MINGORA, June 19: The much-awaited ‘Spirit of Swat’ festival kicked off with pomp and show here at the Grassy Ground on Saturday night. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar was the chief guest.

A large number of visitors including women and children from different parts of the country enjoyed a display of fireworks, followed by a musical night led by celebrated singers Rahim Shah, Zek Afridi and others, who mesmerised the audience.

A large number of people had made it to the Grassy Ground amid tight security arrangements put in place by the forces. The purpose of the festival is to restore people’s confidence and promote tourism in Swat.

Rahim Shah amused the thousands of visitors with his famous numbers. The beautiful and eye-catching fireworks display coupled with the lively ambience turned the picturesque hilly resort into a paradise of joy and love.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Governor Barrister Masood Kausar said: “It is really a great and impressive event to mark the normalisation of life in the area and I wish it a complete success in true sense”.

The governor said, “the vast and enthusiastic participation of people from every walk of life in this first event, itself speaks the success story and the arrangements are indeed impressive and charming”.

Mr Kausar said, indeed, it is highly fascinating to witness the people of Swat, rapidly reviving their routine life and the enthusiastic spirit, which they have been demonstrating to rehabilitate their socio-economic activities are no doubt the exemplary depiction of the true meanings of the Spirit of Swat.

This, the governor added, is also the recognition and tribute to the great sacrifices of those jawans and officers of security forces who had laid down their lives for enabling us to lead our lives honorably and secure better future for our coming generations.

He also expressed the confidence that “the Spirit of Swat” will be carried further with the desired level of enthusiastic approach. He assured complete support of the government to the organisers of the festival.

Provincial Ministers Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Wajid Ali Khan and Ayub Khan Asharrai, senior civil and military officials and a large number of people from different walks of life were present on this occasion.