Pakistan is one of the most photographed but least seen countries in the world. Thousands of photographers have passed through here with eyes that are intense but narrow. As a consequence, it is also one of the least understood countries in the world.

Even its citizens have a troubled and contradictory relationship with Pakistan. They lament the state of the country but never stop believing in a better tomorrow. They are frequently overcome by despair, and yet continue to find ways to speak of possibilities. It is a relationship that is heartbreaking and yet ever faithful.

Even those who are forced by circumstance to leave or who live in self-imposed exile, cannot simply walk away, put away the feelings, stop the pain, or block the hopes. It is a turbulent love affair—and, for some, a destructive one.

We all keep coming back though. I keep coming back, looking, seeing, feeling, and making small, personal pictures that are each like a letter to a callous lover—gentle, complaining, asking for nothing, always offering myself, if Pakistan, my beloved, would only answer, only requite my affections.