AP PHOTOS: Pakistani truck art elevates heavy transport into mobile masterpieces

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — 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.”

Trucks decorated with artwork are parked at a terminal on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Trucks decorated with artwork drive along a highway on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A truck waits for refurbishment at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A welder repairs a truck parked at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Various household decorative items painted in truck art patterns are displayed for sale at a shop in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A vendor displays metal pieces painted in the style of traditional art used to decorate trucks at a shop in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan makes traditional patterns with colorful stickers used to decorate trucks at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan makes traditional patterns with colorful stickers used to decorate trucks at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan inspects the results after applying colorful stickers with traditional patterns on a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Artisan Muhammad Ashfaq, 55, sits for a portrait at his workshop in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan mixes colors as he paints art on a truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan paints art on a truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

An artisan paints birds on a truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Driver Farrukh Sana looks out from the window of a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A worker gives the final touches to a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A worker affixes decorated metal pieces on a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A worker affixes metal pieces painted in various patterns on a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Driver Farrukh Sana checks items inside the cabin of a newly refurbished truck painted with traditional artwork at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Decorated metal pieces are mounted on the front of a newly refurbished truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

A worker fixes the side mirror of a newly refurbished decorated truck at a yard for workshops in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — World Cup host Vancouver is at risk of losing its Major League Soccer club to another city.

MLS said late Monday it “will evaluate all options” for the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, including moving out of the city. The club was put on sale 16 months ago by an ownership group that includes former NBA star Steve Nash.

Uncertainty around the team is fueled by limited revenue options and a short-term lease at BC Place stadium that will host seven World Cup games in June and July, including Canada playing Qatar and Switzerland.

“It’s reaching a critical point,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday during a meeting with the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York.

Garber called the situation at BC Place untenable, citing strict schedule restrictions from the government entity that owns and operates the building and an inability to add premium seating.

British Columbia’s government said Tuesday it is working with the Whitecaps to help the team lower costs and generate more revenue at BC Place — but it won’t be buying the team to prevent it from moving cities.

Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s minister of jobs and economic growth, said the team is now using the stadium at no cost, and any breaks that the team received this year could be extended for another year.

The Whitecaps and the provincial government — which owns BC Place through the provincial Crown corporation PavCo — signed a one-year lease earlier this year, which annually returns to the club about $1 million to 1.5 million that the province makes from hosting.

Kahlon, a longtime season-ticket holder, says the province has also helped the team generate more revenue from concession sales and advertising, adding that the province is open to exploring other revenue sources.

“If there are some genuine things that they need done to keep the team here, we want to see that happen,” he said.

Garber confirmed reports that Las Vegas could be an option if Vancouver relocates, saying a group from Las Vegas had submitted an application for an MLS team. He expressed hope the Whitecaps could find a way to remain in Vancouver and said expansion to Las Vegas could also be a possibility, but no decisions had been made. Las Vegas was not necessarily the only city being discussed.

FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani, who is from Vancouver, said last year losing an MLS club “on the back of the World Cup would be a capital crime, in my opinion.”

Fans holding “Save The Caps” placards protested on Saturday at the team’s last home game ahead of the stadium being taken over for the World Cup. The attendance was more than 27,000.

In a statement late Monday, the Whitecaps said it had “serious conversations with more than 100 parties and, to date, no viable offer has emerged that would keep the club here.”

“The club has faced well-documented structural challenges around stadium economics, venue access, and revenue limitations that have made it difficult to attract buyers committed to keeping the team in Vancouver."

A franchise fee that cost tens of millions of dollars to enter MLS 15 years ago is now likely worth hundreds of millions.

A team that features German great Thomas Müller reached the MLS Cup final last year, losing against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami 3-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps' Cheikh Sabaly (7) celebrates after his goal against the Colorado Rapids with Thomas Muller (13) and Tate Johnson (28) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vancouver Whitecaps fans hold signs before an MLS soccer match against the Colorado Rapids in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)