A 37-member Chinese delegation from the National Defence University (NDU) of China on Wednesday visited the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) with an aim to promote Sino-Pak cultural ties. The delegation was headed by Lt Gen Ren Haiquan, the vice president of the National Defence University (NDU). The delegation was received warmly by PNCA DG Tauqir Nasir and other high-ups.
The delegation visited the PNCA on the invitation of the National Defense University (NDU) of Pakistan to showcase Pakistan’s soft and enlightened image through visual and performing arts.
The delegates took a keen interest while watching various art galleries of National Art Gallery (NAG) where a wide range of contemporary paintings from some of the legend artists, as well budding artists, were put on display.
They appraised highly about the Council’s role in promoting soft image of Pakistan and wished to enhance diplomatic ties with the use of art and culture.
Lt Gen. Ren Haiquan said the art and culture of Pakistan had a lot of similarities with Chinese. “It is a reflection of history and the art and artists of Pakistan are thinking about future through their modern art,” Ren observed.
Ren said culture had no boundary, no boarder and no restriction. “My sincere wishes go to people of Pakistan and I wish the friendship of both countries will strengthen further with cultural and art performances and display,” he said, lauding Pakistani artists for their ‘deep involvement’ in their work to safeguard their cultural heritage. Later, the delegates were taken to the auditorium where they were entertained by a string of cultural performances by the students of the National Performing Art Division (NPAG).
The performers enthralled the delegation with the background voice documentary titled ‘Taxila Odyssey’. They presented folk dances such as Jhoomer, Khattak, Dhamaal, Luddi and Dervish on the beat of ‘Dam Mastt Qalandar’ of the late Nusrat Fareh Ali Khan.
Ejaz Jajji on Tabla and Salman Adil on flute presented Pakistani and Chinese melodies. They kept the audience spellbound when they presented tunes ‘ye hay Pakistan, apna’, ‘mori kha’ and others. The visitors appreciated the artists’ work.
PNCA DG Tauqir Nasir said China was Pakistn’s time-tested friend and that the PNCA was striving to promote art and culture of Pakistan. “Through the cultural performances such as those presented here today, Islamabad and Beijing would come closer with more people-to-people contacts,” he observed.
