UNITED NATIONS - Famed Pakistani rock group Junoon and other international bands and singers brought a large and distinguished audience in the UN General Assembly hall to its feet as they performed in a concert aimed at focusing on the plight of Swat affectees. The Concert for Pakistan, sponsored by the Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, was put together by Salman Ahmad, founder of the Junoon group and a UN Goodwill Ambassador. The event helped project Pakistan as a liberal, Islamic and democratic country, with a rich cultural heritage. The last Pakistani concert in the UN General Assembly Hall was staged in 1974 by noted actor Zia Mohyuddin's ensemble, which performed on Human Rights day. At the start of that concert, Zia recited parts of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in his typical style. On Saturday, the theme of the songs in the thrilling three-hour event in the packed gold-and-blue hall dealt with peace, non-violence and community spirit. As the concert came to a close, Samina Ahmad, Salman's wife and the Master of Ceremonies lead a prayer for Pakistan's stability and well-being of the Swat affectees. Her voice breaking down with emotion, she spoke about the dire needs of the displaced people in Pakistan's north-west and urged the people, who braved inclement weather to come to the concert, to help them. In between the performances, some prominent figures like Nobel Laureate R.K. Pachauri and singer Sting, made fervent calls for unity to defeat the terrorists who kill innocent people. They called on the international community to support Pakistan, a nation of 170 million people, in demonstrating the country's true potential and to reclaim its rightful position in the comity of nations. The concert opened with Pakistan's national anthem, which was played by the Salman-led Junoon band as slogans of "Pakistan Zinda bad" rang out in the spacious hall. India's UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri was among the diplomats present to witness the lively performance. Salman sang some of the Junoon's popular Sufi numbers as people clapped, tapped and danced. The entire audience joined him when he sang the concert finale "Shahbaz Qalandar". Even the usually restrained diplomats moved into aisles and danced with the beat. Demark's award-winning hip-hop group "Outlandish", which was led by Waqas Ali Qadri, a Dane of Pakistani origin, also drew huge applause. By all accounts, the concert was a huge success and helped promote Pakistan's soft image. An elated Pakistan's UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon, who was moving spirit behind the event, said that he was absolutely delighted that it was such a big success. "It's a historic day for Pakistan," he said. Ambassador Haroon said the concert helped towards improving Pakistan's image as it sent a message to the world the Pakistani people are peace-loving and custodians of a rich cultural heritage embedded in Sufi tradition. He thanked the United Nations, organizers and participants for making the concert a roaring success, and expressed the hope that the new generation will take this effort further.