Ustad fateh ali khan qawwali

KARACHI: Renowned singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was given the lifetime achievement award and honorary membership of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi at a small but impressive ceremony in the council’s Jaun Elia lawn on Tuesday evening.

Speaking on the occasion, the council’s president Ahmed Shah went down memory lane to tell the audience how humble a person the artist is.

He spoke about the time when the vocalist did a concert at the venue for the first time and there were too many people who wanted to gatecrash it.

Legend nusrat fateh ali khan

So much so that the deputy commissioner at the time remarked that even if the prime minister wanted to come to the gig he wouldn’t be able to enter it. He said there was also a time in Khan’s life when he didn’t have enough money to buy ration (food) for himself.

Maestro has recorded 50 albums

Mr Shah said Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is the first artist from the world of music to get the award.

Before him Zia Mohyeddin, Anwar Maqsood, Iftikhar Arif and Amar Jaleel