Lok Mela ends

Islamabad: After providing an opportunity to experience the rich cultural diversity of the country, the folk festival Lok Mela concluded on Sunday with a prestigious award ceremony.

The concluding ceremony also features a colourful cultural performance showcasing every corner of country. Provincial Minister for Information and Culture, Government of Punjab Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan was the special guest on the occasion. Over the course of the eight-day event, over than 600 folk artists, musicians and performers participated in the event, enthralling visitors who were attending the festival in large numbers.

The Mela featured pavilions, divided for the provinces including Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), displaying cultural aspects of these areas were also set up. Folk artists at these pavilions performed their traditional songs and dances in full traditional garb.

All the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have fully participated in the festival by way of presenting their beautiful indigenous culture, arts, crafts, music and cuisine in specially designed pavilions symbolizing their respective historical monuments, contributing art, music and entertainment activities.

Among artisans from Sindh who received cash awards included Qadir Buksh in blue pottery, Saran in spinning wheel, Nadeemuddin Soomro, Bisham Lal in shoe making, Shaukat Marwari, Krishan Laal Bheel, Rasul Baksh, and Hussain Bakhsh. From Balochistan,Umeedan, Mai Hazari, Hawwa, Ali Muhammad, Lal Bukhsh, Shahwali, Raza Shaida, Rehmatullah, Rasul Bakhsh, Liaquat Mansoor and Shahmeer Sabzal.

From Khyber Pakhtun khawa, Munaza Hayat, Muhammad Faheem, Rakhsana Bibi, Fazl-e-wahid and Ajmal Khan. Federal Secretary, Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Shafqat Jalil was the chief guest of concluding ceremony.