New Year welcomed in traditional way

LAHORE:The youth welcomed New Year in their peculiar style by singing and dancing on popular roads and points in the City amid tight security on Thursday night.

People witnessed display of fireworks at different places including Greater Iqbal Park, Jail Road, Bahria Town and in many posh localities of the City. Extra ordinary security measures and Corona SOPs were implemented by the district administration and law enforcement agencies. The fear of Corona spread is very disturbing and agonising element in the minds of the Punjab government.

Although the risk of spreading the infections was very high this new year night, but the merrymakers have already taken to the most ‘suitable’ hangouts right after sun down to be a part of ‘history making’ by singing, dancing, racing their motorbikes and cars on the Mall, Jail Road, Canal Road, Defence, Liberty Roundabout and other recreational spots in the City. Highly deplorable feature of New Year celebrations has been firing in the air in almost every locality of the City, especially in the highly affluent areas. This dangerous display of highly deplorable behaviour takes many lives at the end of the day.

This year the usual excitement and accelerated efforts for welcoming the new year seemed to be less than the last year. Fireworks display and bootleggers business remained on the tip of their of the New Year celebrations. Hotels and famous liquor selling points remained crowded.

The fireworks at Bahria Town, dances on the Mall and Liberty Roundabout and the Canal Road remained the centre of activity as it had always been. Those who could not take to the City streets glued to their TV sets to watch the New Year celebrations in Lahore and other parts of the country.

Special prayers were held at homes for a better, brighter, positive and corona free year in almost every house of the City. Our correspondent adds: The Lahore Arts Council, Alhamra hosted a grand New Year celebration on Thursday. Provincial Minister for Culture Khayal Ahmed Kastro, Chairperson Board of Governors Lahore Arts Council, Alhamra Moneeza Hashmi and Executive Director Alhamra Saman Rai graced the occasion.

Minister of Culture Khayal Ahmed Kastro was received with the performance of drummers. The minister also went to the office of Chairperson Moneeza Hashmi. The ceremony was formally initiated by the Director Alhamra Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi with introductory remarks. Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister for Culture Khayal Ahmed said that in 2021 the spirit of love, brotherhood, sympathy, unity and solidarity will grow and there is no room for social injustice.

Chairperson Alhamra Moneeza Hashmi said that Alhamra has become a modern literary and cultural hub and will step in the New Year as a great institution. Executive director Saman Rai said that the New Year is an occasion when you cover the successes and difficulties of the past year. It is a time when you learn from the past and make new plans for the future. Last but not the least I pray that the very first ray of sun of the year 2021 will rise with many achievements, joys and hopes for all of us. I wish the Alhamra team as well as the entire country a Happy New Year. On the occasion of New Year Alhamra has also released a Sehra Track, and when the singers performed on the stage they got immense applause from the audience.