‘Music can improve Pakistan, India ties

Pakistani sitar-player Ustad Abdul Latif Khan has said the music can play important role in further improving ties between Pakistan and India.

He was talking to The News on his return from a recent trip to New Delhi on Sunday.

Ustad Abdul Latif khan shared his recent experiences with this scribe about his interaction with Indian media including the DD ñI TV(Door Durshan) and All India Radioís Akashwani during his visit there. He said he had been going to India since 2007 but he had never felt like this before. He said Deepa Chandra, the director DD-I, in a meeting with him, said she wanted to discuss the Pak-India relations this time, not music.

Ustad Latifís reply was simple and quite logical as he said, Deepa ‘I am an artist and not a politician, but it is my personal desire to see both the governments and the people become closer.’

He said it was his observation during the month long stay in India that there was tremendous love and respect for Pakistani artists and people. He added his mission was to promote love between the two countries and that was why he visited the country so often.

He said he was serving his country as an unofficial ambassador of peace and love through his musical skills.

During his interview with Deepa, he said instead of spending billions of rupees every year on weaponry, the countries should spend this huge money on the welfare of their people. He also pointed out to the DD-I director that there should be no visa restrictions between the two countries so that the people and the artists of Pakistan and India could move around freely.

Ustad Abdul Latif Khan is one of the very few living grand masters of the art of Sittar-playing and has been a celebrity in the Indian media during his recent visits there. Being a music loving nation and a nation which knows how to respect an artist, the Indians showered great respect and honor on him.

He was interviewed live on DD-I in its live show and a 45 minutes recording of his Sittar playing. He had an interview with the Sahara TV in New Delhi and was also presented two prestigious awards respectively from Gami Khan Musical Society and Akashwani(All India Radio).

Ustad Abdul Latif Khan was grateful to the Indian people and the media, specially DD-I and Sahara TV for promoting his message of love and peace through Sittar in the special live programs.