First ever South Punjab Literary & Cultural Festival (SPLCF) culminated with different sessions on different forms of literature, including dialogue, poetic sitting, comedy show and qawwali and sufi nights. A dialogue with living legend singer, Surriya Multanikr and her daughter Rahat Multnaikr was held which was moderated by senior broadcaster, Asif Khan. The role of South Punjab singers in the music industry was reviewed wherein Surriya Multanikr informed that artists of the region brought a good name to the country by their performances especially in abroad.
She and Rahat Bano Multanikr amused the audience with Saraiki songs.An Urdu and Saraiki Mushaira was followed by the dialogue was a beautiful blend of two languages poets which included Aziz Akbar Shahid, Jahangir Mukhlis, Aman Ullah Arshad, Nasim Shahid, Nawazish Ali Nadeem, Makhmoor Qalandri, Amir Sohial, Dr Shakil Patafi and Hatim Baloch read their kalams.It was hosted by writer and Director DPR Sajjad Jahania.
The audience gave a round of applause to the poets and famed Qawwal, Abid Sher Ali’s one and a half hour performance forced them to whirl.He sang great mystic poet Khawaja Farid kalam besides other poets which included: “ Kali Kali Zulfoon sy purha hatao, Tajdar-i-Haram ho nigha-i- Karam”.
A dialogue with celebrated academician, Dr Anwaar Ahmed and dramatist,Ashar Nadeem Syed was also organized in another sitting of the festival wherein the latter shed light on Pakistani drama industry ups and down and role of Radio Pakistan in promotion of regional culture on national level.
He regretted that mushrooms of private channels started copying stories of Hollywood which changed the subjects of drama culture in the country.
