Children Festival explores performing arts talent at PNCA 

Islamabad: All the young souls passionately presented the rhythm of their emotions and feelings for the motherland on the first day of the Children Festival here on Tuesday. The event was part of the month-long celebrations being organised by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) to mark the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan.

PNCA Director General Syed Jamal Shah was the chief guest who also distributed prizes among the children. The two-hour performance included national songs by the school children and playing of the music instruments, a magic show and singing by a well-known local singer Muhammad Ali.

The children of the Quality Public School presented a song ‘shukriya Pakistan, muskara Pakistan’. Rimsha Malik of the Arid Agriculture School sang ‘jugg jug jeeway mera piyara watan’, while the students of the Bahria Foundation School sang ‘watan ki mitti gawah rehna’.

The students of the Divisional Public School presented ‘hamara Pakistan piyara Pakistan’. Syed Zain and Syed Saad, the students of Islamabad College of Arts and Sciences (ICAS) spellbound the audience by playing ‘ye watan tumhara hae, tum ho pasbaan iss kay’ on violin and keyboard.

Bushra Saim and Marriyam Saim, yet another very young duo, mesmerised the audience with their quite mature singing ‘sohni dharti’. The Islamabad Model College for Girls, G-6/1, and Islamabad Model School I-9 also presented some songs.

Abbas Nanha, the magician, was also very good in amusing the children with his tricks while singer Muhammad Ali entertained the audience with his professionally mature style and rendition of national songs.

Nisha Ahmed, the Iqra University student, conducted the show. She believes such kind of events groom the confidence and performing arts talent of the youth and children. A teacher from the Bahria Foundation School, Ms Fareeda said the extracurricular activities broaden the vision of the children and help groom the creative skills. Hence, such activities shall be of more importance in their education system.  Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest Syed Jamal Shah said, “Our children are very talented, right guidance and grooming would help them grow active and dynamic citizens. Pakistan is a unique country where over sixty per cent of the population is youth that is a big resource for productive initiatives if trained and education according to the national needs. Our youth also need to learn about the seasons and soil of the land to take pleasure and pride of what it offers.”

He said our civilization is over 9000 years old and the culture is so rich and diverse that no other land offers, we shall need to focus to know it so that our decisions should be we well-informed choices. Youth can change the fate of our nation with well informed choices.