Mansoor Shabab awarded at mother languages festival

ISLAMABAD: Khowar’s iconic singer Mansoor Ali Shabab was among artists from different parts of the country who were given awards for their role in promotion of regional languages through music.

Mansoor Shabab also performed on the occasion.

The awards were distributed at the conclusion of the three-day annual Mother Languages Festival held at the National Council of the Arts (PNCA) Islamabad on Sunday evening.

Arranged by the Indus Cultural Forum (ICF), the festival aimed at exploring Pakistan’s vibrant linguistic and cultural diversity with more than 120 participants representing over 20 languages, including Khowar, Shina.

With UNESCO recognizing over 70 languages in Pakistan, the festival sheds light on the importance of preserving these diverse linguistic treasures.

More than 25 languages in the country face the threat of extinction, making the festival’s mission particularly poignant.

Aligned with UNESCO’s ‘International Decade of Indigenous Languages,’ the festival tried to amplify the voices of indigenous languages and promote their preservation and vitality.