Guests

Music is certainly the most effective art aru of all fine arts, which retains an important place among painting, literature, sculpture, architecture of rest of the fine arts. It is the music whose audience maybe countless, enjoy the extend of ecstasy without having a mental ot intellectual level.

In this respect music has the element of converting mankind's natural unruliness into civilization major finery that is not existent in other fine arts. The world history witnesses that music has played a major role in inculcating peace and tolerance to the human beings.

None of the world's ancient civilization has embraced their zenith without fine art. The Indus Valley civilization (which in present geographic perspective is known as Pakistan as our mother land) occupies a very high pedestal among world's civilization. This five thousand years old civilization is connected with name "MULTAN" a central city which still exists with all its traditions amid the triangle of the historical centers Moinjodaro, Harappa and Taxila excavated by the famous British archeologist and historian Sir John Marshal during the 19th century. The residents of this civilization never attracted or invaded neighboring territories but always kept their cultural and historical values alive. Of all the values, their most sacred value is, their musical instruments which still exist in the archeological museum of the said Indus Valley Civilization and instruments which still exist in the archeological museum of the said Indus Valley Civilization and they are being continued and played by the musicians of today. The ancient range and rages like "DAKHNI" and JOGE are sung even today with full zeal. These rages give us the expression and human pathos as well as the courage to tolerate it.

My family and I live in the centuries old house of music "BHEDI POTRA" which still continues tradition of this particular music.

It is a matter of great pleasure for Pakistan and the people of Multan who are the inheritors of the culture of Sindh Valley to say that it is through the subtle richness of our traditional music that has made us to forget the impact of many cruel onslaughts by the culture of music to forget about the cruelty inflicted upon us through such invasion and instead promoted a culture of peace and harmony. It is the music which has though us the lesson of peace which has known becomes a secret heritage to us. Our historical monuments are a testimony of the fact for thousand of years we learnt not to make or use any armaments against our countries. The Statues of the "Dancing Girl" excavated from the archeological sites of Mohenjodoro, and the "Sleeping Singer" from Taxilla are a reminder of uor peaceful behavior. This is the reason why our museums equipped with the musical instruments and not any weaponry. OUR HEROES ARE NOT THE INVADERS. But they are the "Shaheeds". Our famous singers' FAMILIES IN Pakistan remembered them through choirs sung in our own eay of range which is one of the biggest industries in Pakistan.

I can very proudly state that music and only music has granted tolerance in life to Pakistan and Multan in whose manifestation we are still strong and alive even today. Most probably it would be difficult to find out a similar example out of the pages of history. It is my belief as I am addressing this forum that creating peace and tolerance out of music in both our personal as well as historical experience which I expect the rest of the world also to follow.