The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has unveiled the winners of its art competition for designing a new banknote series. Announced in March, the competition aimed to generate innovative and thematic design ideas for the country’s currency. The SBP praised the local artists for their creativity and acknowledged the rigorous evaluation process undertaken by a panel of experts.
Here are the highlights from the competition:
- Rs10 Note: Dr. Shery Abidi won first place, with Mirza Sufiyan taking second place.
- Rs20 Note: Haroon Khan secured the top prize.
- Rs50 Note: Syed Fawad Hussain was the winner.
- Rs500 Note: Hadiya Hassan earned first place, and Aynee Zahra was the second-place winner.
- Rs1000 Note: Noureen Aslam was awarded first place.
- Rs100 Note: Memoona Afzal achieved first place.
- Rs5000 Note: Memoona Afzal also won first place, with Karim Muhammad taking the second spot.
Memoona Afzal notably won in two denominations, while the designs of other top winners included notable figures such as Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his sister, Fatima Ali Jinnah.
The SBP has indicated that while these designs are suggestive, they will serve as inspiration for international designers, who will finalize the banknotes. The new currency is expected to reflect Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and progressive vision through a collaborative effort.
