QUETTA: The Baloch Culture Day was celebrated across Balochistan on Monday with zeal and fervour and different shows and functions were organised by several organisations and political parties to mark the occasion.

Baloch people, especially the youth and women, participated in large numbers in these programmes to show their love and affection for their culture and traditions.

People wearing traditio­nal Balochi dresses and turbans paraded through roads of the provincial capital. They performed folk dances and sang Balochi songs.

A big event to mark the Baloch Culture Day was held at the Unive­rsity of Balochistan’s Expo Centre where a large number of people and Baloch­is­tan National Party-Men­gal’s workers participated wearing traditional Balochi turbans, shalwar qameez and wai­stcoats stitched with bea­utiful Baloch embroidery.

“We wait the whole year for this day to come to celebrate the Baloch Culture Day to show to people our rich Baloch culture,” a participant of the show said, adding that “we are proud of our traditions and customs”.

Different organisations also held cultural shows at other places, including Ayub Stadium and Millennium Mall and hundreds of Baloch youth attended these programmes

No function was, however, organised by the government due to fear of the coronavirus. However, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Culture and Sports Abdul Khaliq Hazara attended different cultural shows and events held in the provincial capital.

In a message read on the occasion, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said that Balochistan was like a flower bouquet of different nationalities, tribes, colours and races.

“Unique cultures, values, civilisations represent different people peacefully living together in Balochistan,” he said in the message.

He said that all nations protect their cultures, customs, values and historical heritage and celebrating this day was aimed at making efforts to keep intact all customs, traditions, cultures and unique life styles of all people living in the province.

“In the literary history of the province, Baloch poets, historians and authors traditionally interpreted the Balochi literature,” he said, adding that Baloch poets Mir Gul Khan Naseer, Atta Shah, Abdul Qayyum Baloch, Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi, Siddiq Akhtar and others always taught a lesson of solidarity, national unity and constructive thinking without any prejudice.

“They taught tolerance, patience and promotion of cohesion in their writings and this day teaches us to fully adhere to all these positive principles and shun negative thinking to create a constructive society,” the chief minister said.

Culture shows and events were also held in Dera Mur­ad Jamali, Khuzdar, Kalat, Sibi, Jhal Magsi, Nushki, Gwadar, Turbat, Panjgur, Hub, Bela and other towns and cities of the province to celebrate the day.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020