SWABI: The three days All Pakistan Performing Arts Festival (APPAF) ended at the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Science and Technology on Thursday.

On the last day of the event organised by the institute’s Cultural, Dramatics and Entertainment Society, students of various universities performed serious and comic plays captivating the audience.

Also, students sang famous national songs.

The auditorium remained jam-packed throughout the day.

Organisers said students from all over the country performed at the festival every year exhibiting their dramatic and entertaining talents.

Participants considered two serious plays remarkable saying they gave out a strong message to the nation to play due role in making Pakistan economically strong and politically stable.

One of them was about a girl from Balochistan, who lost entire family in a suicide blast.

An uncle took the girl to an orphanage, where she grew up. She then assumed the constructive role of protecting fellow sisters and brothers from falling into wrong hands.

Umar Khalid Butt, who acted as a judge at the festival, said culture didn’t mean music and dance only but it also covered all aspects of life and that Pakistanis were proud of their culture and traditions.

He said Pakistanis had the potential to face any challenge.

Mohammad Khawar, who was declared the best comedian, said artists should have the ability to infuse a new soul in words with emotions and beauty to captivate hearts and minds of the audience.

Sana Jafri, who received the best actress award, said she belonged to Lahore and had performed in various plays but working among students was really a new test of acting for her.

“The award given to me in the festival has boosted my confidence to work more with more confidence and concentration,” she said.

The other awards were for best script writer, best production, best comedy, best drama, best director, best actor, best actress, best comedian (male) and best comedian (female).