There are moments in a country's development when industries begin to evolve beyond their traditional roles. Commerce becomes connected to culture. Business becomes connected to responsibility. Personal success gradually creates a desire to open doors for others. Pakistan feels increasingly close to such a moment.
The country has one of the youngest populations in the world. It is connected, digitally engaged, and increasingly outward-looking. Across fashion, photography, filmmaking, architecture, design, hospitality, media, entrepreneurship, and technology, a generation is emerging with ambitions that extend well beyond local markets.
Yet despite the abundance of talent, Pakistan remains underrepresented in many of the industries that shape culture, perception, and influence internationally. Spend enough time around young Pakistanis working in creative and entrepreneurial fields and a pattern becomes difficult to ignore. Talent is rarely the issue. Ambition is rarely the issue. What remains uneven is access to the environments, networks, and experiences that allow those abilities to develop further.
This observation sits at the heart of a story that began long before social media, content creators, and the creator economy became part of everyday conversation.
Rameez Sattar's grandfather was the proprietor of Hashim Jewellers, formerly H.N. Chhotani Jewellers, a respected jewellery establishment located on Karachi's historic Elphinstone Street. At a time when international business relationships were far less common than they are today, the family maintained connections that extended from Pakistan to Hong Kong, London, and Belgium.
The business was built on values that continue to define successful enterprises across generations: trust, reputation, craftsmanship, relationships, and patience. Through gemstones, jewellery, and trade, the family developed close ties with Switzerland. Over time, Switzerland became more than a destination for business. It became a source of inspiration.
Abdul Sattar developed a fascination with watchmaking and Swiss craftsmanship that eventually led to friendships with individuals occupying important positions within the watch industry, including Dr. Paul Lüthi, then President of Rado. In Switzerland, relationships often precede business. Trust develops gradually. Partnerships are measured in decades rather than quarters. In 1977, the family introduced Rado to Pakistan. Rather than relying entirely on conventional distribution structures, Abdul Sattar adopted a more entrepreneurial approach. Local business owners in different cities became partners, creating a network that combined international standards with local understanding.
The strategy proved successful. Within a relatively short period, Rado became one of the country's most recognized watch brands. Yet watches represented only one part of the family's story.
Abdul Sattar was also a respected figure within Pakistan's advertising industry and founder of MCM Advertising. Long before digital platforms transformed communication, he understood something that remains true today. People remember stories. They may admire products, but they connect with the ideas, personalities, and narratives behind them. Through him, two traditions entered the family at the same time. The first was commerce. The second was storytelling. When Rameez Sattar entered the watch industry in 1989, he inherited both.
Over time he became known not simply as a retailer, but as a collector, strategist, mentor, and connector of people. Those who know him often know him through different worlds. Some through watches, others through luxury retail, collecting, journalism, branding, or business. That ability to move comfortably between different disciplines would eventually influence the evolution of Sonraj.
What began as a watch business gradually expanded into something broader. Collectibles became associated with horology and collecting culture. Maison Sonraj emerged as a wider expression of craftsmanship, heritage, and curated experiences. Gharyal.com extended those conversations into the digital world, creating a space where culture, design, travel, creativity, and storytelling could intersect. Over the years, conversations around watches and craftsmanship often led elsewhere. Discussions that started with products frequently ended with ideas, careers, travel, design, entrepreneurship, and the people behind them.
Around the world, influence is increasingly being shaped by creators, storytellers, designers, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and individuals capable of building communities around ideas. The economic significance of the creator economy is now widely recognised, but its cultural significance may prove even more important.
Countries are increasingly defined not only by what they manufacture, but also by what they contribute to global culture. Pakistan already possesses many of the ingredients required to participate in that conversation. It has a young population comfortable with technology and digital communication, rich cultural traditions, extraordinary landscapes, and an increasingly sophisticated creative community. Many talented individuals achieve recognition locally. Far fewer find pathways into international networks and institutions where those abilities can continue to grow. For nearly five decades, the Sattar family benefited from relationships, mentorship, travel, and experiences that expanded their understanding of industries beyond Pakistan.
With time came a simple realisation: some experiences become more valuable when they are shared. Among the first individuals to become part of this broader effort is Hasnain Lehri. Born in Quetta, Balochistan, and belonging to the respected Lehri tribe, Hasnain's upbringing was shaped by discipline, humility, family values, and personal integrity. Educated across Pakistan, Dubai, and London, he developed a perspective that feels equally comfortable in local and international environments.
Long before his association with Sonraj, Hasnain had established himself as one of Pakistan's most recognised male models and creative personalities. What makes Hasnain interesting, however, is not simply professional success. It is curiosity. Recognition often encourages certainty. Curiosity tends to have the opposite effect.
Some stories will focus on heritage. Others on design, innovation, travel, creativity, and the people who dedicate their lives to mastering a particular discipline. Together they form a collection of observations, encounters, and discoveries connected by a shared appreciation for knowledge, culture, and enduring standards. In many ways, Hasnain's story is not particularly unusual. Around the world there are countless talented individuals building careers, developing skills, and finding opportunities through a combination of discipline, curiosity, and timing. What matters is that more of those stories emerge from Pakistan.
The world remains full of remarkable places, institutions, workshops, studios, collections, and individuals quietly pursuing excellence in their chosen fields. Some of those stories deserve to be shared. Not because they provide answers, but because they encourage curiosity. In the end, that may be one of the most valuable things worth passing on.
