The Punjab Council of Arts in an effort to highlight the culture of Punjab has gathered a number of cultural performers at the shrine of Waris Shah in Jandiala Sher Khan on his 218th Urs. The council has been arranging cultural activities at the Urs for three decades.

Punjab Council of Arts Executive Director Chaudhry Muhammad Asif told Dawn that this year the Urs, which kicked off on Sept 23 and would conclude on the 25th (today), included a number of performances by various artists and folk dancers. Two folk dance groups from Multan entertained visitors with the dachi dance, another group performed the jhoomer.

He also said that on the concluding night today there would be a grand Sufi night featuring performers such as Sain Zahoor and Shaukat Ali besides some singers from other parts of Punjab. Food and artisan stalls have also been set up around the shrine, he added.

Hall 1 of the Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall would be reopened after restoration by the end of October. Lahore Arts Council Executive Director retired Capt Atta Muhammad Khan claimed Rs110 million had been spent on the restoration of the hall, including laying of a new roof. The hall has a capacity of over 700.

The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee has selected Mah-i-Mir to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the Foreign Language Film Award category at the 89th Academy Awards, according to a press release. The release stated that the movie was selected by way of a secret ballot and was the overwhelming film of choice of the committee members.

As per standard practice, films selected by each individual country’s Academy selection committee are submitted to the Academy for screening, short-listing and voting with official Oscar nominees announced at a later date.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories in January 2017. The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced on Jan 24, 2017 with the presentation show for the 89th Academy Awards scheduled to take place on Feb 26, 2017.

The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee was presided over by two-time Academy Award and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and included Iram Parveen Bilal as the charge d’affaires, Zeba Bakhtiar, Adnan Siddiqui, Hasan Zaidi, Sheema Kermani, Sarmad Khoosat, Jamshed Mahmood Raza, Jamil Dehlavi and Adnan Sarwar.

Olompolo Media will celebrate Banned Books Week, which is also being observed worldwide, including in the US, from Sept 25 to Oct 1 at the Olo Junction with a tête-à-tête with serious book readers. Find out about a book banned in your or another country.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2016