PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa journalists’ forum on culture has announced plans to convene a comprehensive dialogue session with all stakeholders to safeguard and promote the province’s cultural heritage, warning that reducing culture to mere music and drama is a “matter of concern”.

The decision came during a meeting at the Peshawar Press Club held here Friday, which was chaired by the forum’s president Ihtisham Toru. Members agreed that reviving KP’s “real culture” required input from serious circles across media, academia, government and civil society.

“Taking all stakeholders and serious circles along for the promotion and protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s real culture and cultural heritage is need of the hour,” Toru said after the session.

In a parallel move, a forum delegation led by Toru visited PTV Peshawar Centre and met general manager Ibrahim Kamal. Vice president Amjad Ali Khadim and finance secretary Amjad Hadi Yousafzai also joined the meeting. The two sides discussed the welfare of local artists, positive role of media and joint steps to highlight KP’s diverse cultural landscape.

Kamal praised the forum’s track record, saying its services for the province’s culture are “commendable” and that it has “always played an important role in promotion and protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s culture and cultural heritage. He assured the delegation of PTV Peshawar’s full cooperation.

Toru called the meeting significant and reiterated his commitment to work with PTV and other institutions. The forum also resolved to hold a series of meetings with heads of various departments and prominent figures to build a momentum for cultural initiatives across the province.

As part of its roadmap, the forum will organise a dialogue session in Peshawar soon, inviting stakeholders from multiple sectors to draft comprehensive proposals for cultural promotion.

Forum members expressed concern that public understanding of culture has been narrowed to music and acting. “In reality, culture is a broad field that includes language, literature, traditions and all aspects of lifestyle.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2026