Cultural festival Jashn-E-Rustam held by Army near Line of Control

Akashvani Srinagar, in collaboration with Rustam Battalion and under the aegis of Pir Panjal Brigade of Dagger Division and support of locals, on Sunday organised its first-ever cultural fest- Jashn-E-Rustam near Line of Control (LoC).

In an official statement, the Army said the 'extraordinary' event was organised to acknowledge the unwavering support of the local community and also as a testimony to the theme — 'Jawan Aur Awam' — 'Saath Saath'.

The event marks a significant milestone in the Army’s efforts to foster and enhance ties between military and civilian communities by promoting the untapped tourism potential of our border regions while providing local artists a platform to showcase their talent.

"The is for the first time that such a festival has been held near the LoC which witnessed a huge footfall of 15,000 including local and non-local audiences," the statement said.

This Rustam festival was held at a spot that used to be a firing range once for the Army and was shelledfrom across the border.

Locals said this event was possible after armies in India and Pakistanagreed to maintain a ceasefire at LoCs.

The festival saw dazzlingperformances of prominent artistes such as Tariq Pardesi, Masarat Naaz, Yemerzal Cultural Group, Kohinoor Band Baramulla, Raja Bilal, Shahi Mumtaz, Team 360 (Uri), Safri Farooq and versatile band, Aijaz Bhat, AGS Boniyar and various other schools.

Bollywood actor of Kashmiri origin, Mateena Rajput, was also present on the occasion.

The event was organised in collaboration with the All India Radio (AIR), Srinagar unit.

Under the theme, ‘Say No to Drugs’ the Army, the event also created awareness among the local population on the use of narcotics.

The locals hailed the Army for organising the event and argued in favour of holding more suchfestivals in future. The Army extended its gratitude to all the attendees and supporters, who made this cultural fest a memorable event.