First Mardan Literary Festival concludes

MARDAN: The first-ever Mardan Literary Festival concluded with much funfair and colourful activities on Wednesday.

Held at the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan (AWKUM), renowned artistes Bakhtiar Khattak, Irfan Kamal, Khurshid Alam Sabir and the AWKUM’s own house-band, Safar, stunning performances mesmerised the audiences.

The participants praised the organisers for arranging such a marvellous event to relax and enjoy in a peaceful environment.

Speaking on the occasion, AWKUM Vice-Chancellor Dr Khurshid Khan said that not only such festivals provided entertainment to the local population and the youth, but also helped educate them and the masses about importance of their culture, literature and various forms of arts.

He believed that nearly all forms of expression, from literature to performance, were essential for the people to feel connected where they live.

“The traditions of literature, arts and performances are evolved over many centuries, and they also provide certain sense of identity of the masses,” he said.

He added that such programmes should continue and AWKUM would always provide all the necessary collaboration and cooperation to the organisers.

The Literary Festival ended with a musical performance where traditional Pashto music was presented along with the modern music.

Later, a guided tour of the University Museum was also arranged for the participants followed by a briefing about the artifacts at the Museum.