Concert held

Islamabad: More than 600 students and music-lovers celebrated traditional Pakistani music ‘Music Freedom Concert,’ sponsored by US Embassy.
The event highlighted Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and underscored the powerful role that music plays in connecting individuals across cultures and countries.
The Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN) in partnership with Black Box Sounds and Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk & Traditional Heritage) organised the concert.
At the concert, Peshawar-based band, Khumariyaan, released its new music video, showcasing the band’s recent tours in the United States. Khumariyaan musician Farhan Bogra shared anecdotes with the audience from the band’s experience playing alongside American musicians during their eight-state US tour, which included their performance in the first-ever Pakistani Showcase at the South-by-Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas. The band’s travel to the United States was made possible by support from US Embassy Islamabad.
In a video message, US Embassy Country Cultural Attaché Dr. Daniel S. Mattern told the crowd that, “Music connects us as people … across tribes, across regions, and across cultures and countries.” The United States is committed to building ties between the peoples of Pakistan and the United States, and invests in a wide range of cultural programs that promote visual and performing arts, women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. PUAN members, alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programmes, organise events across Pakistan, which include community service projects, leadership training, round table discussions, and community engagement activities.