With 800 people packed to capacity by supporters and connoisseurs of music, education and the arts, Noori, Zeb Bangash , Nadia Jamil and young poets rocked at the annual fundraiser of the Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust (SNPET) “Paar Channa De پار چناں دے Across the Horizon” held at the Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore. The performance was superbly crafted in support of the unique SNPET and its flagship program Sanjan Nagar Higher Secondary School home to 820 students. Just as the school is known for its transformative qualities, so was the fundraiser curated by Ali Hamza of Noori and hosted by Nadia Jamil, Trustee, Actor, Child Rights Activist and healer. The evening honored the patron, visionary and philanthropist Raza Kazim the founder of the Sanjan Nagar School who was present for the occasion. Attiya Anwar (Head of Secondary Section), students, alumni and faculty presented him a medal and flowers surrounded by the Chairperson Mrs. Tasneem Sajid Maqbool, Patron-Emeritus Trustee of SNPET, Chaudhry Moeen Afzal, Syeda Henna Babar Ali (C.E.O Packages Pvt Ltd), and trustees Dr. Feriha Peracha, Nuscie Jamil, Beena Raza and Baela Raza Jamil.

Nadia Jamil acknowledged all gathered for making this magical evening possible as ‘extraordinary citizens who believe in the journey of transformation through enabling education’. Four middle grade young poets’ students, Joel Moon John, Romana Naz, Shemaiah Moon John and Anglica Rauf recited and rapped to poems sharing their unique journeys of change at their school in English and Punjabi to thunderous applause, followed by the Noori-Zeb Bangash concert. The concert was a tribute to the music of the “Sanjan Ras Gharana” spearheaded by Raza Kazim a polymath of Pakistan. The award-winning Noor Zehra Kazim was on the Sagar Veena one of the nine inventions of Pakistan, Ali Noor and Ali Hamza on vocals and guitar, Zeb Bangash on vocals, Rakae Rehman Jamil on the sitar, Qamar Abbas Vicky on Duff/Dholki and Irfan Ali on the Tabla.

The immersive repertoire offered music for all age groups who sang along with Faiz Sahib’s Mujhe Say Pehli si Mauhabbat, Manwa Rey, Paimona, Yeh Haryali Yeh Asmaan, a tribute to the late Haniya Aslam, Aik Alif, Manwa Ray, Paar channa dey, Barasaat and more. The evening was a testimony to great music for healing and joy for all present endorsing enabling quality education embedded in social emotional learning, especially for our disadvantaged students.

Eminent citizens and leaders present included Ms. Sarah Ahmad Chairperson Child Protection & Welfare Bureau, Ms. Sara Rashid Executive Director the Alhamra Arts Council, Dr. Sajid Maqbool Pakistan’s great carer paedetrician, Mr. Iqbal Riza (Former Assistant Secretary General UN, Mr. Ali Pervaiz Ahmad accompanied by business group leaders, Ms. Nighat Ali from the LGS, team from the Beacon House schools, Mrs. Basarat Kazim from the Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Farzana Kausar the Principal and 20 faculty members of Sanjan Nagar, and many more including visitors from the USA who especially flew in for the benefit concert. The Sponsors were profoundly acknowledged for their generosity including the Samba Bank, Pepsi Co, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and others who wished to remain anonymous.

The beautiful music evening concluded with acknowledgement and bouquets for all artists, the host Nadia Jamil and to Gulbaz Ahmed as SNPET’s coordinator for Paar Channa De. The audience rallied around their favorite artists for photographs, selfies and autographs, an evening to remember, contributing for quality education, the only sustainable game changer for Pakistan.