In Mingora, and the neighboring areas in the Swat Valley, soldiers in the Pakistani Army patrol security checkpoints after launching an assault in May 2009 to counter Taliban attacks in the Swat Valley.

A veiled figure walks among worshippers at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Ghulam Farid in Kot Mithan. Built in 1796, the shrine is one of the most important in this part of the Punjab. Farid, a famous Sufi from the 18th century, is considered one of the greatest Saraiki poets, Chishti-Nizami mystics, and Sajjada Nashin (patron saints) of the Punjab region.

Actress Nida Chaudrey prepares backstage at the Al Fala Theatre in Lahore. Known for it's bawdy and racy burlesque shows, the theater was bombed in early 2009, by extremists sending a message. However, the shows still goes on, and the place is packed most nights with men, and the occasional family or couple, looking for some sexual entertainment.

Gunsmoke Diner is a theme restaurant that caters to mostly upscale youth from Lahore. It is one of many new and modern styled eateries in the cultural capital of Pakistan in the heart of the Punjab that have opened in the past few years. The elite come to be served American style food by waiters dressed as cowboys, wearing ten-gallon hats, and slamming drinks on the tables to the sounds of western pop music.

Shia commemorate the death of Ali, one of the two most revered figures in Shia Islam. Each year Shiites, who make up 30% of the population of the Punjab, march through the narrow streets and alleyways of Lahore's Old City, beating themselves on the chest and whipping themselves with knives on chains to symbolize the suffering of Hazrut Ali, who was the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

Gojra is a city of 300,000 in central Punjab with a Christian community of 3,000. On August 1, 2009 a riot broke out and a Muslim mob burned down the houses of 76 families and killed 7 people. The attack allegedly was prompted by Christians using a torn up Koran for confetti at one of their weddings. Joining and spearheading the attack were members of Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, (SSP), a militant Deobandi group that has been involved in other such attacks in the Punjab. Shabaaz Hammed sifts through the burned remains of his master bedroom where seven members of his family died from smoke inhalation.

Kushti, or Pehlwani, is a martial art and a style of wrestling that is popular in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In the Punjab for 500 years, this sport is part of the Punjabi culture. However, it is a cultural activity that bothers the Taliban and Islamic extremists due to the bare skin, touching, gambling, music and Sufi mysticism associated with the sport.

Feudal landlords for centuries have formed the backbone of economic and political structure in rural Punjab. Although times have changed, particularly in the Punjab where land reforms have reduced the number of feudal lords owning vast tracts of land, there are still many important and influential feudal lords left. One of them is the Mahay family. Based in Multan for centuries, the current leaders own more than 1,000 acres of land. Malik Fazal Abbas Mahay is 38 and is one of the most powerful and respected feudal lords in Multan. His reputation extends to Lahore, which is more than 250 miles away. He devotes his time to his more than 50 horses, his private zoo which includes a lion, and his many motor cars. He is a traditionalist and has recreated a traditional Punjabi village in his suburban Multan compound. In this image he is practicing horse dancing, one of his favorite pastimes.

The Nusrat Ul Uloom Madrassa in Gujranwala, is a Deobandi school affiliated with an alliance of religious parties against the American invasion of Afghanistan. They are ideological and political supporters of the Taliban. There are 1,500 students at this madrassa, 300 of which are full time boarders who receive free food and rooms. Here the full time students eat their lunch in the mess hall.

The second largest madrassa in the Punjab, the Khair-Ul-Madaris is a Deobandi madrassa that teaches a strict form of Islam. Provided with free room and board, most of the students here will become imams or madrassa teachers. While it is basically an Islamic seminary school, the philosophy of the Deobandi schools is harsh and akin to the austere teachings of Wahabbism. There are 2,000 students at this madrassa which is considered a middle of the road madrassa that professes some progressive approaches in its teachings. Although this school does not teach jihadism, it is still a danger to Punjabi society and further promotes a strict form of Islam that is foreign to this province. Here students are lining up to find their application results for entering the school.

During Friday prayers, a worshipper walks through the courtyard of the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.