 Actual, honest to Gawd picture that's in the Pak Daily Times. |
While most of the audience was made up of college students, some families also attended the concert, although to the disappointment of youths, a curtain divided the hall keeping families and other audience separate. “This has been done to keep the families separate from those who are here to enjoy the concert without families,” said an organiser.
Bands: Popular band Jal and two other bands from Peshawar and Islamabad performed. The concert, scheduled to begin at 8pm, started after an hour-long delay, although people continued to arrive until 10pm, when Jal appeared on stage amid thundering applause. The youths attending the concert were so excited while listening to their favourite songs “Aadat” and “Chaltay Chaltay” that they started dancing and waving.
Entertaining events: Shahid, a practicing lawyer who attended the concert with his brother and two friends, said that entertainment was an important part of life. While he was not impressed with the performers, Shahid was happy that he was witnessing such entertainment activities returning to the city. “I have not seen a live concert since my student life,” he said, adding, “This is the first time I’m here and the thing must go on.” Dawood, a real estate dealer, told Daily Times that the concert was a ‘positive activity’ and must continue. He said that there was a blackout in Peshawar during the tenure of the previous government as far as entertainment was concerned. “It is good to see that life is returning to our city,” he said.
The music show continued late into the night. Tight security measures were adopted inside and outside the hotel. Policemen were seen guarding the Khyber Road in front of the hotel.
An informal ban was imposed on musical shows and concerts by the Mutahidda Majlis-e-Amal government in Peshawar, which also closed the Nishtar Hall, the only venue used for stage dramas and musical shows in the city.