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    The Fabled 'Qissa Khawani Bazaar' Comes to Life at Lok Virsa

    Written by: Mirza Salam Ahmed
    Posted on: September 23, 2015 |

    The four-day festival aimed to highlight the importance of preserving Pakistan's historical and cultural heritage

    Enchanting music, captivating artwork, and the tantalizing smell of Pukhtun cuisine filled the Lok Virsa air last week, when the 4th Qissa Khawani Bazaar Festival was held in Islamabad. The festival showcased the rich culture, traditions and stories of Peshawar’s Qissa Khawani Bazaar, a hub of trade for centuries in South Asia.

    Qissa Khawani Bazaar at Lok Virsa Islamabad

    The four-day festival was held under the patronage of Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, in collaboration with the Provincial Directorate of Culture and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The festival was a symbolic representation of the historical Qissa Khawani Bazaar, featuring its crafts, food, music, recreational activities and enchanting stories.

    This ambitious project aimed to attract and educate the masses about the importance of preserving the historical and cultural heritage of Pakistan, an asset that in essence helped shape South Asia as we know it. The inaugural ceremony started with a quick tour of the recreated bazaar, with chief guest Kadim Hussain, a renowned scholar of culture and social sciences and a member of the Lok Virsa Board of Governors.

    Day 1 of the festival kicked off with the launch of a book titled "The Bazaar of Storytellers" by Wilma Heston and Mumtaz Nasir. The book includes a versatile collection of tales based on life, society, culture and romance. Originally, these stories would be narrated to small gatherings of singers, poets and storytellers at the Qissa Khawani Bazaar in Peshawar. Since then, the stories have been preserved on paper as well as in movies and drama serials, but the tradition of the act itself has faded dramatically.

    Qissa Khawani Bazaar at Lok Virsa Islamabad

    The Executive Director of Lok Virsa, Dr. Fouzia Saeed, explained that Lok Virsa attempts to rejuvenate and preserve the treasure of our culture for posterity. “It is important to point out that bazaars such as these served as prisms of diversity, where colors of all sorts blended and developed appreciation, and became the birthplace of new ideas”, she said. “I personally feel that in a multicultural and multiethnic society like ours, we cannot pass on these glorious traditions to our coming generations simply by oral rendition.”

    The second day of the festival was filled with music and dance. The grand finale of the Rubab Playing Competition took place, as 15 contestants touched many souls through their music. The judges for the competition were Ghulab Afridi, Nazir Gul and Sabz Ali. Federal Secretary Muhammad Azam from Broadcasting and National Heritage, the Ministry of Information, and the Adviser to KP Chief Minister for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Amjad Khan Afridi rewarded the top three contestants with cash prizes, and the rest with consolation awards. Later in the evening, the traditional Pukhtun dance of swords was displayed, followed by a live concert of renowned Pukhtun singers Abasin Yousufzai, Bukhtiar Khattak, Nabeela Wadood and Shahid Ali Khan.

    Qissa Khawani Bazaar at Lok Virsa Islamabad

    "Yousuf Khan Sherbano", a Pukhtun film, graced the festival on the third day. Lok Virsa Mandwa Film Club hosted the event, which was attended by a massive Pukhtun community in the form of students and families. “I am glad this has happened. It is the first event of its kind in the capital”, said Dr. Fouzia Saeed. “We have done our best to recreate the ambiance of the Qissa Khawani Bazaar, so the audience can fully experience the cultural heritage of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.

    At the concluding ceremony on the fourth day, the guests appreciated the efforts made by Lok Virsa and congratulated them on a successful endeavor to rejuvenate the pride in Pukhtuns, and in Pakistanis as a whole. Hundreds of people from different walks of life attended the event on all four days, enjoying a truly rare opportunity to peek into the past. “It is necessary to document such stories to show our youth the real essence of our pluralistic past”, concluded Dr. Fouzia.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021