Renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan enthralls Arts Council members with a spectacular performance
KARACHI: Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi Organized a mega Musical Concert to celebrate the remarkable success of the 39-day World Culture Festival 2025 for Arts Council members and their families at the YMCA Ground.
The evening was headlined by internationally acclaimed singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who mesmerized the audience with his soulful voice. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan opened the concert with the devotional kalam “ALLAH Hoo” and went on to perform legendary pieces made famous by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, including “Dum Mast Qalandar” and “Akhiyan Udeekdiyan”, compelling the audience to sway and dance along. Arts Council members thoroughly enjoyed the performance, turning the concert into a night of celebration and joy.
The event was attended by Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Asif Hyder Shah, while President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah warmly welcomed all guests and members. Thousands of people attended the musical evening. Among those present were Vice President Arts Council Munawar Saeed, Secretary Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, Treasurer Qudsia Akbar, and Governing Body members 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. Co-opted members Chand Gul Shah, Alia Iqbal Naqvi, and Dr. Jaffar Ahmed were also in attendance.
Speaking at the Concert, President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah said that the day was like Eid for Arts Council members and their families. “We invited Rahat Fateh Ali Khan especially for our members. I had invited him for a members’ concert fifteen years ago as well.
The Sindh Government has fully supported us, and without its cooperation, we cannot move forward even an inch. During the World Culture Festival, the Chief Secretary Sindh personally supervised all security arrangements,” he added. Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Asif Hyder Shah, in his remarks, thanked Muhammad Ahmed Shah and said that last year artists from 44 countries participated in the World Culture Festival, while this year performers from 142 countries took part. “I believe that next year artists from 190 countries will participate.
This concert is a gift from Muhammad Ahmed Shah and the Sindh Government,” he said. At the end of the event, President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah presented a shield to Chief Secretary Sindh Syed Asif Hyder Shah in recognition of the successful organization of the World Culture Festival, along with traditional Sindhi gifts of ajrak and a Sindhi cap.
