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)

U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic as an ongoing crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.

Trump said late Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran cross checking information. It said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

The Latest:

China says it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries’ internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned “in the strongest terms the violence that the leadership in Iran is directing against its own people.”

He said it was a sign of weakness rather than strength, adding that “this violence must end.”

Merz said during a visit to India that the demonstrators deserve “the greatest respect” for the courage with which “they are resisting the disproportional, brutal violence of Iranian security forces.”

He said: “I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its population rather than threatening it.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States.

Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran.

“It is open and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.

However, Baghaei said such talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”

The semiofficial Fars news agency in Iran, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, on Monday began calling out Iranian celebrities and leaders on social media who have expressed support for the protests over the past two weeks, especially before the internet was shut down.

The threat comes as writers and other cultural leaders were targeted even before protests. The news agency highlighted specific celebrities who posted in solidarity with the protesters and scolded them for not condemning vandalism and destruction to public property or the deaths of security forces killed during clashes. The news agency accused those celebrities and leaders of inciting riots by expressing their support.

Canada said it “stands with the brave people of Iran” in a statement on social media that strongly condemned the killing of protesters during widespread protests that have rocked the country over the past two weeks.

“The Iranian regime must halt its horrific repression and intimidation and respect the human rights of its citizens,” Canada’s government said on Monday.

Iran’s foreign minister claimed Monday that “the situation has come under total control” after a bloody crackdown on nationwide protests in the country.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran’s foreign minister alleged Monday that nationwide protests in his nation “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for U.S. President Donald Trump to intervene.

Abbas Araghchi offered no evidence for his claim, which comes after over 500 have been reported killed by activists -- the vast majority coming from demonstrators.

Araghchi spoke to foreign diplomats in Tehran. The Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network, which has been allowed to work despite the internet being cut off in the country, carried his remarks.

Iran has summoned the British ambassador over protesters twice taking down the Iranian flag at their embassy in London.

Iranian state television also said Monday that it complained about “certain terrorist organization that, under the guise of media, spread lies and promote violence and terrorism.” The United Kingdom is home to offices of the BBC’s Persian service and Iran International, both which long have been targeted by Iran.

A huge crowd of demonstrators, some waving the flag of Iran, gathered Sunday afternoon along Veteran Avenue in LA’s Westwood neighborhood to protest against the Iranian government. Police eventually issued a dispersal order, and by early evening only about a hundred protesters were still in the area, ABC7 reported.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.

Los Angeles police responded Sunday after somebody drove a U-Haul box truck down a street crowded with the the demonstrators, causing protesters to scramble out of the way and then run after the speeding vehicle to try to attack the driver. A police statement said one person was hit by the truck but nobody was seriously hurt.

The driver, a man who was not identified, was detained “pending further investigation,” police said in a statement Sunday evening.

Protesters burn the Iranian national flag during a rally in support of the nationwide mass demonstrations in Iran against the government in Paris, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)