Ustad Hamid Ali Khan and Dr Uttam Baburao mesmerised the listeners at GCU

Lahore: The melodious voice of Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, a living legend of classical music from the famous Patiala gharana, has put foreigners into a trance at the musical and social evening held at the Government College University, Lahore in the honour of the participants of the first international conference on “Modern and Contemporary Language, Literature and Culture 2014” (FICLL’14). Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar was Chief Guest at the musical evening hosted by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Khaleeq-ur-Rahman to provide the national academia and literati an opportunity to the socialise with the foreigners attending the conference. About 23 foreigners including five from Indian are participating in the three-day conference.  When Ustad Hamid Ali Khan sang famous Ghazal “Menu Tere Jaya Sohna”, the listeners were left mesmerised.

Indian academician Dr Uttam Baburao Parekar, who is Head of the English Department at Yeshwant Mahavidyalaya, Wardha, India, also gave surprise to the audience with his special flute performance.

Old Ravians Abdul Rafuf and Sajid Ali Fareed and GCU students Bazika Yasmin and Ambreen Nasir also performed at the musical evening.

Addressing the musical evening, Dr Anwar Ahmed Siddiqui from Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, India said that universities of India and Pakistan should develop academic linkages and give their students and teachers tasks of working as ambassadors of peace between the neighbouring countries. He accepted that Pakistanis were far ahead of Indians in classical singing, “I hope one day Indian students come to Pakistan and learn classical music from teachers like Hamid Ali Khan,” he added.

Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar also enjoyed the music performance of Ustad Hamid Ali Khan and GCU students. University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, FCC University Lahore Rector Dr James A Tebbe, University of Education Prof Dr Faizul Hassan and a large number of eminent academicians also attended the musical evening.