Daily Times

PESHAWAR: ‘Attan’ dance for Peace celebrated with traditional zeal and spirit at Bagh-e-Naran, a local park of Hayatabad Peshawar.

Attan one of the oldest forms of Pashtun pagan dance organized by Pashtuns Social Activist aiming to showcase the peaceful side of Pashtun society and promote their culture values.

“Let’s counter extremism with drums beats and dance”, said one of the Pakhtun Social activist, Shafiq Gaggyani. A Traditional Shamla on his head, decorated an organizer tag on his chest said that, In globe, the image of Pashtuns was portrayed very inhuman, I am inviting all to such type of event, lets come, watch and dance with us, He added.

The social activist of Peshawar aiming for the chain of Attan under hash-tag of ” Attan for Peace” events across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to promote peace and record a peaceful protest over Lahore Incidents as few days ago clashes hit Punjab University over ‘Pashtun Culture Day.

He elaborated, International Mark dates of Special occasions and demand from UNSCO, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Government of Afghanistan to mark 21st February as Attan Day.

Around 200 people of different Pashtun Tribes including from Qutta, Tribal and Afghanistan participated in Attan For Peace while more than 700 hundred people, include women witnessed and enjoyed the event throughout the evening.

Extremism can only be beat by Attan, are the words of 36, Malik Anwar from Wana Waziristan. He wavered scarves in the air when musicians beat drums and said that, I came to Peshawar miles away when, I heard about Attan is going to be celebrated in Peshawar. He mentioned that, I won’t let hold myself in home when I heard about Attan for Peace. Today, my presence in such event is to show solidarity with the Punjab University, Lahore, students, who were attacked by a student group for holding a cultural event on campus, He elaborated.

Swaying and twirling to the vigorous drum-beats, a troupe of 15 to 100 dancers performed about 8 types of attan from 5 minute to 30 minutes long.

Today, we beat extremism with drum and dance, said 36, having along beard Men, Salaar Ahmad from Bannu, reside in Peshawar. He said that “Attan is a cultural and traditional dance and I am proud of it. He mentioned that, Attan is performed by Pakhtuns across the world but due to the worse victim of terrorism from last decade, never had such event in Peshawar. This kind of event is a ray of hope to revive our own culture of Attan, He elaborated.

A research paper by PhD Scholar Waseem Khattak defines attan as a Pashtun or Afghan dance as merely a dance of joy that symbolizes and communicates “bravery, chivalry, unity and honesty while historically, Pashtun warriors were known to perform attan as a warm-up and an effort to raise morale and adrenaline before a battle.

Among like many other, 22, Najeeb Ullah, standing in a first row of spectators said that, “I had never seen such a spectacle in my life in Peshawar. I don’t know how to do Attan but aimed that this event would send out a strong message to the civilized world that Pakhtuns is a peaceful nation. We are determined to win respect for their cultural values at all costs, he added.