The program introduced Pakistan’s cuisine and Qawwali music (a form of music practiced by mystics to inspire religious devotion and instruction) and poems written by great Pakistani poets were recited, IRNA reported.
Diplomats, ambassadors, media representatives, Iranian think tanks, and a large number of people from the Iranian and Pakistani community participated in the event.
Renowned Pakistani Qawaal duo, Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad, paid tribute to Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by singing Qawwalis.
Pakistan’s Ambassador’s to Iran Rahim Hayat Qureshi said that his country is getting prepared for the 75th anniversary of independence in August, adding that this program is part of Pakistan’s Embassy for the occasion.
The envoy invited visitors to see calligraphy works featuring the poems of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, known as Iqbal-e Lahori.
Qawwali music is a 700-year-old ceremony of South Asia, Qureshi added.
“Cultural events like these help in gaining a deeper understanding of each other’s culture,” he said.
The ambassador highlighted the importance of the Qawwali for paying tribute to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as it was the occasion of Milad un-Nabi (birth anniversary of the Prophet) in Iran.
Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the director of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, who was the special guest at the program, said, “Pakistan’s Cultural Night and Food Festival is also a celebration for Iranians because the cultures of Iran and Pakistan are very close to each other.”
The head of the academy added, “The best symbol of the closeness of the two cultures of Iran and Pakistan is Lahori who had about 10,000 verses in the Persian language, which is twice the number of poems written in Punjabi and Urdu.”
Source: Tehran Times