Staff Reporter
Peshawar: The Culture Journalists Forum Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced plans to convene a comprehensive dialogue involving all key stakeholders to safeguard and promote the province’s culture and cultural heritage, warning that reducing culture to music and drama alone is a matter of serious concern.
The decision was made during a meeting held at the Peshawar Press Club, chaired by Forum President Ihtisham Toru. Participants agreed that reviving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s “real culture” requires meaningful input from media professionals, academics, government representatives, and civil society.
“Taking all stakeholders and serious circles along for the promotion and protection of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s real culture and cultural heritage is the need of the hour,” Toru said after the meeting.
In a related development, a Forum delegation led by Toru visited the PTV Peshawar Centre, where they met General Manager Ibrahim Kamal. Vice President Amjad Ali Khadim and Finance Secretary Amjad Hadi Yousafzai were also part of the delegation. Discussions focused on the welfare of local artists, the constructive role of media, and collaborative efforts to highlight the province’s diverse cultural landscape.
Kamal praised the Forum’s efforts, describing its contributions to promoting and preserving the province’s culture as commendable. He assured the delegation of PTV Peshawar’s full support in future initiatives.
Toru termed the meeting productive and reaffirmed his commitment to working closely with PTV and other institutions. The Forum also decided to hold a series of meetings with departmental heads and prominent figures to build momentum for cultural initiatives across the province.
As part of its roadmap, the Forum plans to organize a dialogue session in Peshawar in the near future, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to develop comprehensive proposals for cultural promotion.
Forum members expressed concern that public perception of culture has become limited to music and acting. They emphasized that culture encompasses a much broader spectrum, including language, literature, traditions, and all aspects of lifestyle, and called for more serious and comprehensive efforts to reflect the true depth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s cultural heritage.
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