Caretaker minister for Culture Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mussarat Qadeem has said that efforts were under way to finalise Cultural policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, if needed an ordinance could also be promulgated in this regard as culture is the identity of a nation.
Talking to a delegation, she said unfortunately culture is disfigured so that people of this province could not progress and some obscurantists have restricted 'culture' only to singing and dancing. She said culture is a comprehensive subject which covers norms and values of life adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is rich in diversity of literary and cultural heritage; steps are needed for preserving and protecting our asset and are the best way to counter terrorism and militancy.
Musarrat Qadeem said that efforts would be made to provide security to artistes and singers who could play a vital role in boosting a soft image of the society. She said Pashtuns are peace-loving people and also loved their traditions and culture more than anything else. Death comes to nations when their art and culture embrace death and Pashtuns will never die because of their vibrant and lively culture image, she added. The caretaker minister said CJF has played its due role for promotion of art and culture in the militancy-hit province and arranged various programmes in collaboration with government to bring to forth quality artistic and cultural activities and also worked for the welfare of the poor artistes. The CJF apprised the caretaker minister of the production of substandard, low quality and obscene CDs and tele-films in the city in the garb of culture and strongly demanded to take stern action against the culprits. The reopening of Nishtar hall the lone city theatre hall for healthy literary and cultural activities and providing financial assistance to the deserving artists and literary were some of the great achievement of the previous democratic government but more steps were needed of the hour, the CJF demanded. The delegation also demanded a Censorship Board so that all kinds of obscene and vulgar activities could be checked.
The caretaker minister assured the culture journalists that stakeholders would be soon taken into confidence to devise ways and means to work for the betterment of artists and art of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.