Pak artists to perform at Summer fest in Jaipur

Jaipur, June 17 (UNI) To increase the people-to- people contact between India and Pakistan, the Rajasthan tourism is organising a three-day Summer festival featuring Pakistani artists here from tomorrow.

The Summer Cultural festival, to be held from 18 June till June 20, is being organised in association with Indian Council of Cultural relations (ICCR), NGO Routes 2 Roots and Hotel and Restaurants Association of Rajasthan (HRAR).

Addressing a press meet, tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi said here today that summer festival every year is an attempt not only to promote the rich cultural heritage of the state but also to promote the best from other parts of the country.

The festival this time will feature qawwali singer Amjad Fareed Sabri, ghazal singer Asif Mohammad and Farhana Ejaj, singer Naeem Abbas Rufi and Aliba Ali and Asif Hassan Mehdi, who is the son of the legendary ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan.

Naeem Abbas Rufi, 35, from Karachi, is a sufiyana singer and has given many succesful performances in US, Canada and UAE.

Asif Mehdi is the son of the evergreen ghazal singer 'Mehdi Hassan and has performed in the US and the Middle East.

In continuance with the festival, the tourism department will hold another monsoon festival in August where a repertoire of Pakistan theatre is expected to perform here. The famous Pakistani play Anarkali will be performed in Jaipur which has the perfect natural backdrop for the play, said Tina Vacchani, of NGO Routes 2 Roots.

In the cultural exchange programme, two chefs from Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation will visit Karachi and Lahore in September to display their culinary expertise in Rajasthani food.

Apart from the chefs, artists and a senior RTDC officer will form part of the team which will promote Rajasthan as tourist destination there, informed RTDC chairman, Rakesh Saini.

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