The display included bright traditional dresses, Pakhtun instruments, dull-silver jewellery, cobalt blue veils and other items used by the Afghan people for centuries. “We are thankful to the government for giving us the honour of presenting our culture to Pakistanis,” said Afghan Consul-General Abdul Ahad Khaliqyar.
The consulate’s Parven Malal made arrangements for the exhibition and said the purpose was to present her country’s rich culture. “The cultures of our two nations are similar, especially in areas such as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Quetta,” she said. The current Pakistani fashion of umbrella sleeves and large shalwars is actually a modification of the Afghan traditional dress, she revealed.
Visitor Fazal Aziz was impressed. “It’s relaxing to come here and free yourself from the terror of target killings and bomb blasts, even if it is for a few hours,” he laughed, adding that, “we only hear about the Afghan Taliban nowadays so we tend to forget that Afghans have a rich culture. It’s sad to see that the splendor of Afghan and Pakistani cultures are fading away, being overwhelmed by militancy”.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2011.
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