SIALKOT: The city has got its first art gallery established by a local architect and artist who recently completed his fine arts degree from the National College of Arts in Lahore.

Maroof Ahmad Chaudhry told the media that Sialkot had been deprived of an art gallery for decades, which gave him an idea of establishing an international standard gallery here for promoting local talent in fine arts.

DCO Dr Asif Tufail and Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry President retired Maj Mansur Ahmad jointly inaugurated the art gallery and a five-day national exhibition of paintings there.

The DCO said Sialkot was rich with talent in fine arts and there was a dire need for polishing them.

Thirty-five artists from across Pakistan displayed their paintings at the exhibition. A large number of visitors and artists attended the first-of-its-kind exhibition of oil, colour and pencil paintings.

BLACK DAY: Kashmiris residing in the Sialkot region observed a ‘black day’ on Monday on the Indian national day.

They wore black armbands and held meetings in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, Uggoki, Bajwat, Pasrur, Badiana and Chawinda.

Dr Zahid Ghani Dar, convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Freedom Movement, said the sacrifices of thousands of Kashmiris would result in freedom of the India-held Kashmir. He said the peace could never be promoted in South Asia without solving the burning issue of Kashmir.

Kashmiri leaders expressed solidarity with the people of India-held Kashmir and said the early peaceful solution to the Kashmir dispute had now become vital for sustainable peace in the region.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2016