MANSEHRA: A local college on Tuesday displayed a large piece of canvas painted by Pakistani and Japanese students under a cultural programme.

The canvas unveiled at the Mansehra Public School and College showed weather, flowers, fruits, dresses and historic monuments of their respective countries.

Principal Umar Khan Swati told reporters here that the students of his school and those of Otemon Jakuin Junior and Senior High School, Osaka, Japan, participated in the activity.

“This is a unique way of not only bringing students of both Pakistan and Japan closer but also of apprising them of each other’s culture and heritage,” he said.

The principal said the right half of this piece of art and love was painted by his college’s students before it was sent to Japan for completion.

He said Pakistani and Japanese students held several sessions online during the course of painting.

Mr Swati said the students also shared gifts related to their culture and cards carrying messages of peace and love.

He said the Pakistani and Japanese educational institutions worked together under the Japan Art Mile Foundation working for the introduction of Japanese culture around the world.

Meanwhile, tehsil nazim Umar Farooq on Tuesday alleged that five councillors were hampering the process of development in Mansehra and newly-notified Baffa-Pakhal tehsils.

Mr Farooq told a news conference in Shinkiari area here that he was elected the tehsil member on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket and nazim with the support of PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf members.

He said he would serve the tehsil without discrimination.

“Some local office-bearers of the PML-N want to oust me from my office though most councillors of my party voted for me to this position,” he said.

A group of five councillors of PTI and PML-N had got stay order against execution of current financial year ADP from Peshawar high Court circuit Bench Abbottabad earlier this month alleging favoritism in distribution of funds among councillors.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2019