The two-day “Punjab Peace and Cultural Festival” concluded on Sunday in Lahore which attracted citizens from all parts of the society who were enthralled by the performances given during the event.
The event, organised by the Punjabi Parchar witnessed a huge participation of people from all walks of life. The final day of the cultural event was inaugurated by Punjab Institute of Language and Culture Director Sughra Sadaf on Sunday at Punjabi Complex.
On the second day, notable speakers and participants gracing the event stressed the need for harmony among the masses, tied together in the Punjabi culture.
Locals and culture campaigners lauded the performers who mesmerised the audience with “Dhamal”, “Jhoomer”, comedy skits and folk music. Students of Aspire Group of Colleges welcomed the attendees through Punjab’s quintessential “bhangra” while chanting “Jee aaya nu”; later, singer Saad Farooq Ziai cast a spell on the audience with his songs.
Sangat group, which enjoys an excellent reputation for upholding the mantle of Punjabi culture, also entertained the audience through theatrical performance “Ani Channi Di Tikki”.
The concluding day of the festival also involved of performances of comedians Iftikhar Thakur and Saleem Albela who, with an exchange of witty remarks, left the crowd in fits of laughter.
Folk performances by Sain Ejaz, and Jhoomer performance by a team from Mandi Bahaud Din captivated the audience. The audience also appreciated folk songs by Afzal Jutt whereas Ajoka Theater’s “Anni Mai Da Sufna” also received much admiration.
The festival’s literary session had a panel with Shahid Nadeem, Rashid Mehmood, Huma Safdar, Aamir Riaz and Adil Aziz on board which highlighted the importance of Punjabi culture regarding the topic “Theater and Culture”.
In another session, columnists Munno Bhai, Parveen Malik, Afzal Sahir, Rana Ehtesham Rabbani and Farhad Iqbal expressed their viewpoint on “Language and Culture”. The speakers unanimously opined that culture was a source of entertainment on one hand, whereas it also served as a tool to highlight the positive and negative aspects of the society. “Through culture, the message of peace and brotherhood can be spread across the world,” they agreed.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Shafqat Mehmood also joined the second day of the event and lauded the efforts of Punjabi Parchar for organising the festival. He expressed that such festivals proved to be the best service for citizens amid hostile environment. “Societies linked to their culture and traditions can retain their identity in this current era of competition,” said Shafqat Mehmood. On the occasion, the event’s chief organiser and Punjabi Parchar President Ahmad Raza affirmed that for the promotion of a peaceful culture of Punjab, his organisation would arrange such events annually.
The cultural festival not only attracted residents of Lahore but people from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan also joined the event highlighting the message of peace in Pakistan’s most populous province.
