A French Dr Vincent Ioos, who specializes in critical care medicine & served for three years in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences’ Intensive Care Unit (ICU), will be accompanied in the 10,000km Islamabad-Paris trip by one of his colleagues from Pims, Dr Haroon Khan, as well as Salman Rashid, an IT expert. He will be returning home next month, driving a truck art-adorned 1974 Beetle dubbed Foxy Shahzadi to celebrate Pakistan’s artistic and cultural potential; and promoting Pak-French friendship.

The 25-day journey – ‘Art on Wheels Tour’, which starts from Faisal Mosque on October 31 would take the trio to Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy before ending up in France.

‘We want to highlight the huge cultural potential of Pakistan through indigenous truck art and tell the world that Pakistan is not just about terrorism,’ said Dr Ioos, while proudly showing his cherry red Foxy Shahzadi decorated with landscapes of mountains, waterfalls, flowers and animals and inscribed with truck poetry.

The car represents the ethnic heritage of all the four provinces of Pakistan. The front is decked gloriously with floral motifs; pictures of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal; flags of Pakistan and France; and a poetic inscription – Maa Ki Dua Janaat Ki Hawa, translating ‘mother’s prayer is breeze from paradise.’

The team has got the car especially reconditioned for this trip. Most of the art designing was done by Ustad Habibur Rehman, a painter who the team claims ‘understood the purpose of the journey and incorporated that spirit in his work.’

During the Paris trip, the car would be received in Pakistans embassies in Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy and France. I expect the Pakistani authorities to be considerate enough to help a foreigner, who wants to portray Pakistan positively. The team is also looking for sponsorships in their effort to project a positive image of Pakistan internationally.