PESHAWAR: The artists on the Music Freedom Day asked the government to take practical steps for revival of the entertainment industry, which suffered dearly due to the long years of militancy and a lack of ownership and due importance by the successive governments.
The demand was made during an event organised by cultural journalists forum (CJF) with the collaboration of Takhleeq Development Foundation (TDF) to mark the Music Freedom Day at the Peshawar Press Club.
Actors, singers, musicians and a large number of youth and music loving people attended the event.
Takhleeq Development Foundation Director and famous Pashto drama actor Arshad Hussain said that the day was observed on March 3 annually in 60 countries across the globe. The artist said that the day was observed to highlight the importance of music and plight of people associated with this industry.
He said that the artists were faced with numerous hardships and the industry was suffering due to militancy and ignorance by successive governments.
Arshad Hussain said that several artists had changed their profession due to threats from militants, while scores of others were killed in Peshawar and other districts for hosts of reasons. He lamented that the artists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) were also being ignored at the national level events and their services were not recognised.
CJF President Ehtisham Toru said that the artists should forge unity among their ranks. He called for the provision of monthly stipends to artists from tribal areas as they were not included in the monthly stipends programme for artists in KP.
Winner of presidential pride of performance award Nazar Gul pointed out that the Pakistan Television (PTV) was paying a meagre amount of Rs250 to musicians for performing in a programme.
