The Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan may have met in Delhi for diplomatic talks to improve bilateral relations, but in Lucknow efforts of another kind are on to improve ties between the two countries.

The city is hosting a Pakistani food festival—Zaika-e-Pakistan — and on the platter are Peshawar’s famour Chappali Kebabs.

“We are preparing Chappali Kebab. These are made from mutton and are usually bigger in size. They are very popular and a real favourite with people,” said Mehboob A Khan, executive chef, Hotel Avari, Lahore.

Food delight

Pop music is rapidly taking over the Pakistani music scene, despite the moral brigade and diktats of the clergy. “Pop, along with soft rock, is growing in popularity. It has developed in a very short span of time and shows more promise than even Indian pop music,” claims Saadia, 19, a student of business studies. Most of the songs are in Urdu set to western music. There is a lot of talent coming here. Music experts say there are about 15 established music bands and a dozen pop music stars in Pakistan today.

A far cry, all agree, from the early 1980s, when during President Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, listening to or creating pop music was aggressively discouraged. However, after the Music ‘89 show, aired on the government-owned Pakistan Television (PTV), who was also the official sponsors, things appeared to change. At the show, 30-somethings danced to the music of the then pop idols - Nazia and Zoheb Hassan, Ali Azmat and bands like the Vital Signs.