LAHORE: A two-day festival titled Punjab Peace and Cultural Festival was inaugurated by provincial minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman on Saturday at the Punjabi Complex.
On the first day, an assortment of people flocked to the cultural event organised by Punjabi Parchar, an organisation working for the propagation of Punjabi language and culture.
Addressing the gathering, the minister said that such festivals promote peace, harmony and love among people. He added that peace-oriented festivals should be organised to resuscitate the enriched culture of Punjab, besides bringing the people out of depression.
“There is need to revive our Punjabi culture so our next generation could inherit it” he added.
Addressing the gathering, Punjabi Parchar Director Ahmad Raza said, “We must be proud of our mother tongue,” adding that parents usually tend to speak English with their children whether they have a grip on it or not instead of giving importance to their mother tongue.
Cultural activities are also in full swing with the start of the spring season and people are passionate about them as a number of people from the different field of life reached the Punjabi Complex to attend the cultural festival.
At the event, the students of the Punjab College presented a tableau on the main symbol of Punjabi culture, charkha, which was largely appreciated by the audience.
Folk singers enthralled the audience when they recited the Waris Shah’s “Heer” to leave them spellbound. Voice of folk singers, including Nadeem Abbas Lonay Wala, Jassi Lylpuria, Ali Baksh and others outshone the audience.
Students from Forman Christian College and Lahore College University also played a Punjabi theatre that highlighted the culture of Punjab.
Dhamal, jhoomer and other folk dances of Punjabi culture were also presented on the first day of the event.
The poetic symposium put a soul into the event where every heart was touched by the loving verses of poets.
A literary session on “Film te Culture” was also arranged in which speakers, including Pervaiz Kaleem, Tahir Sarvar Mir, Pervaiz Rahi, drama and film writer, Amir Raza and Tahir Sarwar Mir expressed their views.
Speakers, including Jamil Ahmad Paul, Fakhar Zaman, Sohail Warriach, Saeed Bhutta, Sugra Sadaf and Ajmal Jami expressed their views on “Pakistani Zubanain”. Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed also attended the meeting.
Participants were of the view that the Punjabi language had always given a message of peace. They added that Punjabi saint poets spread the culture of tolerance through their poetry.
