More than 200,000 visitors converged on the Lok Virsa grounds in Shakarparian on the fifth day of Lok Mela 2025, turning the festival into a vivid tableau of family outings, student groups, tourists and art lovers. The atmosphere remained lively throughout the day as crowds moved between exhibitions, live demonstrations and artisan stalls.
The evening centrepiece was the Qawwali Night at the Open Air Theatre, scheduled for 7:00 PM, where the Sharafat Sher Ali Khan Qawwal Group delivered a stirring set of classical qawwalis and soulful kalam. Traditional harmonium and tabla accompaniments underpinned powerful vocals that resonated across the lawns and earned the performers a sustained standing ovation.
The emotional depth and technical mastery on display made the performance one of the most memorable cultural moments of Lok Mela 2025, drawing sustained applause and heartfelt reactions from a multi-generational audience.
Adding an international dimension to the proceedings, H.E. Alisher Tukhtaev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, visited the festival to meet local artists and explore regional displays. The ambassador praised Lok Virsa’s role in showcasing cultural diversity and highlighted the event’s contribution to strengthening people-to-people links between Pakistan and partner countries.
Visitors browsed hundreds of artisan stalls featuring pottery, ajrak printing, hand embroidery, traditional jewelry, lacquer work, textiles and woodcraft. Provincial pavilions from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir remained hubs of activity with live demonstrations and performances that reflected Pakistan’s varied regional traditions.
Qawwali Night rapidly became a social media focal point, trending across platforms and attracting attention from bloggers, influencers and television crews who captured the festival’s dynamic energy and the evening’s musical highlight.
Lok Mela 2025 continues daily until November 16 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM at Lok Virsa, Shakarparian, inviting residents and visitors alike to experience the colours, crafts and living heritage on display.
