LAHORE: Punjab government has approved a grant worth Rs 433 million for the repair and maintenance of the Lahore Arts Council besides up-gradation and strengthening of Alhamrah Academy of Performing Arts.
In this regard, a meeting was held at Alhamrah Cultural Complex on Thursday with Minister for Education and Youths Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman in the chair. Lahore Arts Council’s Board of Governors’ Chairman Kamran Leshari, Additional Secretary (Information) Shahid Iqbal, Executive Director Capt. (Retd.) Atta Muhammad and the other officials attended the meeting.
In the meeting, different proposals for promoting cultural activities through the platform of Al-Hamrah Cultural Complex were reviewed.
It was decided that Rs 214.2 million would be spent on replacement of AC system of three halls and the art gallery, Rs 20 million for lights and sound system, and renovation and improvement of Alhamrah Academy of Performing Art would be done in Rs.20 million. It has also been planned to improve the drainage system with an amount of Rs.8.7 million.
While addressing the meeting, the minister said, “The performing art academy is the best platform to involve the youth in healthy cultural related activities and to educate them about the rich cultural heritage of the Punjab”.
Terming Lahore as the cultural capital of South Asia, the minister said that Pakistan should pro-actively project its culture and heritage at the global level to inform the world about Pakistani norms about peaceful co-existence, tolerance, peace and harmony.
The minister further said that Punjab government has been promoting art and culture to help project the soft image of the country.
