ISLAMABAD: The three-day long Pakhtun Festival 2015, celebrating the centuries old culture of Pakhtun people of Afghanistan and Pakistan concluded on Sunday night. The festival featured panel discussions and musical concerts in the lawns of a restaurant in Shakarparian nestled among trees.

Pakhtuns are an ethnic group, natives of Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan. The festival aimed to celebrate the resilience of a culture and people which has withstood decades of unrest and violence.

The festival had been organised by four women volunteers with support from the Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) Afghanistan, Institute for Preservation of Arts and Culture (IPAC) and Kuch Khaas.

According to the organisers, Pakhtuns in both Afghanistan and Pakistan share a common heritage and should come together at such platforms to celebrate this shared heritage, culture and identity. The festival also celebrated the 100th birth anniversary of the Pukhtun 20th century poet Ghani Khan.

Each evening was filled with the delicious aromas of chappal-kebabs and mutton tikkas cooked in the style of Peshawar’s famous food district Namak Mandi. Guests were entertained with a combination of modern and traditional Pukhtun folk music, dance, documentary screenings, art displays and poetry sessions. The festival also featured panel discussions and a range of food and crafts stalls.

The highlight of the first day was the launch of the book ‘Pilgrim of Beauty’ by Imtiaz Ahmed Sahibzada, a compilation of translations of works by famous Pashto poet Ghani Khan. On the second day, award-winning short film Heal and a documentary on the Koochi tribe were the special features. On the third day, discussions were held on the impact of conflict on Pakhtun music and culture.

Each evening, Pakhtun local and Afghan musicians took to the stage and delighted the audience members. The artists included Zeb Bangash of the Zeb and Hania duo and Majabeen and Jafar Khan Nangarhari from Afghanistan.

Songs of the Afghan singer Ustad Abdul Hamid Qandari’s were enjoyed so much by the audience that he was requested to perform again on the second day of the festival.

“This was a much needed event. People had been losing hope and were especially broken after the attack on a school in Peshawar in December last year. We felt like the Pakhtun spirit died that day. These three days have allowed us to find a way forward,” said Lubna Farooq, one of the main organisers of the festival.

She said that above all, the festival strengthened cross border relations between Pakhtuns which would eventually contribute towards better relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

More donations for the festival had come from individuals rather than corporate sponsors who had shown skepticism about the success of the Pakhtun Festival.

The event also suffered losses because it had to be postponed last year after the terror attack on the Peshawar school.

The organizers declined foreign funding for the event and encouraged Pakistanis to contribute. “As expected, Pakistanis did not let us down,” said Lubna Farooq.

She expressed hope that the event would encourage the government to hold festivals to highlight the cultures of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Published in Dawn March 16th , 2015

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