Artists pin hopes on govt for promoting cultural activities.

PESHAWAR -- Artists and folk singers have pinned hopes on government to promote cultural activities and create opportunities for them.

They said that they witnessed a grim year 2019 because no step was taken by the authorities concerned to ameliorate the lives of artists.

The comeback of noted singer Shakeela Naz after almost three decades and permanent settlement of another Nazia Iqbal in UK both pleased and saddened Pashto music-buffs in the year 2019.

'Kabari Bazaar behind the historic Qissa Khwani once again echoed with the sounds of around 400 musicians, who earlier had left the place due to dwindling business but since the beginning of the year, most folk singers returned to reopen their offices,' Ali Jan Zargar, an office boy working with Peshawar artists, told this scribe.

Several singers got to social media and earned name and fame by picking up quality Pashto poetry and music critics termed it a quality change during the year 2019.

Mahtab Gul, a music lover, told this scribe that young Pashto artists and singers fast adopted digital ways to reach out to mass audience and the year 2019 was witnessed as opening a new window to artists.

The sad demise of top folk singers and instrumentalists including Hidayatullah, Akbar Hussain, Wali Dad Ustad, Derany Ustad, Dilawar Khan and Zamirullah Ustad left the traditional Pashto music poorer. Social media played a significant role in introducing and popularising many young artists and folk singers.

According to artists and folk singers, the provincial government announced the first ever cultural policy but failed to implement it in letter and...