Peshawar  -  The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority (KPCTA) has once again clinched the ‘Best Pavilion Award,’ making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the first province to secure the title for the third consecutive year at the annual ‘Lok Mela’ during the Folk Festival of Pakistan.

The closing ceremony of the Lok Mela festival was held at Shakarparian, Islamabad, with Federal Secretary for National Heritage and Culture, Hassan Nasir Jami, as the chief guest, according to a press release issued here.

Among others, the event was attended by Executive Director Lok Virsa Muzaffar Ali Burki, KPCTA Director General Tashfeen Haider, Lok Virsa Director Anwar Ahmad, General Manager Tourism Authority Sajjad Hameed, Director Culture Ajmal Khan, Events Manager Haseena Shaukat, and others.

The colourful event concluded with an awards ceremony, recognising the provinces, artists, artisans, singers, and exceptional pavilions. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa once again received the Best Pavilion Award, while Sindh was also recognised for its remarkable pavilion.

Federal Secretary Hassan Nasir Jami distributed the awards among the participants. A number of cash prizes worth Rs0.6 million were also distributed among skilled artisans, folk artists, and musicians based on recommendations from a jury of cultural experts invited by Lok Virsa.

Award-winning artisans and artists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa included Fazal Wahid (Swati Shawls), Kashif (Charsadda Chappal), Aniya Wasim (Lacquer Art), Maryam Mumtaz (Jisti Work), Sheikh Usman (Jinnah Caps), Sher Mujim, Israr, and Babar Ali Shah.

Similarly, artisans and artists from other provinces were also honoured with cash prizes and awards. These included Sheikh Yousuf, Zulfiqar Ghazi, Shakeel Ahmed Mir, Nader Ali from Azad Kashmir; Musa, Fatima Arzu, Shahbaz, Farhan Ahmad, Sultan Nasir, Rahat from Gilgit-Baltistan; Ashraf, Raiba Rind, Sattar Jogi, Shaukat Faqir, Niaz, Lutaf Ali, Ghulam Arshad from Sindh; and Ali Adil Baloch, Muhammad Arif, Arif Mazhar, Liaqat Parloi, Gul Bahar, Soomar, and Soya Batur from Balochistan. Also, Ahmad Gujrati, Umais Riaz, Manzoor Malang, Lala Ramzan, Fauzia Naid, Rameez Ishaq, Shaukat, Dillu Lal, Abdul Aziz, Akhtar, and Kamran from Punjab won cash prizes and awards.

The ceremony also featured vibrant cultural dances and performances by folk musicians.

On the occasion, the Federal Secretary praised Lok Virsa’s efforts in bringing together skilled artisans from across the country to showcase their crafts in the federal capital. He assured the government’s commitment to strengthening national institutions, emphasizing that no nation can progress in industry, science, or technology while neglecting its cultural heritage.

Organised by the National Heritage and Culture Division, the 10-day festival featured stalls from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and other regional countries.

The KP Pavilion showcased the work of over 50 artisans from districts including Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Hazara, Haripur, Charsadda, Mardan, Swat, and Chitral. The pavilion featured 30 handicraft and cultural stalls, along with traditional foods such as Sohbat, Painda, Chapli Kebab, Tikka Boti, Chicken Boti, Mutton Karahi, Amrasa, and Charsadda rice.

A special segment of the pavilion highlighted traditional Kalash dance performances by men and women from the Kalash Valley, which captivated attendees.

The purpose of participating in this national-level festival was to promote provincial culture and tourism and to send a positive message about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s rich cultural and traditional heritage.

The pavilion also displayed traditional items such as clay pots, Mughal art, Charsadda sandals, woodwork, stone and glass carvings, Hazara embroidery and bags, Swati shawls, truck art, stone mosaic art, calligraphy, dried fruits, sugarcane juice, and other traditional crafts. Videos and documentaries showcasing various tourist destinations were also screened.

The objective was to promote Pakistan’s indigenous folk heritage, strengthen national harmony and integration among all federating units through a cultural perspective, and provide a much-needed platform for master artisans, folk artists, musicians, and dancers to demonstrate their skills at the national level.