By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi hosted a mega musical concert for its members and their families to celebrate the success of the 39-day World Culture Festival 2025, with internationally acclaimed singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan delivering a rousing performance at the YMCA Ground.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan opened the evening with the devotional kalam Allah Hoo before performing iconic pieces associated with Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, including Dum Mast Qalandar and Akhiyan Udeekdiyan, prompting the audience to sing, sway and dance along. Thousands attended the event, which turned into a night of celebration for Arts Council members.
The concert was attended by the chief secretary of Sindh, Syed Asif Hyder Shah, while the president of the Arts Council, Muhammad Ahmed Shah, welcomed guests and members. Also present were vice-president Munawar Saeed, secretary Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, treasurer Qudsia Akbar and governing body members including Ghazi Salahuddin, Abdullah Sultan, Ambareen Haseeb Amber, Amjad Hussain Shah, Farrukh Tanveer Shahab, Huma Mir, Syed Sajid Hasan, S M Qaiser Sajjad, Muhammad Iqbal Latif and Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, along with co-opted members Chand Gul Shah, Alia Iqbal Naqvi and Dr Jaffar Ahmed.
Addressing the audience, Muhammad Ahmed Shah described the evening as “like Eid” for Arts Council members and their families, saying Rahat Fateh Ali Khan had been specially invited for them, as he had been for a members’ concert 15 years earlier. He credited the Sindh government for its full support and said the chief secretary had personally overseen security arrangements during the World Culture Festival.
In his remarks, Syed Asif Hyder Shah thanked the Arts Council leadership and said the festival continued to grow in scale, noting that performers from 44 countries had participated last year, rising to 142 countries this year. He expressed hope that artists from 190 countries would take part next year, calling the concert a gift from the Arts Council and the Sindh government.
At the conclusion of the event, Muhammad Ahmed Shah presented a shield to the chief secretary in recognition of the successful organization of the World Culture Festival, along with traditional Sindhi gifts of ajrak and a Sindhi cap.
