PESHAWAR: The poets and rabab players cast a magic effect on the participants during an annual cultural night here on Tuesday.

The event was organised by Peshawarians Literary Society (PLS) in AR Swati Hall of Peshawar Public School and College. Noted writer and poet Zaitoon Bano was chief guest on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, she called upon the teachers and parents to provide youngsters with ample opportunities to exhibit their hidden talent. Encouraging young students to display their talent was responsibility of faculty and parents, she added.

Tribal student steals the show by reciting his inspiring poems

Ms Bano said that the trend of celebrating annual cultural night should be revived because it provided a platform to the students to bring out their latent talent and display it in front audience.
She recalled that she had launched her writing career when she was a student of grade V at Islamia Collegiate School, Peshawar.

It was almost unimaginable at that time for a Pakhtun girl to get education but her father being an enlightened person helped her to complete her education, the writer said. “But girls still have problems to face in a typical Pakhtun society,” she added.

The elderly poet said that more and more education could be the panacea to emancipate women from the clutches of man’s undue domination.

Noor Jan Wazir, a ninth grader from South Waziristan Agency, told Dawn that the annual event was revived after a break of three years which gave him and his colleagues a chance to perform their traditional Waziri Attanr.

“I along with my five other friends from Waziristan performed Attnr tonight and enjoyed it. We need to keep alive our cultural dance as it is both an entertainment as well a rigorous exercise,” he added.
A bilingual Urdu and Pashto poetry recitation session was followed by traditional musical concert in which three brothers, the residents of Ashaqabad Peshawar, entertained the participants.

Umar, Abuzar and Rasul Khan, the students of 7th, 8th and 10th grades respectively, performed on rabab and mungay (pitcher) and received appreciation from the audience.

Asmatullah, an intermediate student hailing from Bajaur Agency, however, captivated the participants by reading out his inspiring poems mostly focused on destruction caused by militancy. He in fact stole the cultural night.

The principal of the institution, Prof Attaullah Khan, announced a cash prize of Rs5,000 and special certificate for the young tribal poet. He urged the students to inculcate the spirit of patriotism, love for their cultural values and participate in peace efforts to build a peace-loving society. “Students are the future builders. They have to run this country and compete with the world around them. It is the time to rise to the occasion how to work hard to face future challenges,” Mr Khan said.

Mohammad Riaz Azam, president Peshawarians Literary Society, in his remarks said that the college would soon re-launch its literary magazine Al-Ula while library reading sessions and shadow act would also be restarted before start of the summer break.

He said that Peshawarians Literary Society would also bring out a monthly newsletter in September this year.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2014