'Lahooti' melodies meet Sindh's day of colour

The Lahooti Festival opened with a surge of energy on Sunday as Sanam Marvi, Saif Samejo and Rajab Faqeer drew a spirited crowd in Nawabshah on an evening when Sindh's length and breadth burst into colour to mark culture day with unusually large rallies.

Tourism Minister Zulfiqar Ali Shah praised the enthusiasm of Shaheed Benazirabad's youth, stressing that the event continues to nurture emerging talent and reflects a broader political commitment to young people across the province. He said the Culture and Tourism Department remains focused on expanding opportunities for new artistic voices from Sindh.

Prisons Minister Ali Hassan Zardari echoed the sentiment, saying the festival had injected fresh energy into the city and received a warm, generous response from residents. He noted the provincial government's efforts to create more recreational avenues for young people in both urban and rural areas.

Beyond the festival grounds, culture day turned roads and towns into flowing rivers of ajraks and Sindhi caps as thousands marched in rallies that began at dawn and rumbled late into the night. Families, students and workers danced to folk songs played on makeshift sound systems across cities.

Vehicles of every shape were draped in ajraks, while press clubs became hubs for musical events led mostly by Sindhi media outlets. Several political, social and cultural organisations also staged celebrations, adding to the province-wide spectacle that maintained its intensity despite intermittent traffic jams and stray aerial firing.

Together, the Lahooti Festival and culture day rallies offered a vivid snapshot of Sindh's cultural confidence - part performance, part street carnival - driven largely by a young generation determined to celebrate its heritage with unrestrained pride.