Mahjabeen Qazalbash: Pakistani Artist, Activist & Cartoonist from Karachi

Mahjabeen Qazalbash (born 1978, Karachi) is a multidisciplinary Pakistani artist, political cartoonist, filmmaker, and human rights advocate.

Art & Activism

• Political cartoons: Published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde – sharp commentary on extremism, minority persecution, state power.
• Focus: Shia Hazara persecution in Balochistan; blasphemy law misuse; enforced disappearances.
• Films: Documentaries on social justice, gender, sectarian violence.
• MARTE connection: Not to be confused with Margarita Kriete's MARTE in El Salvador—Qazalbash is Karachi-based.

Institutional Roles

• Board member, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
• Women's rights advocacy: education, economic empowerment, legal reform.
• Teaching/mentorship: NCA (National College of Arts), workshops.

Recognition

• 2017: Human Rights Watch Alison Des Forges Award (extraordinary activism).
• Exhibitions: Karachi Biennale, Lahore Biennale, international shows.

Voice

Satirical, fearless, visually minimal—uses ink and irony to expose power. "Cartoons can go where cameras cannot."

A vital chronicler of Pakistan's contested spaces.