedition is funded by www.pakgateway.com.