Preserving heritage: Colours of Pakhtun culture displayed in capital

Festival featured Afghan and Pakistani singers, talks, art, Pakhtun crafts and food.

ISLAMABAD: Experts have said that language, poetry and crafts are important parts of a culture and they must be promoted and preserved for generations to come. 

They were speaking at Pakhtun Festival which concluded at Café 1969 at Shakaparian on Sunday. The three-day festival featured concerts, panel discussions, art exhibition and Pakhtun food and crafts.

At the start of the festival, special prayers were offered for the late Shayan Poppy Afzal Khan, who had initially planned to host the festival at Kuch Khaas in December last year.

Samar Minallah, one of the organisers, said: “Our hearts are bleeding. The land where tambourines were accompanied by traditional dances is today witnessing funerals of little children. Pakhtunkhwa is the land of brave souls like Sifwat Ghayur, Malak Saad and uncountable martyrs. The beautiful land where women would sing songs of love on their way to collect water is today covered in smoke. Through such festivals, we will continue to strive to bring back those colours.”

The festival has been organised by Pukhtun Festival Committee and Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Corporation, in collaboration with Afghanistan’s Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the Institute for Preservation of Arts and Culture, Kuch Khaas and Verve Events.

The festival opened on Friday with the launch of a book “Pilgrim of Beauty” showcasing the renowned Pashto poet Ghani Khan’s select poetry translated into English by Imtiaz Ahmed Sahibzada.

In his inaugural speech, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Adabi Board Chairman Azam Khan spoke in detail on how a secular Pakhtun culture has been negatively impacted by colonialism and other defensive posturing experiences.

It was interesting to hear Mashal Ghani Khan, grandson of Ghani Khan, talk about the style of his grandfather’s paintings and his enlightened thoughts on women’s rights. He spoke about the ‘unhealthy’ influence of clergy in society. A private collection of Ghani Khan’s paintings was also displayed at the event.

The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who was the chief guest, said, “We have lived in these lands for centuries. We are not fighting for something that is not ours. We just want our rights.”

Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz also attended the inauguration and lauded the organizers.

Imtiaz Ahmad Sahibzada, who translated Ghani Khan’s poetry into English, said: “I am honoured to be able to translate Ghani Khan’s poetry for a larger non-Pashto audience. It’s an important message that needs to be amplified.”

Ambassador of Afghanistan Janan Musazai said this was an important moment in the relations of Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Afghanistan welcomes stronger ties with civil society, writers, doctors, artists, women’s groups in strengthening people-to-people interaction and ties. This aspect of our relationship must increase alongside government-to-government contact.”

An outdoor food court served Peshawari chapli kebab, Afghani pulao, lamb tikka and patta tikka, and Peshawari kehwa. Guests lounged on charpoys in breezy weather.

Dr Almut Besold, who was accompanied by her children at the festival, has studied the Pashto language at university. She said the language was an important part of the culture which must not be lost.

Nilofer Afridi Qazi, a guest, said, “The festival is a very welcome step especially for many Pakistanis to be able to enjoy the musical culture they may have little access to. It is important to showcase and share any attempt to harmonise our diverse cultures in Pakistan.”

Zeb Bangash from the Zeb and Hania band, the Naseer and Shahab Band and Ustad Abdul Hamid Qandari from Afghanistan performed at the festival. Popular tunes such as Attan, Bibi Sanam and Bib Shireen had the audience swaying away in the evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2015.