Arooj Aftab receives prestigious award

Grammy award winner Arooj Aftab was decorated with the "President's Pride of Performance" award Monday on the 77th Independence Day of Pakistan in Washington.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan decorated the award on Aftab, the first Pakistani woman to ever win a Grammy award.

Aftab is an internationally recognised Pakistani-American vocalist, music composer, and producer — located in the United States.

Her music style includes fusion jazz and neo-sufi. She won the Grammy award in 2022.

"In recognition of her outstanding contribution to promoting Pakistani music tradition in the United States and across the globe, the President of Pakistan has conferred on Arooj Aftab the President's Pride of performance award,” said the citation read on the occasion.

Lauding her achievement, especially in bringing the people of two countries closer to each other with the power of music, Ambassador Masood said that diplomacy and interstate relations were all about perceptions and Aftab has helped change the perceptions of Pakistan.

“Pakistanis love music. There are no restrictions on music,” said the ambassador.

Thanking the Ambassador and the Pakistani government for the award, Aftab said that it was a good moment to acknowledge that literature, poetry, and music have been an integral part of our identity as Pakistanis.

Pakistanis, she said, were very romantic people.

Terming the conferment of the award upon her as a matter of pride and a source of inspiration for other female artists of the country, she said that it was a bright day for Pakistani female musicians to have received the award.

On the occasion, Aftab also thanked and paid tribute to legendary female Pakistani singers, from Mukhtar Begum to Abida Parveen.

“I don't think I would be standing here if it wasn’t for them,” she said.

She also thanked her parents for their continued support of her.