Music aficionados protest bad quality recordings in Swabi
By our correspondent, Cultural coffee table, NSN
SWABI (NSN): People of the Haryan village carried out a tumultuous protest against poor quality recordings after friday prayers. Terming them dangerous for the young generation, they regretted the lost melodies of Noor jehan, Nusrat fateh Ali and other respected artists. Protest leaders exhorted the audience to beware of the foreign hand that is feeding this cultural poison to the unsuspecting and innocent youth of Pakistan. Maulana Shamsi Khan, Maulana Shakirullah, Maulana Abdullah and President Ittehad-i-Kashthkaran Muhammad Arif lead the people in protest. They were unanimous in decrying piracy from across the border that is destroying the fledgling cottage Pakistani music Industry. Carrying banners and flags, the protesters held hands and sang Noor Jehan songs from the 60s. Later, a bonfire was lit for the enjoyment of the crowd. "This is one of the few ways young people can get together these days and not raise any suspicion", said Alhamidullah, who like most Pakistanis does not really use his name much, and was there with his friend.
Protest meetings are fast becoming social events in conservative Pakistan. Six days ago a noisy air vacuum protest shuttered another CD shop in Shewa Adda, and deterred another three shops. It also sent a clear warning to shop owners to improve their business practices. When contacted about the incident, federal tourism minister Ms.Nilofar Bakhtiar said there were plans to promote all kinds of social gatherings in Pakistan during the "Visit Pakistan 2007" initiative. Protest meetings can be a unique tourist attraction and great foreign exchange earners if only people were more understanding about Pakistani society, she noted.
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