PESHAWAR: Young Pashto folk singer Karan Khan spellbound audience at an annual musical concert here on Friday. Pashto Society of the Edwardes College conducted the event at its new hall.

Karan Khan sang his hit numbers and received thundering applause from the participants.

“Edwardians enjoyed the evening of live music and poetry session. Both the events provided us with great relief. The Pashto Society has maintained its tradition of entertaining students with quality functions,” Ahmad Gul Wazir, a first-year student, told Dawn.

The live performance of Karan Khan kept enlivening the evening for more than two hours. He sang popular numbers of Ghani Khan, Rahmat Shah Sail, Khushal Khan Khattak, Hamza Baba and young poet, Israr Atal. “It is a rare occasion that I am performing on this stage where my senior folksinger, Haroon Bacha, once the student of this historic college, also performed,” said Mr Khan.

Earlier, a Pashto poetry session was held in which around 40 poets from Swat, Dir, Buner, Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar and Khyber Agency participated.

Professor Sareer Khan, chief organiser of Pashto Society, said that the society had already completed its 100 years of its existence. Co-organiser Samiuddin Arman told participants that Edwardes College would always provide opportunities to its students to exhibit their talents.

Speaking on the occasion, poet and chairman of World Pashto Conference, Saleem Raz, who was the chief guest, said that young students had great talent and they should use it for positive change in society.

Noted among the poets were Ali Akbar Sial, Abaseen Yousafzai, Aziz Munirwaal, Hanif Qais, Dr Izharullah, Zafar Khan, Shakeel Ahmed Nayab, Khurshid Alam and Ayaz Ghazal.

A young handicapped girl poet, Saira Shams from Lower Dir, stole the event as she got a standing ovation from the audience when she appeared on the stage.

Poets Faridoon and Fazal Azeem Azeem recited poems on the tragic incidents of APS and Hayatabad mosque. Professor Noor Mohammad, vice-principal of Edwardes College, HEC regional director Dr Khalid Khan, noted research scholar Professor Dawar Khan Daud and UK-based Pashto poet Mubarak were also in attendance.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2015

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