The vibrant Lahore is the second biggest city in Pakistan, which has also been declared ‘City Of Literature’ by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday.
Heart of Pakistan, Lahore is the hub of cultural and entertainment activities in the country, which is celebrated for its rich historical background, several notable cultural centers and finest poets, the city has made it to UNESCO’s list of creative cities.
The director of UNESCO, Patricia Mcphillis and Punjab government officials spoke about the significance of Lahore at a ceremony that was held at Alhamra Art Center. Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information was the chief guest of the event.
In a tweet, German Ambassador to Pakistan Bernhard Schlagheck also congratulated the city for being declared the ‘city of literature’ by @UNESCO.
Congratulations to #Lahore for being declared the ‘city of literature’ by @UNESCO – a great achievement that will internationalize the city’s cultural importance further!Thanks to #Heidelberg –the city of literature in ????????– for their efforts in this regard!https://t.co/TmrnLg2rDf
— Bernhard Schlagheck (@GermanyinPAK) February 4, 2021
Dr Awan welcomed the director of UNESCO in Lahore on behalf of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, thanked her for venerating the city and said that Lahore is a great city from all aspects.
She added that declaring Lahore a City of Literature was indeed a matter of pride, as it will now be globally known for the conferred title.
Patricia Mcphillips while praising Lahore said, “It has rich vibrant culture and is now in the network of cities recognised by UNESCO for its literary status.”
Dr Awan further mentioned that Lahore’s culture related to literary sittings and poetic symposiums needed to be revived, due to which, the Punjab government was going to give Lahore’s Urdu Bazar an advanced look to attract book lovers.
Genuine splendor of Hazoori Bagh will also be restored through organising literary sessions.
According to Dr Awan, archives in Lahore would be preserved and translated in other languages to make learning easy.
The Lahore Arts Council and UNESCO signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the Alhamra Art Gallery, which was signed by Alhamra’s Executive Director Dr Aslam Dogar and UNESCO Country Head for Pakistan Patricia McPhillips.
Provincial Minister for Culture Khayal Ahmed Kastro, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture Nadeem Qureshi, Alhamra Chairperson Moneeza Hashmi, Public Relations Director General Saman Rai, veteran architect Nayyar Ali Dada, artist and writer Amna Pataudi, Kinnaird College for Women Principal Rukhsana David, artist Ayesha Shahnawaz, singer Waris Baig and others graced the event with their presence.
Alhamra’s initiative was much-admired by the attendees, as according to them it will help in improving country’s image.
