Pakistan's top Sufi singer Farida Khanum has made her first visit to Indian occupied Kashmir, winning a standing ovation at a music festival. Khanum drew the ovation in occupied Srinagar, as she entertained festival-goers with her classical Sufi songs late Monday.
"It was my deep desire to visit occupied Kashmir and to see the paradise (Kashmir) which was my mother's native place," Khanum told the audience at the festival which ends on Wednesday. Khanum, known as "Pakistan's ghazal queen", is best known for her musical renderings of great Sufi poets.
The visit by the singer to occupied Kashmir came against the backdrop of a slow-moving three-year peace process to resolve all disputes between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. Cultural exchanges between the two countries have become much more frequent since the peace process began. "The people here have a sense of beauty. I'm extremely happy to have come here to perform," said Khanum.