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Cholistan
festival postponed over security concerns
LAHORE: The seventh Cholistan Festival scheduled to commence at the
Lahore Arts Council (LAC) from Monday has been postponed until July
due to security concerns, Cholistan Development Council (CDC)
Chairman Farooq Ahmad Khan told Daily Times.
The LAC and the CDC jointly organise a four-day annual festival
promoting the art and culture of Cholistan. Artists from Cholistan
and Bahawalpur participate in the festival, which has been gaining
popularity in recent years.
All the preparations for the event were complete, but after the
assassination of Mufti Sarfarz Naeemi on Saturday, the
administration decided to postpone the festival due to the
precarious law and order situation.
The CDC chairman said the artists from Cholistan had reached
Bahawalpur and were scheduled to reach Lahore on Saturday night but
the administration and artists had jointly decided to postpone the
event. He said the festival featured Cholistani music, food,
jewelry, dresses, paintings, puppetry and plays. He said, prior to
the postponement, the festival had been reduced to a two-day event
this year due to security concerns.
He said folk artists in Cholistan prepare for the festival
throughout the year and they would love to perform even in July. He
hoped the circumstances would return to normal by the next month,
adding they would deliberate on the duration of the festival this
year.
The festival is organised to promote the cultural heritage of
Pakistan. The LAC did not charge CDC for the venue and entry to the
festival was also free of charge.
Daily
Times:June 14, 2009
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