Families of artistes given Eid package

PESHAWAR: Needy and deserving families of local and Afghan artistes were given away Rs700,000 as Eid cash amount, with each family receiving Rs5,000.

A ceremony was arranged near Ring Road here Monday in which Hunari Tolana WelfareSociety, a body for artists’ welfare based in Peshawar, and a private donor distributed cash packages to the families of folk artistes and musicians.

A total of 140 local and Afghan families of folk artistes were given away Eid cash package at the event.Local and Afghan artists attended the function, with veteran folk Pashto singer Ahmad Gul Ustad in the chair.

Rashid Khan, an artiste and president of Tolana, thanked the private donor and asked the provincial Culture Department to come up with same gesture so that artistes could also enjoy festivities of the upcoming Eid.

He said Culture Department should take similar steps for artistes’ welfare.Wagma Bibi, another Pashto artist, said that she was pleased to see the widows of the artistes receiving the financial assistance. Ahmad Gul said he was happy with the provision of security and financial assistance to Afghan artistes who had arrived in Peshawar after the change in the government in Kabul last year.