In this hour in Pakistan I meet the creative visionaries practicing a variety of disciplines and contributing to an alchemy of art. I get the recurring sense that even in what feels like bad times – or indeed the worse things are – the better the art becomes.

Segment A (6:00 - 18:59): In the boat yards of Karachi I meet the head of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Mohammad Ali Shah, as he shares the travails of work at sea. Industrial fishing and city waste are constant threats to fishing livelihoods the world over, but his cheer and serene approach are inspirational, mirrored by the vivd color and floral designs of the fisherfolk's vessels.

Despite the sober grip of the government, I'm finding a penchant for stand-up comedy across the population. Comedian Saad Haroon takes me through the injustices of drone bombing and how to find humor in other places, such as the irony of naming CIA agents. Novelist and journalist Mohammed Hanif is no stranger to this vitality of life, but is also well positioned to illustrate the constraints on life here.

Segment B (20:00 - 38:59): I ask the stellar musical duo Zeb and Haniyah why fusion seems to work so well in music, but is so painfully hard to find in politics. Their songs reflect a rich musical upbringing and varied regional and world traditions. 

Heritage and tradition is apparent too in the work of architectural eminence Khamil Khan Mumtaz, whose school and philosophy has shifted over time from the instant gratification of modernism to a calm and considered traditionalism. Visual artist Rashid Rana, a voice of the new generation of contemporary artists, paints for us an image of a multifaceted Pakistan – perhaps a microcosm for the world – from his studio in Lahore. 

Segment C (40:00 - 58:59): When I turn to author Mohsin Hamid, the creative force behind The Reluctant Fundamentalist, he finds the hierarchical competitiveness of Pakistan spreading abroad, making America increasingly "Pakistan-like".

Salima Hashmi, television comedienne and founder of the Beaconhouse arts university gives testament to this idea that in difficult times, good art pervades. She echoes her poet father Faiz Ahmed Faiz' serenity and gentleness; his support for the voiceless continues to resonate for marginalized populations everywhere. 

Ashis Nandy closes our series with his predictions on the future. Memories of the damage caused by Indo-Pak atrocities may linger for two generations, he tells me, but Pakistan still produces extremely sensitive writers and practitioners, a dissenting intelligentsia to probe and critique state and society.

In this hour in Pakistan I meet the creative visionaries practicing a variety of disciplines and contributing to an alchemy of art. I get the recurring sense that even in what feels like bad times – or indeed the worse things are – the better the art becomes.

Segment A (6:00 - 18:59): In the boat yards of Karachi I meet the head of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Mohammad Ali Shah, as he shares the travails of work at sea. Industrial fishing and city waste are constant threats to fishing livelihoods the world over, but his cheer and serene approach are inspirational, mirrored by the vivd color and floral designs of the fisherfolk's vessels.

Despite the sober grip of the government, I'm finding a penchant for stand-up comedy across the population. Comedian Saad Haroon takes me through the injustices of drone bombing and how to find humor in other places, such as the irony of naming CIA agents. Novelist and journalist Mohammed Hanif is no stranger to this vitality of life, but is also well positioned to illustrate the constraints on life here.

Segment B (20:00 - 38:59): I ask the stellar musical duo Zeb and Haniyah why fusion seems to work so well in music, but is so painfully hard to find in politics. Their songs reflect a rich musical upbringing and varied regional and world traditions. 

Heritage and tradition is apparent too in the work of architectural eminence Khamil Khan Mumtaz, whose school and philosophy has shifted over time from the instant gratification of modernism to a calm and considered traditionalism. Visual artist Rashid Rana, a voice of the new generation of contemporary artists, paints for us an image of a multifaceted Pakistan – perhaps a microcosm for the world – from his studio in Lahore. 

Segment C (40:00 - 58:59): When I turn to author Mohsin Hamid, the creative force behind The Reluctant Fundamentalist, he finds the hierarchical competitiveness of Pakistan spreading abroad, making America increasingly "Pakistan-like".

Salima Hashmi, television comedienne and founder of the Beaconhouse arts university gives testament to this idea that in difficult times, good art pervades. She echoes her poet father Faiz Ahmed Faiz' serenity and gentleness; his support for the voiceless continues to resonate for marginalized populations everywhere. 

Ashis Nandy closes our series with his predictions on the future. Memories of the damage caused by Indo-Pak atrocities may linger for two generations, he tells me, but Pakistan still produces extremely sensitive writers and practitioners, a dissenting intelligentsia to probe and critique state and society.

In this hour in Pakistan I meet the creative visionaries practicing a variety of disciplines and contributing to an alchemy of art. I get the recurring sense that even in what feels like bad times – or indeed the worse things are – the better the art becomes.

Segment A (6:00 - 18:59): In the boat yards of Karachi I meet the head of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Mohammad Ali Shah, as he shares the travails of work at sea. Industrial fishing and city waste are constant threats to fishing livelihoods the world over, but his cheer and serene approach are inspirational, mirrored by the vivd color and floral designs of the fisherfolk's vessels.

Despite the sober grip of the government, I'm finding a penchant for stand-up comedy across the population. Comedian Saad Haroon takes me through the injustices of drone bombing and how to find humor in other places, such as the irony of naming CIA agents. Novelist and journalist Mohammed Hanif is no stranger to this vitality of life, but is also well positioned to illustrate the constraints on life here.

Segment B (20:00 - 38:59): I ask the stellar musical duo Zeb and Haniyah why fusion seems to work so well in music, but is so painfully hard to find in politics. Their songs reflect a rich musical upbringing and varied regional and world traditions. 

Heritage and tradition is apparent too in the work of architectural eminence Khamil Khan Mumtaz, whose school and philosophy has shifted over time from the instant gratification of modernism to a calm and considered traditionalism. Visual artist Rashid Rana, a voice of the new generation of contemporary artists, paints for us an image of a multifaceted Pakistan – perhaps a microcosm for the world – from his studio in Lahore. 

Segment C (40:00 - 58:59): When I turn to author Mohsin Hamid, the creative force behind The Reluctant Fundamentalist, he finds the hierarchical competitiveness of Pakistan spreading abroad, making America increasingly "Pakistan-like".

Salima Hashmi, television comedienne and founder of the Beaconhouse arts university gives testament to this idea that in difficult times, good art pervades. She echoes her poet father Faiz Ahmed Faiz' serenity and gentleness; his support for the voiceless continues to resonate for marginalized populations everywhere. 

Ashis Nandy closes our series with his predictions on the future. Memories of the damage caused by Indo-Pak atrocities may linger for two generations, he tells me, but Pakistan still produces extremely sensitive writers and practitioners, a dissenting intelligentsia to probe and critique state and society.