Scores of expats attend ‘Pakistan Festival’

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

DUBAI: Over 500 community members including families, children and individuals from different backgrounds attended the ‘Pakistan Festival’ held at the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) in Oud Metha, Dubai.

The 3-day annual event provided the community with an opportunity to enjoy an array of activities while being served some of the best authentic traditional delicacies.

Varieties of Pakistani traditional jewellery and clothes were also lined up the festival.

The festival was inaugurated by Amjad Ahmed Ali the Consul General of Pakistan along with other consulate officials and their families.

Talking to Gulf Today, Faisal Ikram, president of Pakistan Association said that the array of activities have been receiving tremendous applause from all segments of the community who had attended the opening night on Thursday.

“To keep the tradition alive, PAD is celebrating the National Day of Pakistan with 3-day great zeal and enthusiasm. This year celebration includes street food fun, Cultural Avenue, Arts Exhibition by school children and Urdu Mushaira,” he said.

Dozens of school children from different community schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman had displayed their artworks to depict national unity, country’s landscapes, people and other patriotism theme while a photography exhibition highlighting the ‘Pakistan Movement’ had also drawn huge attention. The 3-day festival was packed with a wide range of stage activities like national songs competition, children tableau show, quiz competition & Desi sports activities, like tug of war, sack race such other traditional games for families.

The guests artists and poets enthralling the community members with their outwit performances, poetry and other skills including Sohail Ahmed Azizi, Anwar Masood, Aktar Abbas, Salman Gilani , Khalid Massod and Farhat Abbass.

The opening night had the Urdu poetry session in which renowned Pakistani poet Anwar Masood had presented his famous humorous poems. Masood has been entertaining with his poetry session ‘mushaira’ to people across the world, enthralling the expatriate community for the last couple of decades.

The Pakistani expatriates in the UAE are celebrating country’s 79th Resolution Day today (March 23). The official ceremonies, national flag hoisting will be carried out in Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai.