ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday said that the country’s artists had kept the identity of Pakistan alive, its culture and heritage through their art.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 9th National Exhibition at Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), she said that terrorism tried to obscure the national culture but it could not be defaced due to its strong roots within the society and the efforts of the artists.
She said that the nation had succeeded in containing terrorism as well as religious extremism to a great extent and a collective effort was also needed to eliminate the culture of intolerance. She also said that terrorism and intolerance could be subdued through art. It was imperative to promote art in the country and the youth should participate in the art and painting exhibitions, s she added.
Further, Marriyum said that the government was working on the formulation of a policy for the revival of the film industry and welfare of the artists. She said that Pakistani nation and state institutions had rendered innumerable sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and the artists had highlighted those sacrifices through their art.
She said that the artists and painters were the ambassadors of the country who had projected and promoted the positive identity of the country, its culture and heritage through their paintings and the pen in difficult times spanning over 35 years.
She further said that as a result of the steps taken in conformity with the vision of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the sacrifices offered by the armed forces and the law enforcing agencies, the incidents of terrorism had been reduced to a great extent as compared to 2013.
The minister also said that the revival of activities pertaining to arts, culture and literature was made possible due to the peaceful conditions in the country.
She said that the government was taking effective steps for the welfare of the artists, including the setting up of a welfare fund to provide financial assistance to them.
She also said that the federal government was taking practical steps for promotion of films and welfare of the artists and soon a national cultural policy would be announced which would ensure representation of all languages, provinces, cultures and national heritage.
Moreover, Marriyum said that the provincial governments would seek guidance from this policy and they would be given a definite plan in this regard. She said that the government was also formulating the first ever film policy in the country.
She further said that terrorism not only claimed the lives of the citizens of Pakistan but also damaged the culture and national heritage of the country. She said that the culture, heritage and national values would be highlighted through the films and the government was also contemplating to establish Directorate of Films and a Film Fund, besides offering tax rebates to encourage the film industry.
The minister observed that through the production of films, the scenic beauty of Pakistan would be reflected and highlighted to attract foreign tourists. She said that the youth should seek guidance from the artists who were an asset of the country. The minister also said that the artists projected Pakistan’s image through colours and created the desire to move forward in times of adversity.
The minister paid glowing tributes to eminent artists, including Iqbal Jaffery, Mian Ijazul Hasan, Zulqurnain Haider, Hajira Mansoor, Collin David, Mansoor Rahi and others for exhibiting their art and also presented shields to them.
