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RAWALPINDI: Trucks thunder along Pakistan’s dusty highways and through bustling city streets, like rolling canvases ablaze with color and poetry, transforming heavy transport into mobile masterpieces and offering a window into the country’s folk culture.
The roots of Pakistani truck art go back to British colonial rule, when owners began adorning their vehicles with intricate floral patterns, calligraphy, and cultural motifs.
What started as modest embellishments has evolved into artistry. Painters, welders, electricians, and metalworkers collaborate to elevate commercial trucks into personalized symbols of pride and regional identity.
There are camel bone inlays in Balochistan, intricate wood carvings in Peshawar, and disco-inspired detail in Rawalpindi.
Muhammad Ashfaq, a 55-year-old from Rawalpindi, has been painting trucks for over four decades.
“Each client comes with their own vision and budget,” said Ashfaq. “We ask which style they prefer: Peshawar, Hazara, Swat, Pindi, Mandi Bahauddin, or Karachi.”
Pindi style is considered the most flamboyant, characterized by vivid colors, elaborate stickers, mirror work, and dense layering of design elements.
“Pindi style is like a bride getting ready for her wedding,” says Farrukh Sana, a truck driver who recently upgraded his vehicle with the vibrant design. “We feel happy when people admire our truck. It’s a symbol of hard work and beauty.”
Styles vary according to cost and components, as well as color and complexity.
A full refurbishment of a truck can cost between 2 to 5 million rupees (about $7,000 to $17,790), depending on the materials used and if major elements like the tires and the chassis are replaced.
But, beyond mere decoration, the trucks also bear poetry, religious messages, and personal slogans, reflecting the aspirations, humor, and emotions of their drivers.
Truck art has transcended cargo vehicles, finding its way onto rickshaws, buses, and even household decor.
It first caught global attention in the 1970s, when foreign tourists started photographing the unusually bright vehicles. Since then, truck art has inspired international exhibitions and influenced contemporary fashion and product design.
The distinctly South Asian tradition endures despite Pakistan’s economic hardships. Artisans like Ashfaq remain devoted to the craft, while drivers like Sana view their trucks as more than a livelihood. They are seen as roving cultural ambassadors.
“Every driver dreams of making his truck look unique,” Sana says with pride. “When we drive it out and people turn their heads, we know we’ve created something special.”

ISLAMABAD: The first batch of Pakistani Hajj pilgrims who arrived in Madinah under the Kingdom’s Makkah Route Initiative on Wednesday praised its “remarkably smooth” immigration process, thanking the Saudi government for the facility.
The Makkah Route Initiative is designed to streamline immigration processes by enabling pilgrims to complete official travel formalities at their departure airports. Initially tested in Islamabad in 2019, the program was later expanded to Karachi, benefitting tens of thousands of Pakistani travelers. This saves pilgrims several hours upon arrival in the Kingdom, as they can simply enter the country without having to go through immigration again.
Pakistan kicked off its pre-Hajj flight operations on Tuesday, with the first batch of 900 Pakistani pilgrims arriving in Madinah from Islamabad, Karachi and other cities. Those who arrived from Karachi and Islamabad praised the Makkah Route Initiative for making their travel hassle-free.
“It was remarkably smooth as the Saudi immigration process was completed at Islamabad Airport without the need to wait in long queues,” Tariq Khan, a resident of Pakistan’s northwestern Swabi city, told Arab News over the phone from Madinah.
Around 50,500 Pakistani pilgrims in total from Islamabad and Karachi will travel to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah Route Initiative this year.
Khan, who is performing Hajj for the second time since 2016, said the pre-departure immigration process had saved pilgrims’ considerable time.
“The difference was [like] night and day,” Khan, comparing his Hajj journey in 2016 to the present one.
“This time, the process was efficient and stress-free, allowing us to focus on the spiritual aspects of our journey.”

Upon landing, Khan said pilgrims bypassed the usual immigration queues while buses were waiting to transport them directly to the hotel.
“Our luggage, which had been tagged and processed in Islamabad, arrived at the hotel shortly after we did,” he noted.
Shamim Akhtar, who arrived from Karachi, described the immigration process as “exceptionally well-organized.”
“Dedicated immigration counters at Karachi Airport handled all formalities efficiently and the staff was courteous,” she told Arab News.
“And the entire process was completed swiftly, allowing us to reach the boarding lounge without hassle.”
She thanked the Saudi government for extending the service to Karachi, saying the Makkah Route Initiative significantly reduced the stress and time associated with international traveling during Hajj.

“It’s a commendable effort that enhances the overall pilgrimage experience,” she said.
‘EXCELLENT ARRANGEMENTS’
Osama Anwar, an information technology professional from Pakistan’s eastern city of Rawalpindi, praised the entire Hajj process from submitting the application to the mandatory trainings organized by the government, and the “smooth” travel facilitated under the Makkah Route Initiative.
“Under the Route to Makkah, arrangements were very good and it was a very smooth process at the airport,” he said. 
“It hardly took us just 20 to 25 minutes to reach the hotel from the airport in Saudi Arabia.”
He said pilgrims had been guided thoroughly about the process.
 “Now that we have arrived in Madinah, we found that excellent arrangements have also been made here including good rooms and food arrangements,” Anwar said.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and over 23,620 Pakistanis expected to perform Hajj through private tour operators.