Shaheen Afridi

Mafkoora is the only institution of its kind in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is educating youths in music. At least 30 local and Afghan youths are enrolled to learn music in Mafkoora.

Besides, this center is also working to introduce the Pashto music as course.

However, at present Mafkoora is the only center of provincial capital which is providing formal music education to the youth.

A.R Anwar is heading the music section at the Mafkoora and also the only music teacher in the province. Anwar is the currently working to introduce Pashto music as a course or subject for the public.

“We are working on a music course from class I to intermediate level,” he said. He said that this course will be taught in different academic institutions of the province and it will only cover the Pashto music exclusively.

Hayat Roghani, head of the Mafkoora said that students were getting more and more interested in learning music. He said that currently many Afghan and local youths have enrolled in the center to learn music.

Roghani said that Pashtun people loved melodies, music and life. “Many of music aspirants sit here for hours to learn music,” he said. Besides, he said that six persons have recently enrolled into the center to learn music while 10 others were enrolled in painting class.

“These youths will spread the message of peace in society,” he said.

Khan Agha, a student at the center has migrated to Pakistan for the second time. He returned to Peshawar some eight months earlier after Taliban regime took over Afghanistan. Agha who belongs to a family of artisans has performed on music shows on in many Afghan channels over past nine years; however, now Taliban have banned music.

He said that his life will lose its moorings without Rabab and for the same reason he chose to live as refugee in Pakistan.

“I have spent nine years on learning Rabab and it was my profession,” he said. He said that if someone now tells him to stay away from music, then, he will definitely feel sad about it.

“I choose music as profession of my accord and if someone forcibly stops me, then, definitely my life will lose its purpose,” he said.

Music students at the Mafkoora said that terrorism coupled with absence of music centers and teachers was main hurdles to teach Afghan music as a subject.

“Music is important part of culture and spread message of peace,” Anwar said.

Anwar said that there was no lecture of Pashto music existed here and only some people were working in individual capacity to introduce music as a subject.

“I am proud to lecture on music besides conducting research and authoring books,” Anwar said.

Experts said that these efforts will also improve the standards of Pashto music and will also help in generating literature for future musicians and learning it as a language.

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