Major activities of the week were Eid celebrations, low-key electioneering and a couple of exhibitions of calligraphy. New films releases in local cinemas and film screened at British Council were other cultural and entertainment activities, which engaged the attention of the people.
Like in the past, Eid-ul-Azha was celebrated in Lahore and elsewhere from December 21 to 22 with traditional enthusiasm and the collective renewal at city's mosques by the prayers to follow the tradition of supreme sacrifice set by the Prophet Ibrahim Khalilullah. However, we seem to have become oblivious of the spirit behind the celebration of one of the three major festivals of Islamic calendar, which enjoins upon a Muslim to remain in a state of ever readiness to sacrifice all that he possesses in the name of Allah when the situation so demands. We need to ask ourselves whether we follow this tradition in letter and spirit, or restrict it to the literal and ritualistic act of sacrificing an animal. Howsoever ritualistic in nature the celebrations brought joy to many, especially children who enjoyed exchanging visits among their relatives and interacting with their friends.
Included in Eid festivities were the release of several new locally produced films, including Gangster, an Indian movie, which was expected to do good business but failed to attract large number of cine-goers.

****************
On December 17 the first batch of students of Calligraphy and Illumination and Fresco professional diploma course from National College of Arts, Lahore put up an exhibition of their final thesis artworks at the recently-renovated Tollinton Market Hall, which attracted a sizeable number of art students, connoisseurs and critics. The newly-instituted diploma course is an effort on the part of their teacher and caliber mentor Ustad Khursheed Alam Gohar Qalam to revive the spiritual sense of this traditional Islamic art form. Ustad Khursheed has vowed to make the newly instituted course a success.
"Master Strokes" was the title of the first ever exhibition of paintings opened on December 18 at the newly-established art gallery, The Collectors Galleria at the Lahore Arts Council by the Governor of the Punjab. Works of 43 creative persons, including figurative art, landscapes, calligraphy and sculpture by renowned Pakistani artists Ustad Allah Bakhsh, Ahmed Khan, Chitra Pritam, Khalid Mahmood, Ghulam Rasool, Jamil Baloch, Jamil Naqsh and Mian Ijazul Hassan were put on display.
It was the first time that the Lahore Arts Council rented its premises for the setting up of an art gallery by a group not affiliated with LAC. The moving spirit behind this idea of renting LAC premises Ms Mahnaz Sukhera claimed that the new gallery with all its supportive facilities would be an ideal place for international agencies, foreign missions, government and corporate sector, art promoters or individual artists to hold their art exhibitions there.
****************
Four films produced under the Scriptnet Project workshops were screened at the British Council premises in Lahore on December 18. The workshops began last year when about 30 women were selected. Consecutive workshops first short-listed 15 participants, then ten and finally the short film stores of six women were finalised. From these six, subject to budgetary constraints, four films were finally produced.
****************
The seventh death anniversary of 'Malika-e-Tarranum' Noor Jehan was observed in Lahore in a low key manner due to its coincidence with preparations concerning Eid-ul-Azha. Articles eulogising her contributions to the melodic culture of Pakistan were published in several local newspapers and programmes featuring her popular songs were put on air by Pakistan Television and several private channels. Radio Pakistan also broadcast special a programme on the life and achievements of Noor Jehan who died on December 23, 2000 in Karachi.
****************
The news about the death of Abul Muhammad Ismail Gulgee, one of the frontline painters and sculptors of Pakistan was received in Lahore on December 19 by the members of artists' fraternity with shock, anguish and unmitigated grief.
The mystery and suspicion surrounding his death will continue to be a topic of discussion until the criminals, who have perpetrated this gruesome murder, are apprehended and brought to justice. That the career of a world renowned creative artist of Pakistan would come to such a tragic end was too shocking to be believed by his brothers and sisters in profession.