The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) marked World Culture Day with a vibrant evening titled 'Mehfil-e-Samaa' that drew a full house to its auditorium in Sector F-5, Islamabad.

Qawwals, classical instrumentalists and a young ensemble of folk performers presented a programme that traversed Sufi traditions from across the country, in what organisers described as a renewed push to keep Islamabad's live-arts calendar active year-round.

PNCA officials said a series of regional cultural evenings would follow over the summer, with a focus on giving emerging artists from outside the federal capital a national platform.