PESHAWAR: The Cultural Journalists Forum (CJF) has demanded a comprehensive cultural policy for the militancy plagued province.

The demand was made at a meeting of the forum at the Peshawar Press Club chaired by its president Ihtisham Toru.

The participants called upon the PTI-led ruling coalition to come up with a comprehensive cultural policy to address the problems the artistes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were facing. The meeting discussed various issues concerning the KP cultural policy.

They said that the artistes’ community had suffered a lot owing to the militancy, but the KP cultural ministry and cultural directorate had failed to devise a proper cultural policy to revive and promote cultural activities in the province.

They said that promoting art and artistes could pave way for lasting peace and present soft image of the country internationally, adding that senior artistes were in crisis as they didn’t find any opportunity to exhibit their talent, while some had been bedridden since long. The PTI-led government should come up with a clear cultural policy, the forum demanded.

The participants said that though the previous ANP government in KP could not get the policy draft passed from the provincial assembly, it had taken several measures to promote art and culture and ameliorate plight of artistes.

The CJF members said that the incumbent PTI government was expected to either approve the already prepared policy draft on KP culture or announce a fresh one, but it had failed on both the counts.

They said that KP culture minister, Shah Farman, had said two months ago that the cultural policy draft would be revisited after taking on board all the stakeholders, but to no avail.

The CJF members said that they would meet the culture minister and secretary culture and information, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, once again to invite their attention to the matter.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

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