The Pakistani mission in Dubai in co-operation with community members has prepared an excellent show of the country's culture, heritage and entertainment activities during the Dubai Shopping Festival starting on Wednesday.
Apart from the star-studded cultural and musical shows, Pakistan's festival organising committee has this time made it a point to make the country's pavilion at the Global Village a centre of attraction.
"The pavilion will be the centre of cultural, heritage and folkloric activities," consul general Amanullah Larik told Gulf News.
He said around 54 stalls at the pavilion will feature special products from Pakistan including traditional furniture, onyx and marble products, handicraft, leather products, traditional gold and silver jewellery, precious gems, stones and minerals, textiles, readymade garments, stuffed toys, spices, bangles, embroidered items, henna and children's products. Landmark
The Pakistan pavilion has been designed to show the country as a modern state while a replica of Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore - a national landmark for the Pakistan Resolution passed in 1940 has been built at the gate of the pavilion.
"There has been a huge demand from exhibitors to get stalls at our pavilion," said Najeeb Abbasi, commercial secretary at the consulate. He said almost half of the exhibitors will come from various parts of Pakistan.
The consulate has for the first time hired the services of a Dubai-based professional event management company Dream Advertising to organise its musical shows.
Imran Mirza, head of the cultural committee, said leading television and film artistes including Jawad Ahmed, Shahida Mini, Mishi Khan, Fariha Pervez, Huma Khawaja and the Strings pop band will perform at the mega musical and cultural event titled Basant Night being organised in the second week of the festival.
"The Basant Night will be a scene straight from Lahore's kite flying festival celebrated in February every year, and invited guests will also have the opportunity to fly w
hite kites at night in addition to having traditional Pakistani food," he added. Some of these leading artists will also perform at the Amphitheatre at the Global Village. To provide non-stop entertainment activities to visitors, Mirza said, a big stage is being constructed inside the pavilion where local and folkloric artistes, specially flown in from different parts of Pakistan will perform every night. Children from Pakistan schools will also present various programmes at the pavilion.
Gulf News 2003
