Junoon guitarist dedicates Nobel performance to Pak activists

Guitarist Salman Ahmed, the founder of Pakistan's popular rock band, pays an ode to the activists spearheading anti-emergency protests in the country at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo.

The founder of Pakistan's popular rock band 'Junoon' dedicated his performance at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to lawyers and civil society activists who are spearheading anti-emergency protests in the country.

HT Image

Salman Ahmed, who floored a distinguished gathering in Oslo with his stunning performance yesterday, said on his website: "I have dedicated my performance in Oslo to the Pakistan lawyer's movement and civil society's peaceful protests against an illegal emergency and restoration of the deposed judges of the Supreme Court." Ahmed, who is a UN goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS, was in the news recently for an online clash with President Pervez Musharraf's son Bilal.

Ahmed criticised Musharraf for imposing emergency, while Musharraf junior defended his father. Junoon was invited by the Nobel Peace Prize committee to perform two concerts at the prize award ceremony on December 10 and 11. Yesterday's concert -- an acoustic performance by Ahmed with Samir Chatterjee who accompanied him on the tabla - was in honour of former US Vice President Al Gore and Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the United Nations Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, who were awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Ahmed performed some classical pieces and the song "Sayyonee".

The guitarist teaches Sufi and eastern music at Queen's University in New York.