Young Pakistani Artist performs Turkish Music in Iran

February 5, 2025

By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN - A young Pakistani student, musician and a writer, Muhammad Huzaifa, was honored in an event at the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI)—the cultural agency of the ten-member Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).

His published essay titled Excavating A Forgotten Treasure from Türkiye recalling his journey to locate the burial site of Arab poet Imru' al-Qais in Ankara was the focus of the event.

The event featured Huzaifa’s performance of Bağlama, a traditional musical instrument of Turkey.

Speaking at the event, ECI President Dr. Saad S. Khan, who is a Pakistani diplomat, historian and an expert of music, praised Huzaifa’s talent saying that a Pakistani boy, performing a Turkish instrument before an Iranian audience in Tehran, is a remarkable feat by the ECI to bring the three nations together under the ECO platform.

Dr. Ali Shaheedi, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Ancient Iranian Languages at Tehran University, emphasized the historical link between literature and music. Thee vent featured speeches by Mr Rashid Naqvi, Dr. Ali Bayat, Wafa Yazdanmanesh and Hassan Naqvi. All speakers agree that the event reinforced ECI’s mission to promote cultural and intellectual exchange among ECO nations by bridging history, literature, and the arts.