PESHAWAR, March 27: Rising militancy and religious extremism have taken Pushto folk music to the brink of extinction in Waziristan’s tribal areas where festivities and social gatherings never used to be held without singing and dancing.

Prominent folk singers have either left their birthplaces for other towns or given up performing on weddings and other festive occasions, fearing that this may invite reprisals from extremists.

One such example is that of Kamal Mehsud, a leading Pushto folk singer, who left South Waziristan for good two years ago because of growing intolerance.

He sold his ancestral property in Tank district and kept on moving from place to place in the hope of finding a niche. “Constant suppression of artistes suffocated me, and I felt leaving the place. Besides, lawlessness has brought with it fear and frustration,” said Mr Mehsud, who is known for singing folk songs on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The singer was warned by his well-wishers to leave the region after the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a mouthpiece of the armed forces, distributed his music albums free of cost among the tribal people. The albums contained songs against extremism and militancy, which were produced under a contract with the ISPR.

The people of the area have not only stopped going to public music shows, they have also forsaken their traditional dance, Attan, which was equally popular among Pakhtun men and women.

The dance is performed in a large circle with drummers standing in the centre. Attan was a traditional means of providing fun to the people in the most conservative Pakhtun tribal society.

“The people have forgotten folk music or traditional dances in Waziristan since the emergence of Taliban,” said a tribal artiste, who observed that holding music functions on weddings has become a thing of the past even in the adjacent Tank district.

Many music shops have been closed down in Wana, Jandola and Tank district for fear of the militant groups after some outlets were blown up in the area.

The remaining music shops now sell audio-cassettes and CDs of jihadi songs, movies of suicide attacks and footage of militant training. Even, the official radio station in Wana cannot broadcast music and songs.

Mohammad Nawaz, a music shop owner, closed his business in Tank and shifted to the provincial headquarters.

“My family is associated with this business for the past 30 years, but now the situation has forced me to leave the place,” Nawaz said.

Like Kamal Mehsud, scores of folk artistes, including Jehangir Mehsud, Ayub Mehsud, Kamran and many others had to leave their native area due to rising intolerance to music and art.

If singing and playing music turns Taliban against the artiste, singing jihadi songs for them (Taliban) turn security agencies against the singer. Members of security forces are in search of singer Dr Atta after he recorded jihadi songs in South Waziristan.

“Forget the future of culture. It is now a matter of survival for us,” remarked a tribal musician.

Even the fate of the Waziristan Arts Council hangs in the balance. It was established by Kamal Mehsud to promote and preserve art and culture of the tribal areas.