Pakistan, India bond over Qawwali

MADIHA AZHAR

KARACHI: Pakistan and India have agreed to have the Qawwali tradition listed in the intangible heritage list of UNESCO as a shared legacy.

The decision comes after a series of meetings between representatives of the two countries that came to a conclusion last week.

Qawwali, the Sufi devotional music, is popular in both countries and hence both countries will file a joint nomination for inclusion.

The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage includes intangible heritage elements that need urgent attention from concerned communities and the state.

Another important proposal to secure the Qawwali tradition, is to set-up a joint research institute in the name of Sufi poetry. But the proposal is still pending between the two nations.