A concert and a fashion show take place in Peshawar

Despite expensive tickets, crowds flocked to Neshtar Hall for a night of entertainment.

PESHAWAR: The tense and entertainment-starved youth of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) recently witnessed a concert and a fashion show at Neshtar Hall, which was arranged by the Directorate of Culture. The event was aimed to be a distraction for the young people for whom security concerns have narrowed entertainment options.

The event management company Globoss said that the aim was to provide entertainment and create awareness about fashion trends in the city. Globoss claims that the event was called off many times, and the situation remained uncertain until the culture directorate intervened.

A variety of artists performed their songs; Waheed Achekzai performed his latest numbers including “Zwanano Pasai Inqilab Rawal” followed by some romantic songs which got the crowd moving. However, the performances became repetitive and boring and left the audience no choice but to boo the singer off stage.

To add variation, there was a modelling session showcasing different designers from the city. Designers flaunted their clothing lines with male and female models walking down the ramp in full-sleeved shirts in A-line cuts.

“The display of different fashion designers will educate people about new fashion trends and new designers, as there are many upcoming in the city,” said Ambreen, a female presenter. “However, the crowd that came to the hall was more interested in a stage performance rather than the fashion show.”

Well known singer Shafqat Mehmood took the stage after the fashion show, where he covered the popular fast Pashto number “A zma Yara, Zma Dildar” by the Afghanistan-based singer Najeeb Haqarast. He proceeded to cover more songs, including one by Khyal Mohmmad but left the crowd largely unimpressed.

“The crowds in Peshawar are more interested in watching stage performances rather than concerts,” said Zeeshan Khan, the media co-ordinator for Globoss, explaining that people are more accustomed to dance performances than musical evenings.“The objective of this show was to entertain and give an opportunity to the youth to show their potential, because the city is still conservative and the atmosphere is strained,” he added.

Even though the ticket prices were high, the hall was flooded with young people. Unfortunately, during the fashion show, the crowd thinned considerably as uninterested young people strolled out.

“We came to the hall expecting famous Pashto singers like Humayoun Khan and Gul Panra to be performing,” said Amir, a young attendee. “Sadly, only fashion designers occupied the hall.” Event manager Zeeshan Khan clarified that those singers will perform later. “Those singers will perform on the second day of the event, but another ticket will have to be purchased on that day.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2012.          

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