During Lok Mela on Sunday, Punjab pavilion remained centre of attraction due to work of master artisans and craftsmen of the province. Around 50 stalls of artisans had been decorated in the Punjab Pavilion at the Pakistan National Council of Arts, in which as many as 100 skilled craftsmen were engaged in the work.
According to Punjab Arts Council spokesman Muhammad Salman, Punjab is the land of five rivers, and its culture is very attractive and centuries old. He said that whether it was pottery work, chalk, Khas, Dari on desi khadi, Gotaknari, the art of soldering or wood, stone, artisans of ivory, metal or textile, and the art of tapestry was displayed in the Punjab Pavilion and were engrossed in the creation of their works of art. Among the artisans were Hajran Bibi Chungir Sazi from Bahawalpur, Shahada Bibi Kasihda Kari, Ibrahim Alam pottery Work, Asma Zahoor Kishda Kari from Multan, Muhammad Ahmed Block Printing, Zeeshan Rashid Camal Bone Work, Shah Jahan Begum Moti Work, Surya Abdullah chenri making and Abdul Rehman Camel Skinwork, Muhammad Aslam Khasa making from Faisalabad, Muhammad Riaz Lacquer Art, Kaneez Fatima Chhabi Making, Sarfraz Hussain Khadi from Gujranwala, Ghulam Abbas Desi Dari Khas, Zulfikar Ali Blue Pottery from Lahore, Ziaul Haq Woodwork, Muhammad Afsar Khan Brass work, Fauzia Naheed doll-making from Rawalpindi, Hafeez Nasir Zari work, Zahida Sultana Crocia work and Ghulam Hussain stone carving are worth mentioning here. Meanwhile, the rich culture and traditions of Balochistan displayed at “Lok Mela” prove to be an opportunity for the visitors to value the arts and crafts of the province along with the display of cultural materials of other provinces. The organisers have allocated spacious place to all the provinces for showcasing their indigenous folk culture in a creative and interactive manner. The Balochistan pavilion set up by the Balochistan Culture Department catches the visitors’ eye with presentation of the richness of Balochi culture, arts, crafts, folk music, rituals, traditions, cuisine and folk entertainment. The Balochistan pavilion is located at the centre of the festival grounds. When one enters Balochi pavilion through the beautifully designed gates showing typical Balochi culture and architecture, it feels that they are in Balochistan. The Balochi contingent includes craftspeople, folk artists, folk misicians and folk dancers, Master artisans are Kaneez Fatima, Shakar Bibi and Arzi Khan,Fazal Kakar in Balochi embroidery, Rozi Khan in Balochi shoes and Arzi Khan in wood work and musical instruments making.
Among them, female craftswoman in embroidery Kaneez Fatima, 48, is an educated lady. She stands out not only for her excellence but also in her tireless propagation of this traditional art by imparting it to the future generations. —APP
