Multan Literary Festival concludes

MULTAN The two-day Fifth Multan Literary Festival culminated with spectacular performances by Saieen Zahoor and Wahab Bugti at the Multan Arts Council here on Monday.

The two-day event held under the auspices of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, served as a nexus for literary enthusiasts, intellectuals, and artists from across the country. The participants immersed themselves in multiple stalls offering literary works. They also enjoyed various refreshments, adding to the festival's convivial ambience. The festival also provided a platform for engaging discussions, with topics ranging from the popularity of young poets, Seraiki folk music, the objectives of treaties, and today's Pakistan, history and civilization, music and dance etc. A discussion was also held on the topic of an evening with Shakir Shuja Abadi. Moreover, the festival culminated with a spectacular musical concert featuring performances by acclaimed artists such as Saieen Zahoor, Wahab Bugti, Acma the Band, Gizri, sounds of Kolachi and Mustafa Baloch among others.

The electrifying performances captivated the audience, underscoring the enduring appeal of music in Pakistani culture. Addressing the closing ceremony, Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi President M Ahmed Shah said that the youth need to take their culture seriously. There are very few intellectuals. Our goal is not just to beat the drum, there is a vision behind it, he said.

He said we need to connect with each other, this is not a job for the army stationed at the border but it is the job of our intellectuals. It is necessary to translate and promote the culture of different nationalities residing in Pakistan to other parts of the country through translations, he opined. He said that despite political turmoil, the holding of this festival is commendable. Big intellectuals of Pakistan such as Shakir Shuja Abadi attended the festival. Rafat Abbas is also the big name in Seraiki Waseb. “Pakistan needs to give importance to literature, philosophy, science, art and culture”. He said that the Sufis brought about a revolution in this region. Shah Latif, Data Ganj Bakhsh, Bahauddin Zakariya, Baba Ghulam Farid, Bhullay Shah, Shah Hussain, Waris Shah and Mian Muhammad are still remembered by the whole world. Our youth are moving away from the teachings of these Sufis, he added.

M Ahmed Shah said that the government has to ensure the rights of all language speakers. Providing them employment and better education is the responsibility of the government.