Through a foreign lens: The Other Pakistan
Though instability continues to plague Pakistan and many areas are dominated by social conservatism, some of the country's more affluent residents have worked to fashion a very different kind of lifestyle for themselves.
Writing on her photo feature, Algerian photographer Zohra Bensemra says:
"Welcome to Pakistan, a country of 180 million people whose residents are as varied as they come. Among them are millionaires and beggars, child brides and female executives, the Taliban and an ultra-chic international jet set.
Many Pakistanis feel angry that headlines about their beloved nation are dominated by violence and extremism, saying that a number of troublemakers has been allowed to define their country’s image."
Pictures of men and women taking part in all sorts of activities and professions - from being a pilates instructor, to a textile retail entrepreneur, to a member of a rock band - offer a different view of Pakistan to images of conflict that often make the news.
Zahra Afridi
Zahra Afridi runs her own interior design company with her most recent project being the Classic Rock Coffee cafe in Islamabad.
Sana Mir
Captain of Pakistan's women's cricket team, Mir was enrolled in an engineering degree at a national university, but left to pursue her passion for cricket.
Fatima Kasuri
Educationalist and model Fatima is the CEO of PDLC Beaconhouse, and her mother-in-law is the founder of Beaconhouse School System, a network of schools.
Naadiya Manzur
Naadiya Manzur is the director of Treehouse Nursery and Kindergarten school in Islamabad.
Erum Ahmed and Aleena Raza
Erum Ahmed, chief executive officer (CEO) of the textile retail brand So Kamal, started the brand three years ago. She encourages women to work at her company located in the city of Faisalabad.
Her daughter Aleena Raza manages textile retail brand So Kamal.
Zainab Abbas
Zainab Abbas opened her fitness studio, Route2Pilates, in Lahore, after receiving training in Bangkok, Thailand. She carries out rehabilitation workouts for people with joint problems as well as specialised workouts for pregnant women.
Ansa Hasan
Nazia Parveen
Rock climber Nazia Parveen is originally from a Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata). She said she wanted to change the image of women in these areas, and that nothing was impossible for a woman if she had a goal in mind.