Social media users in Pakistan were on Monday left spell-bound by a throwback video of a Turkish singer paying tribute to an iconic track of Alamgir Haq released in the late 1970s. The video was shared on Twitter by renowned academic and former vice-chancellor of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) former Adil Najam.
In the video, Alamgir can be seen performing ‘Dekha Na Tha’ for a stage audience alongside another female singer, who dances and sings along with him. The black-and-white video also features a Turkish tribute to the Alamgir song. According to Najam, the Turkish tribute was titled Şenay – Sev Kardeşim.
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“Let us start the week with a smile. Mashup of #Alamgir‘s “Dekha na tha” on old @PTVHomeOfficial and the original #Turkish song “Şenay – Sev Kardeşim” on the old @TRTworld. Sit back. Smile. Start tapping your feet,” Najam said in his Twitter post early on Monday morning while sharing the throwback video.
https://twitter.com/AdilNajam/status/1312955390401941504
The video, which Najam says dates back to 1977, speaks of the strong bilateral ties that Turkey and Pakistan have had since Pakistan gained independence from British rule in 1947. Turkish broadcaster TRT World broadcast the tribute to Alamgir. ‘Dekha Na Tha’ is a pop classic in Pakistan and is still widely popular among young music enthusiasts.
Users across Pakistan commented on the Twitter post of Najam and shared their feelings of nostalgia, pride, and other memories associated with the song and the Pakistan-Turkey friendship. “This is gold,” one user from Pakistan wrote underneath the post. “Thanks for sharing,” another user from Pakistan wrote in response to Najam.
‘Brothers in arms’: War victims get new homes
Back in early September, hundreds of war victims in Idlib, Syria were moved to new houses constructed by Turkey and Pakistan. Two NGOs – Turkey’s Diyanet Foundation and Pakistan’s Baitussalam Welfare Foundation – jointly constructed the homes in Syria’s Idlib to accommodate the people affected by the war in Syria.
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According to the reports- 108 affected families were shifted to houses constructed by the welfare organizations of Turkey and Pakistan. Reports claimed that nearly 780,000 Syrians have been displaced due to recent years because of war and destruction in the country. Nearly, 204,000 people have returned home following a peace deal.
While the Turkish foundation Diyanet spearheaded the project and Pakistani welfare organization Baitussalam Welfare Foundation also funded the project. Both the welfare organizations say they are working to rehabilitate the devastated families.