Artists outline cultural action plan for capital

Islamabad : The artists from twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi outlined the cultural plan of action to practice and promote different art forms in the federal capital. The consultative meeting was organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) here on Monday in the pretext of National Cultural Policy already approved early this year.

Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) Director General Jamal Shah, Deputy Mayor Islamabad Zeeshan Ali Shah Naqvi, well-known artists including Naeem Pasha, Abbas Shah, Nahida Raza, Riffat Ara Baig, Shahla Moazzam, Zainab Omar, Zara Sajid, Waqar Azeem, Khalid Zia Siddiqi, Hanif Khan and Younas Roomi participated in the meeting.

The artists deliberated on the shrinking spaces for the art and culture. They urged the PNCA and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) to facilitate and provide space free of cost to the artists from different genre to cultivate a cultural face of the federal capital. The practicing artists of the fine arts asked to the PNCA chief to revive the series of art exhibitions and provide space for theatre activities without any charges.

They artists mentioned that only five of them were operating non-profit art galleries in their own houses without creating any inconvenience to their neighbourhood. Rather, these galleries were source of art and cultural promotion in the federal capital. Unfortunately they were closed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) under the Supreme Court orders. However, the schools were given exemption while hundreds of guest houses have also taken stay order and hence operating from the residential areas. Some of the foreign missions and international organisations are also operating from the residential areas. The artists requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to exempt the art galleries too so that they could resume their art shows in the residential areas.

Naeem Passha said the art galleries were a part of the artists own residences. So they were subsidised premises for the promotion of art especially a source of promotion for the young and budding artists. Simply an artist cannot afford a commercial place for art gallery. That is why all the galleries in the federal were closed down. One or two decided to continue at the commercial places but they are not showing the art by the young and budding artists.