The seven-day Pakistan Youth Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi concluded with a colourful ceremony on Sunday.
The closing ceremony was graced with the presence of Minister of Culture and Education Sardar Ali Shah, while President of Arts Council Muhammad Ahmad Shah and members of the governing body were also present on the occasion.
The last day of the festival was inaugurated with a spectacular musical performance by the renowned Jambroz Band, while cash prizes and awards were distributed to the winners of ten different categories of competitions. Two special competitions in painting and photography were also held at the event.
On the occasion, awards were given to the special children, who participated in the special children's event organised at the festival.
While speaking at the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Youth Festival, Minister of Culture and Education Sardar Ali Shah said that 64 per cent of Pakistan's population consists of youth. He said that unfortunately, there are no such policies made for the country's youth to encourage its talent. The Pakistan Youth Festival has not only provided a platform to the young generation but also taught them tolerance.
"We need to educate ourselves that our children do not only have to be doctors, engineers or officers, but they can also be Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam and Hadiqa Kayani", the minister said.
He said that ACP president Ahmed Shah has made a Hub of culture in the Arts Council. He added, "I do not see any institution in the whole country which is working for the promotion of arts and culture".
Addressing the ceremony, President ACP Muhammad Ahmad Shah said that all the children involved in the Special Children's Special Festival performed brilliantly. He said that Nighat Chaudhry and Wahab Shah encouraged the children in the dance finals.
"As there is a lack of employment in the country, therefore, the ACP has decided to start providing IT training to the youth in order to generate work opportunities for them", he said.
Shah said that the institute also plans to conduct competitions on various dimensions of arts to engage the youth of the city in positive activity.
On the festival's last day, Ali Azmat, Sahir Ali Bagga, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Natasha Baig, Wahab Bugti, Ahsan Bari, Arman Rahim and Afaq Adnan lit up the evening with the magic of their voices and received applause from the audience.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2023.
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