Pakistan Embassy showcases culture in DC

Wows crowds with cultural display, mesmerizing soft power

WASHINGTON:

Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC dazzled attendees with a vibrant display of the nation's cultural diversity, economic vitality, and tourism allure during the annual "Around the World Embassy Tour" programme hosted by Passport DC.

The event, held annually, provides an ideal platform to display Pakistan's captivating tapestry of natural wonders, from its majestic mountains to lush green fields, pristine beaches, and enchanting deserts, unveiling a realm of unparalleled beauty and cultural richness waiting to be discovered.
 

The indoor event attracted more than four thousand attendees mostly comprising US citizens from Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and other states, nationals of other countries and Pakistani-Americans.

They also included diplomats, government officials, people working and doing business in DC, professionals from the United States and other parts of the world, media persons and others.

The event that was scheduled to start at 10:00 am, started much before its scheduled time and continued till 1630 hrs with continued arrival of the guests in large numbers and their visits to various stalls.

Passport DC is a month-long journey around the world highlighting DC’s thriving international diplomatic community.

Various corners of the jam-packed ground floor and Jamshed Marker Hall of the Embassy, exhibiting the soft power of the country, became the centre of attraction of the visitors in the backdrop of Pakistani folk tunes.

The stalls included stitched and unstitched designer clothes, paintings of renowned Pakistani artists, handicrafts, artefacts, truck art, sports goods, gems, jewellery and agricultural products. A special focus was laid on exhibiting and introducing Pakistan’s economic prowess to attract US investments in the country.

The American guests queued at the henna stall to have their hands painted. The visitor also enjoyed a rich menu of Pakistani food served to introduce unique tastes of Pakistani cuisine.

The incredible taste journey, from spicy Biryani and sizzling Barbeque to sweet ‘Jalebi’, ‘Dahi Bharay’ and the delightful crunch of ‘Gol Gappay’, left everyone amazed. The visitors showed keen interest in sipping Pakistani ‘chai’ (tea).

The guests were highly intrigued by the stall dedicated to showcasing the Urdu language. Renowned Urdu calligrapher Javed Iqbal demonstrated his expertise by inscribing the names of hundreds of visitors in Urdu script.

Ambassador Masood Khan expressed gratitude to the visitors for their enthusiastic engagement. He personally guided them through each stall, introducing Pakistani culture and artefacts along the way.

During his interaction with the visitors, the ambassador expressed the hope that the event would serve not only to introduce Pakistan to the US and the international audience but would also help in promoting greater people-to-people and cultural ties shortly.

In their views, the guests thanked the ambassador and the embassy of Pakistan for providing them with an opportunity to experience the richness of Pakistani cultural diversity and the economic and tourism potential of the country.

“This is incredibly beautiful,” observed one of the participants after witnessing a glimpse of the beauty of Pakistan.