Minister Culture & National Heritage Jamal Shah inaugurates ten-day annual Lok Mela festival in Islamabad

Islamabad - 4 November 2023 (Adnan Hameed): Cater Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah inaugurated ten-day annual folk festival popularly known as ‘Lok Mela’ here at Garden Avenue Shakarparian. Information Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel, Secretary National Heritage and Culture Humaira Ahmed, Ambassador of Palestine Ahmed Ameen, Diplomats Executive Director Lok Virsa Muhammad Uzair Khan and senior officials National Heritage and Culture Division were also present on the occasion. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, the minister said that the main focus of the festival will be a greater source of establishing national cohesion and promoting cultural diversity besides providing quality entertainment to the people. Talking to media, he said the rich culture and traditions of all four provinces in addition to the Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir will be presented in ten-day mela. In order to entertain the visitors, the minister said the folk music of all provinces will be presented. He said food stalls will offer variety of rational foods of all parts of the country to the people. The Minister further said a specific stall will be reserved for the collection of funds for Palestine and the Ministry is in the contact with the embassy of Palestine in this regard. Expressing sorrow over the massacre of innocent Palestinians by Israel, Jamal Shah said that festival will be held in the expression of solidarity with the people of Palestine. He said that hundreds of master artisans, folk artists, rural musicians and folk dancers from all over the country are participating in the festival bring with them their creativity in arts, crafts and innovation. He said that an exotic craft bazaar featuring a rich variety of unique handicrafts, souvenirs, antiques and decorative art is also being set up. The minister also visited Palestine stall set up at Lok Mela. Later, the minister also attended a charity concert, held after the opening of ten-day folk mela. The main performer at this exclusive musical concert was renowned Sufi Opera Singer Saira Peter, Fazal Jutt, Wahab Shah dance company and Shuakat Dhola. Saira Peter enthralled audience with fusion of eastern and western tunes at the charity concert. She sang various popular songs and got a big applause from the audience at the open air theatre of Lok Virsa. Saira Peter is a British Pakistani Soprano. She is Director of Noor Jahan Arts London, multicultural performing arts centre. Passionate about bringing together people of all backgrounds, during her second MA (History) Saira Peter identified music as a historical means of bridging otherwise isolated communities and promoting a positive message. Simultaneously in the midst of studying Western Classical voice, she envisioned using her music to take Sufi peace poetry to the world stage.