The Arts Council, Karachi has honored Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with lifetime achievement award and honorary membership.
In a ceremony that took place in Arts Council, Khan was honored for his achievements and become the only Pakistani musician to have received honorary membership from Arts Council. Previously, Zia Mohyuddin, Anwer Maqsood, Iftikhar Arif, Amar Jaleel, and Asad Muhammad Khan got this honor.
While talking on this auspicious occasion, the singer thanked the Arts Council for acknowledging his work. “I am honored to be accepting this award by Arts Council, a world-renowned institute of Arts & Culture. I cannot put my feelings into words for the honor bestowed on me,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Khan also praised legendary writer and actor, Anwar and called him his mentor. “He [Anwar] is my mentor. He is the legend of words and stories. It is not less than an honor for me to speak in front of him. Ahmad Shah chose beautiful words for my introduction,” he highlighted.
During the ceremony, Anwar had an interesting humorous conversation with Khan. “Khan has been singing for a long time but it is surprising to give him this award at this age, he is still very young, and this award should be given to those who are involved in NAB cases,” he quipped.
On the other hand, Minister of Culture – Syed Sardar Ali Shah said that there is no grammar of love and music. “The greatest musicians of our time are present among us today; it’s an honor for everyone. Khan has maintained the legacy of folk and classical music which was created by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,” he said.
Moreover, Mohammad Ahmed Shah – president of Arts Council, demanded the nomination of Nishan-e-Imtiaz for the music legend Khan.
“He must be recognized at the government level for his achievements. The government should consider him for Nishan-e-Imtiaz. We are proud to present the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lifetime Membership of Arts Council to Khan in recognition of his massive achievements,” he mentioned.
At the end of the ceremony, Khan sang ‘Mera Iman Pakistan‘ & ‘Aaj Rang Hai‘ and received a standing ovation from the audience. He also reminisced his co-performer Late Amjad Sabri.
