PESHAWAR:
A two-day festival titled “Cultural Revival of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa” highlighting the traditions of the war-hit province opened in connection with World Music Day at Nishtar Hall on Saturday.
A concert featuring Humera Arshad and a local artist Gulzar Alam was arranged to entertain the audience.
Participants presented Khattak, Chitrali and other traditional dances and were greatly appreciated by the audience. A fashion show also won applause from the audience.
More than 50 stalls of handicrafts, traditional clothes, jewellery, painting, decoration pieces were put on display in the exhibition.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Sara Hashmi, a visitor said it was great to see Pakhtun culture being promoted.
“The festival has also provided an opportunity to entrepreneurs to come forward and show their talent,” she added.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain who inaugurated the festival said, “We are still ready for talks in the larger interest of the nation but the militants will have to lay down their arms and accept the writ of the government.”
He said the government was grateful to people who played a vital role in the revival of art and cultural activities in K-P which had suffered a lot due to militancy.
It was the ANP-led government that held talks with militants in Swat for restoring peace in the region but they flouted the peace agreement, compelling the government and the armed forces to launch the military operation,” said the minister.
The exhibition was organised by the Directorate of Culture.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2012.
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