PICTURES

Muhammad Khan, a 90-year-old maverick Pakistani, with his grandson Jameel Akram.

An eye-catching aerial view of Ayun village in Chitral Valley in Northern Areas of Pakistan. -- Online

Two faces of new Rs20 note issued by the State Bank of Pakistan on March 20, 2008 to avoid confusion as the previous colour scheme of the notes of Rs20 and Rs5,000 were almost similar.

A night view of Islamabad, the beautiful, from Daman-e-Koh picnic spot on top of the Margallah Hills overlooking the Pakistan capital.

A maverick Pakistani woman making bricks at a brick kiln on the outskirts of Lahore, the capital city of the country's largest Punjab province.

A maverick vendor busy in embroidery at a roadside in Chiniot town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He is selling homemade embroidery needles and patterns as well as his own embroidery works. Chiniot town is known for stylish handmade wood furniture.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif with a delegation of civil society members in Lahore, the hometown of Sharif and capital of the Punjab province.

Renowned American actress Angelina Julie listens to speakers at a function during her visit to Pakistan soon after the deadly earthquake of October 8, 2005.

Flanked by portraits of his late father-in-law Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and slain spouse Benazir Bhutto, maverick Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of Pakistan People's Party, gestures during an interview with Geo TV at his residence in Islamabad.

A maverick woman selects a jewellery piece at an exhibition in Peshawar, the capital city of Pakistan's North West Frontier Province or the lands of maverick Pathans.

A beautiful view of a suspension bridge at Chitral River connecting old fort of Naghar, constructed some 100 years ago, and surrounding villages with other parts of picturesque Chitral region of Pakistan. -- Gul Hammad Farooqi

Qari Riaz Hussain stands next to his son Muhammad Tayyab, a 13-year-old special child weighing 3.5 kilograms and having 25-inch height on June 15, 2008. Hussain, who belongs to Multan district in southern part of Pakistan’s Punjab province, wants the government to assist him financially for the treatment of his son. — Online photo by Shakeel Chaudhry

A view of the façade of Umer Hayat Palace, also known as Gulzar Mahal, in Chiniot town of Pakistan’s Punjab province on June 29, 2008. The palace is in a miserable condition and needs immediate steps to preserve it. — APP

A spectacular inside view of Umer Hayat Palace in Chiniot town of Pakistan’s Punjab province on June 29, 2008. The Chiniot town is known for beautiful wood products, particularly furniture. — APP

Kalash girls in their traditional headgear during celebrations of Chilimjusht, spring festival, in picturesque Chitral region of Pakistan. The festival is held each year during the month ofMay as the sign of good fortunes for the coming seasonal crops and fruits. Women dance in the circle groups while men sing the folktales of their ancient beliefs and play the music. They love the nature and believe in the eternal divine. -- Photo by Saifur Rehman Aziz