As the fashion and music industries of the country gain more importance, concern has been shown about the lack of adequate publicity and fear among event managers due to fragile security situation, said a report.
Many sponsors have pulled out their investments from many events scheduled this year. Recently, the blast that took place at the Peeru’s Café during a ghazal night has made the message of the extremist forces clear that “they are not in favour of cultural expansion, as they want to impose their own ideology”. Speaking at the Ajoka Theatre in connection with the banning of their play ‘Burqavaganza’, Faizan Peerzada said there was a dearth of cultural events in Pakistan and that only Afghanistan had participated in the recent Sufi Music Festival this year. “Countries including Syria, Algeria, Egypt and a few others had backed out from the event due to security reasons. The already small cultural industry has been targeted by people that promote an extreme agenda in society,” he added.
Faizan said that 22,000 people had come to Pakistan in the past 19 years for different events, which had also contributed to the economy. The government should acknowledge this fact and provide adequate security arrangements and backing to people working for the promotion of art and culture, he added.
Even when the cultural capital of the country is going through a cold phase, painters have shown persistency in showing their talent as a number of art exhibitions continue to be held all over the city.
During this time of ‘cultural uneasiness’, the five-day theatre festival organised by the Punjab Lok Rahs at the Ali Institute of Education also received great feedback from spectators. The entertainment-starved crowds of Lahore were of the view that such events should be held at the national level and awards should be given to young performers.
On the lighter side, women in Lahore do not have to travel to Karachi to add style to their wardrobes anymore, as the Fashion Pakistan Forum launched its official platform in Lahore by the name of Fashion Pakistan Lounge. The lounge gives space to designers registered with either the Karachi Fashion Council or Lahore Fashion Council. However, the country lacks a united fashion forum, a ‘mother body’, which could bring together and manage all the little fashion industries from across the country.
Fashion designer, Ather Ali Hafeez said, “The idea of having a national fashion body was ideal but the existing bodies are not being properly managed. There is a power struggle going on in the industry and the new comers hit by the ‘celebrity syndrome’. Everyone wants to get famous and rich overnight and are neglecting the crux of what fashion is, which is generating new ideas and coming up with new designs.”
Mian Saud
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