ISLAMABAD, May 28: Pakistan has a unique mystic tradition of Sufism which encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and practices and is a binding force bringing the people of diverse cultures together.

Director Unesco Dr. Kozue Kay Nagata expressed these views on Saturday during her visit to Lok Virsa Museum along with a group of diplomats.

She said that the saints whose shrines dotted the landscape were the meeting place of the masses, the rich and the poor, the rulers and the ruled and served as a humanising force in the society at both cultural and spiritual levels.

On arrival, a warm traditional welcome was accorded to the delegation. Khalid Javaid, Executive Director and other senior officials received the delegation and briefed them about the mandate, role and activities of Lok Virsa as a unique cultural body working for documenting, preserving and disseminating the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Pakistan in a systematic manner.

The delegation took a round of various cultural displays of the Pakistan National Museum of Ethnology popularly known as Heritage Museum, at Lok Virsa depicting living cultural traditions and lifestyles of the people from all parts of country including remotest areas such as Kalash, Tharparkar, Cholistan, Kohistan, Makran, etc.

The delegation was much impressed to see different link passages beautifully created by Lok Virsa portraying cultural affinities and influences of Pakistan with other friendly countries like China, Iran and Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan) by way of displaying arts and craft artifacts gifted by each of these countries for the exhibition hall named as ‘link passage with China, Iran and Central Asia.’

The Unesco director and other delegates also took keen interest in the ‘Hall of Sufis and Shrines’ wherein services of Sufis and scholars had been creatively explained through a dioramic form showing their message of peace and harmony to the mankind.

The delegation was also apprised that Lok Virsa had published a series of books on the works of Sufi poets and saints such as Sultan Bahu, Baba Bhullay Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Laal Shahbaz Qalandar, Waris Shah, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh and others.—A Reporter