LAHORE, Oct 31 Iran will hold a number of cultural activities in Pakistan including art exhibitions and film festivals through the ministry of culture.

Dr Abbas Famori, who is director-general and cultural attaché of Cultural Centre, Consulate of Islamic Republic of Iran, said this while talking to Dawn on Saturday on the second day of four-day cultural activities being held at the centre to mark the celebrations of the birth of Hazrat Imam Raza (AS).

To introduce Iranian fine arts to Pakistani artists, Iran would hold an exhibition of calligraphy in February in connection with Iran's Independence Day celebrations, the director said and added that calligraphy workshops would also be part of the exhibition.

He said that Iranian consulate would sign an MoU with NAVETC under which a film festival would be organised in Lahore and top films from the Iranian cinema would be screened. The festival would also be reflective of the fact that how Iranian cinema had progressed over the years, he said and added that a music concert would be held during another art festival in which Iranian singers and instrumentalists would perform.

The director said that Iranian Cultural Centre had been doing its best to promote art and cultural and in this regard over 200 students were doing short courses in calligraphy, miniature, and water colour paintings beside attending Persian language classes.

The cultural centre is celebrating the birth of Hazrat Imam Raza (AS) and a poetry sitting was held on the inaugural day of the festival on Friday while a film was screened on Saturday. An art competition among children will be held on Sunday (today) and the prize distribution will be held on Monday (Nov 2). —Staff Reporter