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Balochistan Cultural Festival today

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Lok Virsa, the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage is holding a four-day Balochistan Cultural Festival on its premises from April 30 to May 3 to show solidarity with Balochi people and promote their indigenous art and culture, said Lok Virsa Executive Director (ED) Khalid Javaid on Thursday.

He was addressing a press conference on Lok Virsa premises to brief media persons about the concept, objectives and important features of the Festival.

Balochistan Minister for Sports and Culture Mir Shahnawaz Marri and secretary provincial culture department Bilal Jamali were also present on this occasion.

The ED said Lok Virsa had taken measures to identify and categorise individuals, groups and classes of notable masters and practitioners of all traditional arts and skills to ensure ways and means of their continuance by providing suitable incentives.

He said in order to document and revive endangered arts, crafts and musical heritage and promote craftspeople, folk artists and musicians, Lok Virsa had started Artisans-at-Work festival in year 1982, which later gained the name of “Lok Mela”, he added.

Javaid said the festival had been bringing master artisans, folk artists, rural musicians and folkloric song and dance ensembles from all over Pakistan, even from the far-flung and remotest parts of Pakistan, to Islamabad annually to ensure provincial harmony and national integration. Another purpose of the festival is to recognise the talent of the master artisans and folk artists at national level, he added.