By Arshad Jaan
ISLAMABAD: The ‘grand night and peace mela’ was organised on Saturday night by Pukhtoon Students Council which was aimed at spreading the message of peace and harmony at Quid-I- Azam University (QAU).
The event featured multiple activities, including Pashto traditional attan, music and several food and traditional clothing stalls, which attracted a large number of students and other visitors.
The notable performance of the event was by Pashto renowned singer Fayaz Khan Khishki, who enthralled the audience with his melodious tunes.
Jalal Ud din Kakar, one of the of organisers and the student of Public Administration department said the core beauty of this event was to bring together all cultural communities and encourage respect and understanding for diversity in campus. “This event also called mini Pakistan because it has every culture of the country.” He said, adding that all student councils were invited to showcase their respective cultural representation.
The participants also showed their keen interest in various items; however, jewelry and traditional shawl stall were at the top of their preferences.
A student, Hashmina, who had set up jewelry stall, said that arranging such events were very important as students could gain real-world experience in business and management.“ this event also provides an opportunity for organisers to learn basic skills of arranging and streamline activities from initial level,” she said, adding that such opportunities should be provided regularly for exposure and entertainment.
The participants also thoroughly enjoyed the Pashto ghazals and traditional attan at the event. “we really enjoyed it; our final exams were ongoing, and we were very stressed, but now fully relaxed and refreshed”, said Naveed Khan, another student at QAU. He added that such activities serve as a relaxing break and should be arranged in future to support student’s mental health.
“Today we fully represented and shared our culture through various activities, it was very crucial for social bonding”, said Muhammad Tanvir Ul Huq, another student. He added that it [grand night] was a gentle reminder to the world that Pakistanis are peaceful and loving people.
The organisers stressed commitment to promoting the country’s positive image, while engaging youth in such activities, which are not only important for preserving cultural heritage but also fostering peace.
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