A cultural show by women physicians of Pakistani descent
A glimpse into the culture, cuisine, music, attire and jewelry of Pakistan captivated the audience at a charity event that showcased Pakistan on March 22.
Women physicians belonging to the Georgia chapter of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) organized the event. Proceeds from the show were donated to Culture Connect, a non profit organization working for the refugee population of metro Atlanta with the aim of giving them emotional, linguistic and social support.
According to a press release, the show aimed to present a different image of the Pakistani woman, which is largely distorted by current events. The key members of the group are Roohi Abubaker, Durham Zoberi, Rana Hasan, Sarah Hayat and Faryal Baloch, all doctors.
The sold-out show, attended by over 250 people, was held at the banquet hall of a local restaurant.
Dr.Roohi Abubaker gave the welcome address, followed by Dr. Durshi Zoberi, who spoke about the need for such a show. The entertainment started with the song Dil Dil Pakistan, a hit from the 1990s, rendered at the show by Marium, a college student, who also played the guitar with it. It was followed by an enthralling dance number by a group of youngsters.
The fashion show began with an ethnic segment, preceded by a little history of Pakistan from Dr. Abubaker, who talked about the origin of the Salwar Qameez and the multilingual and multiethnic culture of Pakistan. Models displayed the Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushtoon and Baluchi dresses as the Alghoza music of the late Misri Khan Jamali was played in the background.
Before the start of the segment featuring traditional attire, Dr. Saima Syed sang Dama Dum Mast Qalander with much pathos, and moved the audience. Dr. Rana Hasan talked briefly about the Mughal era and its influence on the traditional outfits of the region. The audience seemed spellbound by the beautiful, heavily embroidered and elegant ghararas, pishwaz, the ornate Hyderabadi costumes and saris. With the fine jewelry that matched their regal attire, the models looked as if they had magically appeared straight from the Mughal era.
Before the next segment, which focused on contemporary attire, Alexis Dalmat from Culture Connect spoke about her organization.
Contemporary Pakistani fashion trends presented at the show depicted an interesting fusion of Eastern and Western styles, and included elements such as the Capri pants. The models, Sana Rehman, Beenish, Hina Hosain, Qinza Najm, Farah Hafeez, Sami Ahmad, Hala Elahi, Asma kamran, Marium, Untara Qureshi, Huma Asmi and Asma Khalid, were trained by Dr.Qinza Najma, a clinical psychologist by profession.
The extravagant finale, planned by Durshi Zoberi, depicted a traditional Pakistani wedding, with the farewell or “Rukhsati” scene. Farah and Marium sang the Chap Tilak, and Marium’s soulful rendition of Khe Ko Biahi Bides left the audience moved.
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