Spring festival kicks off

LAHORE:Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has organised different programmes and activities in connection with Jashan-e-Baharan (spring festival) in the provincial metropolis.

A colourful inaugural ceremony of spring festival was held at Jilani Park here on Thursday by Adviser to Chief Minister Asif Mahmood. The ceremony was scheduled to be held on March 1 and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was supposed to inaugurate the festival but it was delayed for four days due to the tight schedule of the chief minister. PHA Chairman Engineer Yasir Gilani, PHA Vice-Chairman Hafiz Zeeshan Rashid, DG Jawad Ahmad Qureshi and other PHA officers participated in the inaugural ceremony.

Asif Mahmood visited various stalls including Art and Craft Village at the festival. DG PHA Jawad Ahmad Qureshi briefed him on the model village and arrangements of the festival. The annual spring festival was a charming and beautiful festival for the citizens, said Adviser to chief minister Asif Mahmood. He invited the residents of Lahore to come and attend the festival with their families and friends with traditional zeal and zest. The spring festival included stalls displaying the culture of the five provinces of the country. The colour and culture of Punjab has been highlighted through Model Village. The entire team of PHA deserves congratulations on organising the spring festival, Asif Mahmood said. He added that the PTI government was organising the third spring festival.

PHA is providing quality travel facilities and free facilities at Jashan-e-Baharan Mela, said PHA Chairman Engineer Yasir Gilani. He said spring festival was a beautiful festival which was full of art for people of Lahore. The main objective of the festival was to highlight Pakistani culture so that our next generation can be introduced with that, he said. He said free travel and entertainment facilities were being provided for men, women and children in the festival. More than 10 programmes for citizens will be organised in the festival, said the PHA director general.

He said other programmes including mural painting, storytelling, vintage car rally, poetry, bird’s eye view, calligraphy, fireworks and bicycle race. He said the festival will continue till March 23.