LAHORE (Thursday, July 10): Punjab University, in connection with its ongoing 125-year celebrations, organized a ‘Mehfil-e-Arfana Kalam’ on Thursday in the Undergraduate Block New Campus to pay rich tribute to brotherly and human friendly messages of saints and Sufis. Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mujahid Kamran was chief guest while a large number of teachers and students were also present on the occasion.

Renowned classical singer Rustam Fateh Ali Khan, Israr Chishti, Jamshaid Chisti and Muhammad Jawad enthralled the audience by their excellent performances of the soofiyana kalam of Hazrat Sultan Bahoo, Hazrat Khawja Ghulam Farid, Mian Muhammad Baksh Bullay Shah and Hazrat Shah Hussain.

The students who performed on the occasion included Saira Tahir, Hina Khalid and Ghulam Abbass from PU Department of Musicology, Farman Abbass from Sociology, Hussnain Javed from Hailey College, Hafiz Muhammad Zulfiqar from Geology, Hina Nasarullah from Urdu Department and Beenish Malik from Institute of Communication Studies. The audience enjoyed the performances and gave open heart applauds to the singers and musicians. Ustad Rustam had an instant competition with supporting musicians Baqar Abbas (flute) and Israr Chisti, who was performing as drumist on Rustam’s request, and the mingling of the music and lyrics mesmerized the audience, who gave heartily applauds to the performers.

Speaking on the occasion Vice-Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran said that PU College of Art and Design is full of creative talent and the university will organize such more ceremonies so that the talent of these students is discovered and polished. He said that the man needed source of guidance since its creation and the God had been guiding the man with different ways. He said that Arfana Kalam and teachings of the saints and Sufis are a permanent source of guidance for Muslims as well as other people.

Dr Kamran said that in the beginning man had been fighting with other creations for its survival on the earth but now when he has become dominant on this planet, he has started fighting with one another and he is destroying his own specie. He said instead of indulging in wars and violence man should live peacefully on the earth by establishing unity and brotherhood in its societies. Ustad Rustam Fateh Ali especially praised the performance of a student, Hina Nasrullah and termed it “excellent”. The musicians who performed different responsibility included Arshad Khokhar (keyboard), Raza Shoukat, the son of Shoukat Hussain Khan (drum) and Baqar Abbas (flute).