LAHORE: To demonstrate their skill in different aspects of life, the Afghan students in Lahore University hold a cultural exhibition where they display their cultural foods, like Kabuli pulao, Bolani, Ashk and different varieties of dresses and cloths.
This was a unique way for students from Afghanistan studying in Lahore to showcase their culture, where they addressed the world with their traditions, culture, colours and values. This exhibition was a cultural festival, where students from different parts of Pakistan, especially the youth from Punjab, were seeing Afghan culture in its rich colours for the first time. The students, dressed in Afghan, Hazara and Tajik attire, not only highlighted the beauty of their homeland but also told their history to the local students. The University of Lahore is a private educational institution where students from many countries are studying on scholarships. More than 100 students from Afghanistan are studying here, who established the ‘Afghan Initiative Society’ in 2021.
All students from Afghanistan are connected under this society, which highlights their culture and history through extracurricular activities. On Monday, May 19, an exhibition of the culture and other aspects of Afghanistan was organised by this society. The society’s president, Safiullah Ahmadzai, who hails from Paktia province in Afghanistan, told journalists that “This society was established in 2021 to provide a platform for educational and cultural activities to Afghan students. We want our message to be peace, brotherhood and love. We hold our cultural activities freely along with our education in Pakistan.
Saima Hazara is originally from Uruzgan province in Afghanistan, but she lives in Quetta. She is a BS Psychology student at the University of Lahore.“We want people to know our culture, understand our identity. Afghanistan is not just the name of war or Taliban, but there are beautiful cultural colours, there is dance, there is hospitality, and women have dreams.” These Afghan students had set up stalls at the university where the famous Kabuli pulao and other dishes were available. On one side, people’s mouths were watering after seeing ‘Bolani’, while on the other side, there were queues at the ‘Ishq’ stall. Dry fruits were beautifully decorated and presented, while these traditional dishes were being served on plates to everyone who came to the stall.
Regarding these Afghan dishes, Saima Hazara said, ‘For today, we have specially prepared traditional Afghan dishes. We have prepared Ishq, Bolani, and Kabuli pulao ourselves. People here are very interested in our dishes because Afghan dishes are rarely prepared in Punjab, so people mostly want to know about the recipe.’ According to her, about 100 Afghan students are studying in the university and everyone has played their role in making this event a success.
Read also:KP govt to gather data of Afghan students study in province schools
