LONDON, Feb 23 (APP)‑ The five‑day Pakistan Week organised by the National Union of Pakistani students and Alumni began on Monday on a throbbing note with a display of bhangra dance at  the prestigious London School of Economics and Political Science on Monday.

NUPSA with the collaboration of LSE Pakistan Society has arranged the cultural activity till February 27 and is the first event of its kind to be organised by a British institution on its campus.

The Pakistani students wearing the traditional ‘shalwar‑dhoti’ staged the bhangra dance to the beat of ‘dholki’ much to the amusement and pleasure of the other foreign students studying at the international institution.

NUPSA President Rana Khizer and Secretary Mohammad Ammar told media persons that for the entire next five days, the activities will focus on promoting the cricket‑crazy, music loving and cultural side of Pakistan.

The Houghton Street where the main campus of LSE is located was decorated with the national flags of Pakistan where various stalls displaying Pakistani handicrafts, tourism brochures and information pamphlets were on exhibition.

A ‘mehndi (henna) stall for the girls desiring to flaunt serious Pakistani style was also on display. 

A ‘biryaani’ eating competition was also held in campus cafeteria in which the students were given five minutes to eat as many plates of rice as they could.

Also included in the programme are talks by Pakistan High Commissioner Wajid Shamsul Hasan and member of British Parliament Baroness Sayida Warsi.

According to media co‑ordinator Abu Talib Rizvi, it has taken them months to organise the event which is aimed at showing the international students studying at the campus that Pakistan was a vibrant, lively and pulsating nation proud of its cultural traditions. 

“ Pakistani students at the LSE will show their peer why they are proud to be Pakistani,” he added.

A Pakistani bus was also a part of the opening day festivities and it attracted a large crowd on curious on‑lookers and as well as tourists.

Khizer said NUPSA is a national organisation that seeks to unite all Pakistani students and alumni across the UK with the objectives to support students and their welfare, provide united voice for Pakistani students to any relevant body and serve and protect the interests of Pakistani students in the UK.