Staff Report
KARACHI: The 39-day World Culture Festival 2025 opened with grandeur at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, inaugurated by Chief Minister Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah. The festival celebrates art, peace, and global unity under the themes of “Peace” and “Environment.”
The event commenced with the national anthem and a showreel of the 2024 festival, followed by a spectacular live performance by renowned sculptor and artist Amin Gulgee, who transformed the Arts Council courtyard into a vibrant space of performance art. The traditional Balochi dance “Leva” added color and rhythm to the opening ceremony, mesmerizing the audience.
The inauguration was attended by the Consul Generals of Australia, Ivory Coast, Türkiye, France, UAE, Japan, Sri Lanka, Russia, and Iraq, along with the Deputy Commissioner of Bangladesh, HEC Chairman, Alliance Française de Karachi Director, and Sindh’s Provincial Ministers Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Saeed Ghani, and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.
In his welcome address, President Arts Council Mohammad Ahmed Shah thanked the Sindh Government for its support and emphasized the festival’s central messages:
“The greatest Karbala of the 21st century was Gaza; the first theme of this festival is ‘Peace,’ the second — ‘Environment.’ We aim to create a more humane and civilised world, as artists across the globe unite against injustice and for ecological awareness.”
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in his keynote speech, praised the Arts Council for its cultural leadership and international outreach:
“Artists are the true ambassadors of peace. The Arts Council is not merely the cultural heart of Karachi, but of the entire nation. This festival carries a message of peace and love for the world.”
Highlighting the event’s global participation, he shared that over 1,000 artists from 141 countries are taking part this year — a significant rise from 44 countries last year.
“Karachi is the heart of Pakistan, and today this heart welcomes the world. Our poets, musicians, painters, and filmmakers speak the universal language of humanity,” he added, commending Pakistani artists whose achievements have brought honor to the nation.
The evening concluded with a bouquet presentation to the Chief Minister by President Mohammad Ahmed Shah, followed by a dazzling array of international performances. Artists from Nepal, Syria, Belgium, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, USA, Italy, Romania, and Congo captivated audiences with dance, music, and visual art.
Highlights included French musician Zacharia Hafar’s santoor, Akbar Khamiso Khan’s flute, and the screening of South Korea’s environmental short film “Plastic,” reinforcing the festival’s message of peace, creativity, and global responsibility.
The World Culture Festival 2025 will continue until December 7, celebrating cultural harmony and artistic brilliance from across the world under one roof.
