As Sindhi Culture Day was celebrated with enthusiasm across the city on Sunday, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori asked the people to remember in their celebrations their fellow homeless Sindhi persons who had been suffering after the catastrophic floods this year.
He put forth the advice to this effect while speaking at a programme held at the Governor House to celebrate Sindhi Culture Day. The event was attended by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani, the consul generals of Oman, Qatar and Bahrain, deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh and dignitaries belonging to various walks of life.
The governor said that the flood-hit people of the province still required support from their fellow countrymen for their rehabilitation despite the passage of a considerable time since the flood calamity.
He said that he was proud to be the son of the soil of Pakistan and Karachi. “The fact that I’m a native of the land of Sindh makes me even prouder,” he added. Tessori said that he had hosted the event at the Governor House to celebrate the centuries-old civilisation of Sindh and bring together people belonging to different communities.
He told the audience that he had embarked upon a mission to promote solidarity and fraternal ties among the people so that the land of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai could become a bastion of love and affection.
He said Sindh was the land of Sufi saints who had always preached to people to show affection to fellow human beings. He mentioned that Sindhi culture was one of the most ancient cultures in the world and the day stood for showing the feelings of love, affection and selflessness for others.
Tessori emphasised that the Sindhi cap and Ajrak were the leading symbols of the Pakistani culture as people should be proud of them as they represented the rich cultural heritage of their land.
He said the cultural shows were the best way to bring together people belonging to different regions of the world. The governor remarked that the Sindhi culture had become popular all over the world. The MQM-P chief appreciated the governor for hosting a ceremony to show his love for his native land and culture.
Sindhi music, traditional songs and other artistic performances were highlights of the event. Besides the Governor House event, celebrations were held at various places. A large number of people donning Sindhi caps and Ajrak gathered outside the Karachi Press Club where traditional Sindhi music was played.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a statement issued on Sunday said the culture of Sindh was one of the most ancient cultures in the world as its various charming iconic representations had been appreciated by people all over the world.
He greeted the natives of Sindh living all over the world on the occasion of Sindhi Culture Day. He said the Sindhi cap and Ajrak were the two most beautiful iconic representations of the Sindhi culture as their colours stood for love and respect for other cultures. He said that peculiar traits, customs, dresses and food associated with the people of Sindh made their culture unique.
Bus service
Meanwhile, the staff members of the buses of the recently launched Peoples Bus Service wore Sindhi caps and Ajrak all day long to celebrate Sindhi Culture Day in a befitting manner.
The management of the Peoples Bus Service decided to celebrate Sindhi Culture Day in a unique manner, after which the crew of the bus service in Karachi, Larkana and Hyderabad wore Sindhi caps and Ajrak.
They also danced to the tunes of Sindhi folk music and songs. The Peoples Bus Service also announced that passengers of the service in Hyderabad would be charged a special reduced fare of Rs30 for a bus journey up to five kilometres.