Inaugurating “Pakistan Cultural Week”, Prime Minister (PM) Raja Parvez Ashraf said that Pakistan has a rich and diverse culture and Pakistanis are the proud custodians of a cultural legacy transferred to them from generation-to-generation over a period of more than 9,000 years.
“Pakistan’s traditional culture has evolved over a great length of time. Though living, it has a feel of antiquity to it. It links back to the ancient Mehargarh civilisation that flourished in the Balochistan province, Indus valley civilisation of Moenjodaro and Harrapa and the Gandhara are important examples of our rich past. Our traditional culture is therefore deeply rooted and extends over many centuries,” said the PM while addressing the opening ceremony of the culture week held at National Art Gallery on Tuesday.
Federal Minister for National Heritage and Integration Samina Khalid Ghurki and the federal secretary Asaf Ghafoor of the same ministry were also present on the occasion.
The PM said that the present government of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was determined to take every possible step to promote and portray the culture of Pakistan not only at home but also abroad, adding that the current government understood that culture was the tool which could be used for creating a soft image of the country in the eyes of the international community.
“I am glad to know that all cultural institutions in Pakistan including Lok Virsa and the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) were founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto during the first democratically elected government of the PPP. His talented daughter Benazir Bhutto also strengthened these institutions taking forward the vision of her great father. These institutions are doing a great service to the nation by safeguarding the indigenous folk culture and supporting traditional practitioners associated with different art and craft fields, who are the real torch bearers of our magnificent cultural heritage,” the PM added.
During the current unfortunate wave of extremism and war against terrorism, cultural activities like “Pakistan Cultural Week” cannot only play a vital role in providing healthy entertainment to the masses but would also serve to educate and acquaint our younger generation about their traditional culture, he further added.
Meanwhile, the PM congratulated Samina Khalid and her dedicated team for conceptualising, planning and presenting “Pakistan Cultural Week” celebrations on behalf of the Government of Pakistan, while adding that the event would serve to create unity and harmony among all federating units besides promoting the colourful culture of Pakistan.
In her welcoming address, Samina said, “No nation can thrive without a strong culture, therefore, preserving and strengthening cultural heritage is important for development and for promoting national unity and tolerance. The PPP government is aware of the importance to promote and safeguard Pakistan’s rich cultural identity because it understands that the country at present needs to be united and re-introduced as a country which is rich in heritage, blessed with harmony, and accommodative of other cultures.”
The major features of the “Pakistan Cultural Week” celebrations included an exhibition of cultural heritage, and setting up of an arts and crafts bazaar, singing of folklores and dance performances, display of traditional floats representing all federating units of the country, installation of 24 entrance gates on highways and busy roads, decoration and beautification of different intersections and roundabouts on various themes, holding of theatrical plays, and a prestigious closing/award ceremony scheduled to take place on the last day of the event. A large number of people attended the opening ceremony and enjoyed the programmes presented by the organisers. Outstanding artists including Hadiqa Kiani, Shazia Khushk and the Sindhi dance party, Akhtar Channal from Balochistan, Haseena Naz from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fazal Jatt from Punjab, Bano Rehmat from Azad Kashmir, Cholistan and Kalash dancers performed on the occasion.
