Pakistan enjoys historical, cultural bonds with Central Asian states: Fawad

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ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday said that Pakistan enjoyed historical and cultural bonds with the Central Asian states.

He said this while chairing a roundtable on “Pakistan and Central Asia: Cementing the bonds through culture” at Institute of Regional Studies.

The minister said that political stability and durable peace in Afghanistan was vital for further promoting these relations.  He said that war against terrorism directly affected Pakistan.

He said that the soft image of the country could be promoted through films and television plays. He said that the government was taking practical steps for the revival of the national film industry, which used to be the world third largest film industry in the 1960s.

Fawad said that presently, 187 film screens were functional in the country and the government wanted to increase them to 1,000 to make the industry financially viable.

He said that Pakistan Army and the nation showed great resilience in the war against terrorism and defeated the scourge with great courage.

Earlier, the minister was given a briefing on shared civilisation and cultural values based on mutual relations between Pakistan and Central Asian countries.

He emphasised the need for preservation of historical cultural heritage site located at Sarai Khabarbooza and historical mosque on Margalla Hills.

He said that the preservation of historical and cultural places would promote tourism.

Institute of Regional Studies President Dr Rukhsana Kumber, former ambassador Sarwar Naqvi, American Institute of Pakistan Studies Director Dr Nadeem Akbar, Dr Mahtab Akram and Council of Social Sciences Vice President Nadeem Umer Tarar attended the meeting.