The consulate of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on Thursday organised the first-ever 'Afghan Dress Exhibition 2011' in Pakistan, highlighting historic designs of costumes. "We want to express our belief for peace as a nation and sword reflects a sign of belligerency," Culture Attaché of Afghanistan Consulate Karachi, Parven Malal told Business Recorder at the inaugural ceremony of the event held at Frere Hall.
The exhibition showed 80-year old designs of different ethnic tribes and clans of Afghanistan, sharing the culture trends with Pakistan's Pukhtun-dominated provinces. Ms Parven said, "Pakistan and Afghanistan culture is identical as Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and Quetta people largely wear the same sort of dresses". She pointed out the present day dress designs largely popular amongst women and girls in Pakistan had been imitated from Afghani costumes. She said the fair showed handmade costumes, which were still popular amongst Afghani women.
She lauded Pakistan for providing an opportunity to Afghanistan Consulate to organise the historic exhibition in Karachi, terming the fair a good omen in the historic ties of both the nations. The show displayed different designs of costumes spanning between 60 years to 80 years, popular among Afghan men and women. Historic coins and currency notes were also set for visitors to see, while carpet weaving machine, carpets, dresses of men, women and children, musical instruments like rabab and drums were giving a tangible look to the fair's significance in Pakistan.
The impression from the show was of a nation's past, and present day turmoil as well as liveliness. Portrait of a dusty-hair blue-eyed child gazing in astonishing way left many spellbound. There were also scores of portraits of women and men wearing different costumes, depicting a diverse look of the Afghanistan culture. Afghan art was also seen visible there. However 'pakol' - a traditional Afghani cap people wear in Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Kashmir, and different parts of Pakistan - was missing from the event. Portraits of Burqa- clad women and men wearing pakol and turban were also amazing to see.
At the event, there was also traditional silver-made jewellery and ornaments, depicting Afghan women's ecstatic sense despite decades of wars and feuds. Dress accessories like Ozgai, Pathei, Tawizak, Zargai, Gharagi, Hindara and Othai were also put on display. A fabric made imitation of 'sandalai' - a traditional way of heat generating during winter season when temperature falls to minus degree centigrade - was also displayed for visitors' sights.
The show was at large seen as a good move to exhibit culture of Afghanistan's different provinces and ethnic factions. The fair highlighted lifestyle of people of Laghman, Kunar, Nangarhar, Kunduz, and other provinces.
Afghan Consular General, Abdul Ahad Khaliqyar told Business Recorder that the event was a historic dress exhibition in Pakistan. He said that about 300 different costumes of Afghanistan were displayed at the fair which had all sorts of women and men's costumes of different parts including Mazar Sharif, Badakhshan, Kabul, Jalalabad, and northern parts of his country. A large number of people visited the exhibition with a positive impression.