Hello, India! Shaan-e-Pakistan is off to a festive start
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Shaan-e-Pakistan seems to have come at an opportune time.
After much hullabuloo about perceived insults by movies and movie stars, here's an event that trying to bridge the gap between Pakistan and India, and it starts that effort with a tried-and-tested combination: good food and even better music.
'Aik Shaam Pakistan Kay Naam', the kick-off event to this three-day cultural expo taking place in New Delhi, treated its guests to a culinary feast prepared by Pakistani chef Gulzar and his Indian counterpart Osama Jalali, while Pak-India favourite Amjad Sabri delivered yet another soul-stirring qawwali performance.
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In addition to Pakistani food and music, guests got a slight taste of Pakistani style yesterday, as the host Anoushey Ashraf cut an impressive figure in her Asifa and Nabeel ensemble:
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And Javed Sheikh, seen below with the lovely Sanam Agha, upped the celebrity quotient of the event when he dropped by:
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The three-day event, which is organised by Huma Nassr whose label Braahtii has stores both in Karachi and New Delhi, aims to foster a more cordial relationship between the neighbouring countries for better trade in the future. A fashion show and two-day exhibition is now taking place, and a week-long Pak-India food festival is also on the cards at Eros Hotels.
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| Huma and Fahd Nassr — Photograph by Movie Shoovy |
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On DawnNews
Sep 11, 2015 04:23pm
Is it taking place in New Delhi? No one is aware in India. Because no one in India would be interested in such program when border is hot.
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Sep 11, 2015 04:27pm
Good going bridging the gap between two nations with food and music. With stomach full and music being food for the soul, there is bound to be less anger!
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Sep 11, 2015 04:32pm
@Suhani - So, we gather they didn't invite you? Now that you have commented surly you are "aware"!
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Sep 11, 2015 04:33pm
why not such event get coverage they deserve? why should we all only read about how different and angry are we with each other?
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Sep 11, 2015 04:38pm
Even though the effort is good but such efforts have yielded very little as the liberals on both side are already on the same page and the hard liners like shiv sena and BJP etc won't budge or accept Pakistan and her culture.
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Sep 11, 2015 04:39pm
@Suhani - No need for cynicism and negativity. Almost all Indians will greatly appreciate this Pakistani gesture. We need more of these...
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Sep 11, 2015 04:59pm
The problem is that such shows are available to a limited invited audience. So the main purpose of Indians appreciating this Pakistan food and Qualis is simply missed. Moreover who will think of enjoying Qualis when Jawans on borders are being killed in ceasefire violations. Indeed, an inappropriate timing.
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Sep 11, 2015 05:12pm
@Suhani You obviously are culturally ignorant. I was in Jaipur during the book festival all the Pakistani artists that had come to perform got an overwhelming response. The audience ran towards the stage the moment Sain Zahoor started to sing - just to get a closer look and record some of his songs. People in India appreciate talent. Before you make another comment like this, go attend one of these performances and see for yourself how the audience clamor to hear more from them. (This is provided you can get an entry pass or ticket because most of the time these events are sold out).
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Sep 11, 2015 05:19pm
Salama Agha looks very glorious and charming.
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Sep 11, 2015 05:25pm
@Curious mind - Nice one!
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Sep 11, 2015 05:32pm
Welcome...welcome...and welcome....
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Sep 11, 2015 06:05pm
great stuff, keep coming..
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Sep 11, 2015 06:17pm
This event proves it that general public is not interested what is going between these leaders. Lets all be together enjoy the food, music and brotherhood. Let's not let these illiterate people take the advantage of the innocence of people and create religious tension. At the end we are all the same with RED BLOOD
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Sep 11, 2015 06:37pm
These programs need wide publicity, particularly in the print media. Good food apart, authentic quawwalis would be worth any amount of gate money, I guess. Would love to attend when one such event is organised in Mumbai or Pune.
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Sep 11, 2015 06:47pm
@Curious mind and others lets not hound on Suhani. Now a days media coverage of any event depends upon the media management by the event organizers. In India events keep on happening on daily basis, it is the duty of organizers to raise eyeballs.You have given the example of Jaipur,JLF is a well organized event which gets 24x7 coverage by both national and international media.By the way,only really famous person here are Salma Agha and Javed Sheikh.How much coverage can you expect!!!!
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Sep 11, 2015 07:25pm
We need more of these types of cultural exchanges. Thank you Dawn for covering this.
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Sep 11, 2015 08:13pm
I wonder if Islamabad will ever have "ek shaam Hindustan ke naam"
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Sep 11, 2015 08:18pm
Exercise in futile, First we must do something to stop the Indian foreign Ministry from carrying out their derogatory and defamatory campaign against Pakistan, how can one expect good relations ? when so many innocent citizens are being killed in cross border firing every day Good relations are not made through cold war
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Sep 11, 2015 08:20pm
I wonder if someone is aware of this program...
truth is 99% Indians are not aware of top pak actors n celebrities
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Sep 11, 2015 08:23pm
Sorry, but this event is not mentioned in any Indian newspaper or channel
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Sep 11, 2015 08:46pm
It is a natural to have such events. Heat on the boarder and hate speeches and all that are artificial and have to be kept alive and kicking to keep the ruling class to be in power, after all otherwise they become irrelevant.
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Sep 11, 2015 08:52pm
Wow,finally some good news that warms the heart, instead of the constant bickering and politics. People in both countries have better things to do!
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Sep 11, 2015 09:12pm
These kind of news we get to know only on dawn nd rest news agencies are busy publishing nuclear weapons nd war news...great keep going.
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Sep 11, 2015 09:53pm
I wonder why people are saying like this. Not all events get prime time space. But we in Delhi are fully aware about this event. In fact I've been planning to be at the event for couple of days. Somehow could not make it on the first day. Newspapers did carry the news about it, some of the radio channels have been announcing it periodically with much enthusiasm. To expect that a cultural event will get prime space, is too much to expect from the 'breaking news' ...... media houses. But such events certainly has a potential to play a constructive role.
Khushamadid dear fellow Pakistani citizens in Delhi. Wish the artists and cultural ambassadors, all the very best in your endeavor. Let us hope for the best.
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Sep 11, 2015 10:11pm
@Dr Ahmad - Melbourne Glorious
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Sep 11, 2015 10:56pm
Hello everyone!
It is heart warming to see a number of my Indian friends appreciating this event. Thank you so much. We definitely need such events. I perceive people of both sides like each other. It's just the leadership who wants to keep border hot and do hate speeches.
I live in Lahore and I can guarantee great hospitality even if a common Indian come to Pakistan. We on both sides definitely love each other and we on both sides want peace to prevail through the region.
Keep up the good work.
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Sep 11, 2015 11:37pm
Glad that such event is held in Delhi. We should be united when it comes to cultural exchange and friendship.
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Sep 11, 2015 11:49pm
I have an issue, why such festivals only in few important cities , How can we spread the same to other parts of both countries.
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Sep 12, 2015 01:10am
More than this event, more than floods in Assam affecting a million people....Indian TV news media has much much larger story to cover....Sheena Bora case....a lack of media regulator is making India go the American way....creating celebrities at the cost of common people.
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Sep 12, 2015 01:53am
I hope they can show this live in PTV.
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Sep 12, 2015 04:24am
If I were in Delhi, I would have gone. These events should happen more often and politicians and army commanders from both sides should attend this event as well. Small things can make a huge difference, people I have no idea.
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Sep 12, 2015 04:27am
Pakistan banning our artists and how come we allow this event to take place?
Nothing against anyone but not fair on our citizens who are banned
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Sep 12, 2015 05:28am
It's awesome; hate the fact that I am neither in Pakistan nor in India to enjoy the Pakistani food! Indian with Pakistani (best) friends in the country I live now. Good food and great Urdu poetry...you can't go wrong.
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Sep 12, 2015 09:24am
Is Pakistani culture so alien to Indians, especially North Indians, that you need such festivals ?
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Sep 12, 2015 11:10am
A Pakistani, living a broad for a long time, my closest friends are from India, we live together, having fun together and do poked (politically) each other but all in peace.
I truly believe that its completely two different world when we compare relations between our politicians and relations between people to people, except who are not able to understand or willing to understand other's perspective and asserts on only my way.
It's very true for both side of the border. First step that relations between Pakistan and India should not have any space in domestic policy, things will change more quickly, relatively!
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Sep 12, 2015 01:29pm
Brothers, When people who fought for centuries have learn t to live in peace and unity and usher development and progress.We had been One and is one in our tradition, language and culture get swayed by dirty politics and fall into their ugly trap.Neighbors cannot be changed, we have to learn to live with peace.we can and we will.Firing at border is all fake and staged by both sides to score points.Let the tribe of peace angels increase and unity and prosperity ushered. Love from India.
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Sep 12, 2015 01:33pm
@Mohammad Khan If people to people relation and understanding increases , politicians would not be able to spread falsehood and rage border firing.People's initiative's is a must and must not be stopped at any cost.There would be many Sena's and Tehrik's to stop these exchanges but the show must go on.
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Sep 12, 2015 09:20pm
This event was mentioned in detail in times of india about three weeks back. The article talked about mughal era food being tried at an upcoming indo-pak event at eros hotel. Both indian and pakistani chefs are searching more about mughal era foods and i think some of that was to be presented here. Search google for TOI and jallali and eros hotel. Good people from Pakistan want peace and love with India. I have friends from pak who r already impressed by progressive things happening in india. And they really feel sorry when their country's "establishment" goes different way.
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Sep 12, 2015 09:26pm
Can we do one thing without mentioning India! Even festivities for us involve India!
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