The pick of the week a la cultural activities undoubtedly were Independence Day-related programmes presented in Lahore by educational, social, cultural and sports organisations, including the Lahore Arts Council, the Nazria Pakistan Foundation, City District Government and a five-star hotel. There were several other events, which added to the plentiful cultural activities of the city.
Essay and speech contests, exhibitions of paintings, sports events, mushairas, a puppet and magic show and a concert by one of the frontline pop bands of the country were some of the major Independence Day-related activities that culminated on August 14.
In the evening, ten reckless young motorcycle riders in a show of misplaced enthusiasm lost their lives and hundreds of them were injured while displaying their expertise in what is now known as one-wheeling tricks. The deaths and injuries to happy-go-lucky youth added a tragic tangent to the Independence Day celebrations.
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As part of its Independence Day programmes Hotel Pearl-Continental, in collaboration with a multi-national company sponsored, which was billed as a mega concert by Strings, was largely attended, despite prohibitively high admission fee. The same hotel organised an art extravaganza in three major cities of Pakistan simultaneously, with a view to discovering and promoting young talent in art. Titled Expressions, the exhibition was designed to encourage the would-be great artists of Pakistan in the future. One hundred murals were put on display at the exhibition. Students from local Oriental College and National College of Arts also displayed their works of calligraphy, sculpture and paintings.
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The Nazria Pakistan Foundation seemed to be in the forefront to organise weeklong celebrations in the city, which featured screening of films, painting exhibitions and a seminar. Under its sponsorship a three-day exhibition of pictures and paintings focusing on Pakistan Movement opened at Lahore Arts Council's main gallery on August 12. It arranged the flag hoisting ceremony on August 14 at Aiwan-e-Karkunan-e-Tehrik-e-Pakistan. It also sponsored a discussion on "Achievements and Challenges of Pakistan" on August 12 at its auditorium, where the consensus among the speakers was that lack of democracy had created a plethora of problems for the people, which have not yet been solved. The speakers, who expressed their views, included Mr. Sartaj Aziz, former Finance and Foreign Minister, Mr. Justice Allah Nawaz Tiwana, former Judge of the Lahore High Court, Mr. Awais Ahmed Khan, President Lahore High Court Bar Association, economist Mahmood Mirza and several other individuals representing different walks of life.
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On August 10 the film "Jinnah" depicting the life of the Father of our Nation, was screened at the auditorium of Nazria Pakistan Foundation, especially for children in addition to an exhibition of over 300 photographs of Quaid-e-Azam with his sister Fatima Jinnah, his daughter Dina, friends and activists of Pakistan Movement and sketches of Miss Jinnah made by the students of Naqsh School of Arts.
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The management of Lahore Zoo prepared a special packet of three-day programmes, which included puppet, magic shows and entertainment for children. A number of wildlife guides were deployed at various points in the Zoo, especially near the cages of tigers and bears to provide information to visiting children and their parents and leaflets and stickers related to Lahore Zoo's history were distributed free of cost among the visitors.
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Pop singer Ali Zafar, whose stock in the world of entertainment rose almost overnight, performed at the Lahore Press Club on August 12 under the sponsorship of the government body of LPC.
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Mrs Robina Khalid, wife of the Punjab Governor inaugurated a mega exhibition of paintings at the Lahore Arts Council last week, containing the works of those artists who do not ordinarily get into the limelight. About 60 students displayed over 200 of their paintings. The exhibition, according to LAC officials, was arranged to provide a platform to the emerging artists so that they could interact among themselves and also get inspiration from the works of other artists.
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Salima Hashmi, former Principal, National College of Arts inaugurated a new art gallery in Lahore on August 13. Named the Native Art Gallery at the DHA, it displayed 50 exhibits including the works of such luminaries as Guljee, Saeed Akhter, Colin David and other known painters of the country.