Hyderabad:
In the midst of disorder and chaos, the magnificent musical concert, which was organized by the Sindh government to mark Independence Day, and Marka-E-Haq went late Friday night in Hyderabad. Tens of thousands of citizens had tense Rani Bagh, the city’s largest, yet underdeveloped recreational venue in the hope of enjoying captivating performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sanam Marvi and other famous artists.
Remote parking areas forced many to go over a kilometer to reach the venue, but spirits remained tall – until bulky crowd broke the fence, which was appointed to families. The bamboo fences separating these zones were broken down by groups of young men, resulting in changes and incidents with harassment, including attacks on media workers.
“We came here and expected a wonderful evening of music and joy, but what we came across was a wild crowd ready to behave with women,” said Irfan Kazi, resident of Qasimabad. He described how the mob, allegedly allowed free entry, tried to force himself against the stage and push aside those who are already.
“It’s one of the worst events,” a young woman complained. “Women are offended and their dupattas and scarves are pulled down.”
The event was organized by the Sindh government in collaboration with Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. In the construction of the concert, officials of the district administration, police, Mayor Kashir Ali Shoro and Council President Muhammad Ahmed Shah made several visits to inspect the events.
Police later stated that Crowd Management inside the room had been delegated to advice -appointed volunteers. However, many participants expressed dismay and expected the police to maintain control during such a large public event.
The Hyderabad concert was one of three such events organized by the provincial government in collaboration with Arts Council, with others held in SUKKUR and KARACHI.
When Rahat Fateh Ali Khan took the scene around 2 p.m. 23, many families had already begun to leave the room in frustration and concern. The event allegedly cost the government around the RS50 million.
Despite the chaos, Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon issued a statement on Saturday that congratulated the organizers with a “successful” event.
When he spoke at the concert, Sindh -Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah the nation with his 78th of the day and thanked the council and its president to make the event possible. Sindh minister of irrigation Jam Khan Shoro, an MPA from Hyderabad, approached the crowd.
