The New York Times brings us a slideshow feature on Peshawar, the frontier town in Pakistan, legendary for its gun markets and home to a community of gunsmiths proud of their ability to make exact copies of weaponry. Peshawar literally means 'High Fort' in Persian, and is known as Pekhawar in Pashto. It's a major Pashtun city.
Interestingly, the photographs are not credited to a photographer, but the newspaper has confirmed that the photographer's name was withheld for safety reasons.
The accompanying article describes how the Taliban and its cohorts are now concentrating efforts to take the city and extend their militant influence in the area, and have selected the Pakistani police and its army as particular targets.
The black & white photographs suit the gritty subject matter very well.
PS: Call me a skeptic and a cynic if you like, but something's unusual here. The feature doesn't name its producer as well...so it's a totally anonymous production. I'm not clear as to the reason for this total anonymity. Aren't there any photojournalists working in Peshawar...was that photojournalist disguised in a burka? It doesn't look it. I have no answers...just skepticism vis-a-vis something that isn't clear.
Have a look: Peshawar Under Siege
