Two-day lifestyle expo: Locals, foreigners throng KP Pavilion to enjoy traditional music, cultural items

PESHAWAR: A large number of visitors including foreigners thronged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pavilion to have a glimpse of unique jewels, handicrafts, historical artifacts and enjoy traditional music and fun on Sunday.

Established by the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) at Pak-China Centre, Islamabad, the KP Pavilion consisting of nine stalls in the two-day Lifestyle Expo attracted a large number of people, including men, women, families, students and foreigners.

The participation in the fair was aimed at highlighting and promoting the culture and traditions of the KP province and providing recreational opportunities to the families at local level

The pavilion displayed different products including dresses, handicrafts, embroidery, Bannu Royal Khaadi, stone carving, Peshawari caps, metal work, wood carving, artwork, Kalash costumes, Chitrali Patti, Gandhara Art, Charsadda Khadar, blacksmith work, Hazara Jisti and Swati shawls, Dera Ismail Khan’s cultural items and Moti work.

A great rush was seen on the stalls offering different cultural and traditional items including folk music, dances and dresses. Visitors evinced keen interest in the stalls and the items displayed there.

The TCKP had also established an information desk. A great hustle and bustle of foreigners, students and local visitors was seen at the information desk displaying pamphlets, banners and brochures depicting tourist and archaeological spots of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

KP Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai visited the pavilion and lauded the efforts of organizers for showcasing the tourism potential in a befitting manner to attract local and foreign tourist to the providence.

The minister told the visitors about the initiatives to be taken by the provincial government and the department for the promotion of tourism.

“Keeping in view the strength of KP province having four seasons and terrain from mountains to deserts, snow-bound peaks to mighty rivers and forests, we are focused on developing infrastructure and building capacities of human resources to fully explore and exploit this lucrative and huge revenue-generating sector,” Sajjad Hameed, the TCKP General Manager (Admin & Properties), said during his visit to the KP Pavilion.

He said that they were striving hard to put the tourism sector on the right track for which many projects had been planned to boost it further.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is blessed with abundant natural resources, which make the province a preferred destination for both the domestic and international tourists,” he added.

The visitors and tourists including foreigners enjoyed traditional and folk music, cultural items, traditional cuisines and a lot of more at the KP Pavilion.

Artistes and singers mesmerised the audience with traditional music and dances. The visitors enjoyed the traditional Jhumar, Khattak, Mahsud, Attan and Bangash dances in the evening.