NEW YORK: Pakistan Day will be celebrated at the United Nations for the first time with a concert planned in the prestigious General Assembly hall on March 23.

Organised by the Pakistan Mission to the UN, the concert will feature Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

The concert, appropriately titled Sufi Night: Music of Peace, is aimed at spreading the message of peace and harmony at the world stage.

During an hour and a half long performance, Rahat Fateh Ali will sing his popular songs which already have worldwide familiarity.

Ambassador to the UN Dr Maleeha Lodhi said the concert is an effort to project Pa­­k­istan’s soft image and present the country’s rich cultu­­re. “Public diplomacy is the most effective way to win hearts and minds” and this programme aims to do just that.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly urged Pakistan envoys to actively engage in public diplomacy.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2016