Crowds enthralled by singing, acting, dance competitions at Youth Festival

On the sixth and penultimate day of the ongoing Pakistan Youth Festival at the Arts Council of Pakistan, crowds were enthralled by outstanding performance of the candidates in the finals of singing, instrument, acting, dance and battle of the band competitions.

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation Shazia Marri and Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Law Barrister Murtaza Wahab also visited in the festival on its sixth day. They met Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmad Shah and lauded the efforts of the Arts Council for the promotion of arts and culture.

Shazia remarked on the occasion that the youth needed a free environment for development so that they could develop their talents. “I am happy to see at the Arts Council that Ahmad Shah has provided an environment to the youth where they strive to develop their talents,” she said, adding that she could feel the enthusiasm and happiness of the youths participating at the festival.

She said that some people want to mislead the youth but today's youth were very wise and would not be misled. The youth of Pakistan wanted a bright future and they knew who was working for them and who was trying to mislead them, she added.

She called for working together to strengthen the youth of this country. The Arts Council had given a direction to the youth as instructed by the Quaid-e-Azam, she remarked.

She lauded Shah for taking great steps to strengthen the children and youth of the nation.

Meanwhile, Wahab said all of us should work together to establish a smiling Karachi and Pakistani society where people were happy just like youths were happy at the Arts Council.

He said that Shah had also announced IT courses for the youth, which would result in employment opportunities for them.

Earlier on Friday, the fifth day of the youth festival, a function for children with special needs was organised at the open-air theater of the council.

Students of schools, colleges and universities participated in the festival whole day. A dance workshop attracted many youths and a large number of them also participated in and witnessed the speech competition whose final results were announced.

Shah said on the festival’s fifth day that love and fear were two emotions that drove a person forward. He told the youths attending the event that if they did something with heart and soul, they could go far.

He stressed the need for character development of the youth, stating that first of all we should try to become a better person. He asked the youth to never hesitate from acquiring new knowledge.

Special Education Secretary Hadi Bux Kalhoro said on the occasion that the Arts Council always did something different. He congratulate Shah on the successful festival.

The seven-day festival is set to conclude today (Sunday). Many famous singers including Ali Azmat, Sahir Ali Bagga, Ahmed Jahanzaib, Arman Rahim and Natasha Baig, are scheduled to perform at the concluding ceremony in the afternoon.