"The Walled Street Journal"
An original photojournalism project by Ema Anis, based on the rise of gated communities in Pakistan in the face of neo-liberalism.
Completed under Pakistan Photo Festival Fellowship 2017. Mentored by Asim Rafiqui.
Full project available at: http://emaanis.com/thewalledstreetjournal
Look at advertisements of gated communities and you’ll see the promise of not just a home but heaven: a complete privileged, upper-class and secure lifestyle. But while this lifestyle seems ideal, there are larger insidious issues the physical barriers erected by gated communities are creating – both within minds of the people as well as on the social fabric of our cities.
In this project, I examine the rise of private gated communities in Pakistan and bring to light the neoliberal realities by documenting one of the most allegedly luxurious gated communities – i.e. Bahria Town, Lahore.
Bahria Town, despite being notorious in reputation for its architectural horrors and land grab controversies, continues to attract people in hordes. But what is the bitter truth hiding behind the walls of the gated community?
