Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister for signing culture delegates exchange accords with US

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Culture, Mian Iftikhar Hussein has said that after 18th Constitutional Amendment, the department of culture had fully devolved to the province. Talking to Public Affairs Officer of US Consulate, Marcia Anglarill, he said that the provincial government inked agreements with Iran and Afghanistan in the culture sector and wanted such agreements with other countries including US.
Secretary Culture and Information Azmat Hanif Aurakzai was also present on the occasion. He said that co-operation in the culture sector and exchange of delegations in this regard between the US and Pakistan was the need of the hour for good relations and better interaction between people of both countries. The minister and the US Consulate Officer agreed on exchange of cultural delegations and co-operation in the culture sector for better understanding and bilateral relations.
The minister said that though the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not a big province but it had a centuries old historical places and rich culture adding that it was a banquet of 12 recognised regional languages. He said that culture was a vast subject, which fully covered the all spheres of life and those who restricted it just to singing and music didn't know about the culture.
Iftikhar maintained that the people should understand that culture was power and identity of the nation and those harming their culture, were their enemies and they didn't want their existence. In the present critical situation, he said that the credit of revival of cultural activities in the province goes to the ANP led government, which had made it possible. "We through cultural activities want to convey a message to the world that we are peace loving people," he continued. He further said that the provincial government was actively considering to establish its own film industry in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where besides commercial films, art films would also be produced. He said that special efforts would also be made for promotion of theatre in the province. He said the US co-operation in this regard would be welcomed.
The minister said that he admitted that the US had done a lot in different sectors for the welfare of the people but a lot needed to be done in the culture sector. Anglarill while taking keen interest in the matter assured that she would talk to her government about extending co-operation to Pakistan in the culture sector.