Lok Virsa, PNCA cheer out loud

Youngsters on Sunday celebrated the 64th Independence Day with enthusiasm and fervour, participating in a number of colourful activities in the federal capital while a majority of elders remained at home as it was a Sunday. Lok Virsa and Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) – the two cultural organisations, held separate events at Shakarparian hills and F-5 Sector. Youngsters thronged to these two places in a large number.
CELEBRATIONS AT LOK VIRSA: National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, also known as Lok Virsa, in association with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, celebrated the Independence Day at its complex with great fervour and enthusiasm. A large number of people from different walks of life, in particular youth and children, attended the activities and enjoyed a lot. The day started with a flag-hoisting ceremony early in the morning.
An exhibition of was organised that featured master artisans in the field of embroidery, truck art, shawl weaving, doll making and pottery. Habibur Rehman, Hafeez Nasir, Ms Fouzia Naheed, Zulfiqar Ali Ghazi, Ms Rubina Zulfiqar and Fazl-e-Wahid demonstrated their skill on the occasion. The most prominent among the craftsmen was Zulfiqar Ghazi who has specialisation in the famous Kashmiri art of “papier mache.”
Ghazi paints nature, floral motifs, birds, animals and Mughal monarchs in his paintings on papier mache artifacts. The other one who catches the visitors’ eye was Fazle Wahid, a young artisan of shawl weaving. He has an experience of over 20 years in this particular field. Oheed Ahmed, a student of ICB G-6/4, who had painted Pakistani flag on his face, said, “This is the day of showing unity and brotherhood among all of us without the discrimination of caste, colour, province and city,” he said.
The Heritage Museum at Garden Avenue and the National Monument Museum at the top of Shakarparian hills also remained open for the general public throughout the day. Fifty percent rebate on museum entry tickets for adults was granted by the Lok Virsa authorities to ensure maximum participation of the visitors in the celebrations.
CELEBRATIONS AT PNCA: Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) also arranged a similar show for kids to celebrate the day, remembering the sacrifices of their forefathers. Children from the twin cities gathered at National Art Gallery (NAG) and performed at a colourful cultural show. The event kicked off with a puppet show. The puppet characters highlighted miserable tales of millions of people who suffered for the achievement of the separate homeland.
The children were educated about the history of Pakistan through the puppets as to how Pakistan came into being and what importance of education was for the progress and prosperity of the country.