Dawn Images

LAHORE: Renowned singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan says he will hold a series of concerts in 48 cities across the globe to pay a tribute to his mentor Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in connection with his 20th death anniversary.

Flanked by film actor Shaan and two of his team members, Mr Khan told a press conference at a local hotel that 2017 marked the 20th death anniversary of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who died at the age of 48. It’s in consonance with the figure, he said, he would hold concerts in 48 cities across the globe.

The concert series will kick off in Faisalabad, the birthplace of both Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, in the second week of January. The concluding night is proposed to be held in London, the city where Nusrat breathed his last.

Mr Khan said the tribute in the shape of music concerts to Nusrat was open to all those singers who loved and admired the maestro and who want to participate and perform at any of the venues.

Since Delhi is also one of the cities where a tribute to Nusrat has also been planned to be held, there were questions about the possibility of envisaging any such event in India. Salman Ahmed, a team member, said: “If things between India and Pakistan would get improved by that time, we shall hold a music concert there.”

Film actor Shaan said Rahat was taking Nusrat’s mission forward by holding this series of concerts.

The press conference began with one-minute silence and later ‘fateha’ was offered for the Quetta tragedy victims.

Originally published in Dawn, October 27th, 2016