Dear Karachiites,

As Lahoris, we always look forward to visiting Karachi. This time, it wasn't just about seeing friends, gallery hopping or trying out new eateries. We wanted to experience the Haveli - newly launched, first-ever textile museum of Pakistan. It was in the air that Nasreen and Hassan Askari had transformed their ancestral home into a museum showcasing Pakistan's rich textile heritage. The fragile, deteriorated fragments on display at Lahore and Taxila Museums, accompanied by limited information, had underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive collection, meticulous preservation, careful conservation and in-depth critique to ensure a rich and nuanced understanding of our textiles. While the said museums excel in showcasing exquisite manuscript paintings and stone carvings, with recent digitisation and visual storytelling enhancing their appeal, the textile collection is starkly neglected and poorly managed. It's a harsh reality that, given the limited resources, our museums face significant challenges in providing optimal care for these valuable........

© The Express Tribune