LAHORE, April 26: Indian Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Ambika Soni on Wednesday offered to organise a festival of Pakistani films in Bombay, asking local authorities to determine timeframe for the event.

She was talking to acting Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal Sahi during a meeting at the Governor’s House. She was accompanied by Indian Rajiya Sabha member Rajiv Shukla, whereas Federal Culture Secretary Syed Jalil Abbas, Central Film Censor Board Chairman Ziauddin Ahmad and Indian deputy high commissioner were also present on the occasion.

Ms Soni said determination of the scope of political, economic and cultural cooperation between Pakistan and India was an important part of the composite dialogue between them.

She suggested Pakistani film industry should send Punjabi films for exhibition in the Indian Punjab. Pakistani drama was very popular in many Indian states, and many of her acquaintances had requested her to bring video cassettes of many plays for them.

She said peoples of both the countries wanted a just resolution of all disputes after which an air of lasting peace would be established. Both the countries would definitely find some way to peaceful co-existence provided their peoples continued to exert pressure on them for the purpose.

Mr Sahi termed the people-to-people contact between the two countries a good omen, and said the on-going composite dialogue with India would guarantee a lasting peace in the region.

He said future of the peoples of both the countries was linked to peace and security in the region. The just resolution of the core dispute of Kashmir would soon emerge if the process of meetings between the leaders of both the countries continued.

Mr Sahi said credit goes to President Pervez Musharraf for a reduction in tension between the two countries. He hoped that both the countries would take benefit of the vast opportunities of cooperation in every field of life.

The federal culture secretary said much progress had been made in the dialogue regarding the technical cooperation between the Pakistan National Council of Arts and the Indian Council of Cultural Productions. Collabor-ation between various Pakistani institutions promoting performing arts and the Indian Fine Arts Academy would be improved.

The secretary said the government of Pakistan had made special arrangements for the maintenance of Katas Mandir and Satt Ghara in Choa Saidan Shah, Chakwal. The government would provide all facilities to the people intending to visit the temples, he said.