Ahmad Shah is the patron of art and the Arts Council is the national institution of art and culture. Banu Rahmat
Leading folk singer of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, singer Bano Rehmat said that the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi is the only institution in the country which is truly promoting and developing art and President Ahmad Shah is sponsoring and serving the artists. I am very impressed with the work being done in Karachi and especially in the Arts Council Karachi for the development of art and the welfare of the artists.
If the same thing started happening in every province and Azad Kashmir, not only would our culture develop very quickly, but the problems of artists would not remain. He expressed these views in an informal conversation with media persons after recording songs in Kashmiri languages, Kashmiri, Gojri, and Pahari at Arts Council Studio after performing in a program organized at Karachi Arts Council on September 6.
What Banu Rehmat is a well-known singer from Jammu and Kashmir who came to Karachi from Muzaffarabad at the invitation of the Sindh Culture Department to perform in various programs on September 6. He started each program by singing the popular song of Kashmir, "My homeland will come to your paradise one day". He also recorded Kashmiri language folk songs in the Arts Council studio during the visit. Banu Rehmat said that the people of Karachi are unique in the whole country.
The love and affection we got here are not felt even in Muzaffarabad. Karachi is not like I had heard about it in the past. The people of Karachi are very loving. I think the people of Arts Council Karachi are like my family. I have never seen such a sincere and loving artist like Ahmed Shah. Bano Rehmat said that the secret of the glorious development of the Karachi Arts Council was understood together with Ahmad Shah. Karachi artists are lucky to have the patronage of a man like Ahmad Shah.
He said that he has always tried to make the culture of Kashmir known through his art that is why I sing songs in every language and dialect of Kashmir. I try to make the world aware of the Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir through songs. "Unfortunately, there is no tendency to promote artists in Azad Kashmir, although this art can be used to motivate Mujahideen," he said. As our artists encouraged their forces in 1965 through songs and hymns. I
have always tried to make the world aware of the Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir through my art, but unfortunately, I have to say that our services on any national day including 14th August, 6th September, and 5th February are of no use. Would be picked up I hope the new PTI government will play its full role in advancing the independence movement of Kashmir and will encourage the artists who are part of this movement through their art, he said. He demanded that the artiste has no source of income so the government should provide stipends to artists like Karachi Arts Council and Sindh government.
