PESHAWAR: A photo exhibition offering insight into lives of the merged areas’ people opened at the Peshawar Museum here on Saturday.

GIZ Pakistan has arranged the exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Germany. Provincial finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra opened the exhibition.

Representatives of the German embassy and GIZ and government officials were present at the opening ceremony. The exhibition will continue till December 12 to mark the celebrations.

According to a statement issued here, Mr Jhagra said in his remarks that it was a proud moment for the Peshawar Museum. He said international celebrities had appreciated the Peshawar Museum while people from abroad had also started visiting the provincial capital.

Mr Jhagra said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was renovating the historical sites, including the house of famous actor Dilip Kumar, which would be opened to public after completion of the restoration work.

He asked the KP archaeology department to hold more exhibitions in the museum and to present the rich culture and heritage of the province and merged districts to the world.

Dr Deichmann, Chargé d’Affaires of the German embassy in Islamabad, highlighted that with decades long friendly and trustful political, economic and cultural ties, the development cooperation between Germany and Pakistan had been continuously adjusted in line with new challenges and changing socioeconomic and political frameworks.

Stoyanka Stich, cluster coordinator at GIZ Pakistan, reaffirmed GIZ commitment to promoting local governance reform process in the country, including KP.

She said GIZ was working with the provincial and local governments to promote transparent and participatory approach focused on strengthening institutional capacity in health and education in merged districts.

The statement said the photo exhibition gave an insight into this remote region, which was merged into KP in 2018. The images on display also show an emerging local governance system, community development initiatives and improvements in the education and heath sectors, it said.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2021