Lok Virsa making efforts to preserve Pottery making
National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) initiated a special programme “Craft of the Month” series in collaboration with Federal Directorate of Education as a part of making efforts to preserve and promote the traditional production techniques and forms of Pottery making. Lok Virsa aims at promoting indigenous folk crafts, reviving dying traditional skills and inculcating knowledge among the younger generation, particularly children about the rich craft heritage of the country.
Master artisans in pottery making (including blue pottery) from different parts of the country invited to demonstrate their skills and teach craft making techniques to children for a week daily from 10 am to 5 pm at Lok Virsa Heritage Museum.
Pottery is a very big part of our culture. Pottery is the traditional art and a source of earning living for potters (Kumhar). The making of pots with clay is a very artistic and tough work which a common man cannot perform. These pots are abundantly used in the villages. Pottery ware is available in a number of sizes, shapes, designs and also for different purposes. The variety of these artistic pots includes goblets, Picky banks or coin banks, pots for fetching water and vases etc.
Famous folk singer Alam Lohar’s 39th death anniversary
The 39th death anniversary of legendary Punjabi folk singer Alam Lohar was observed among his admirers and fun lovers alike, during the week. Alam Lohar is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah’s Heer, which he has memorized in 36 styles and forms.
He was also honored with Pakistan’s highest civil award for arts and theatre the Pride of Performance Award in 1979.
He was born in 1928 and died on 3rd July, 1979.
Alam Lohar developed a new style of singing the Punjabi Vaar, an epic or folk tale which made him popular when he toured villages and towns in the Punjab region.
He is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah’s Heer along with other songs such as Sail-Ul-Malook. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan at the time (Verified in records kept with HMV Pakistan 1979), Private news channel reported.
In his childhood, he used to read sufiana kalaams, Punjabi stories and participate as a young child in local elderly gatherings expressing a vocal only art form in reading passages of great poets.
Candidate says voting for women is ‘haram’; ECP initiates action
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken action against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate from Muzaffargarh who declared it ‘haram’ to vote for women in a video which went viral over social media.
The deputy commissioner and district monitoring officer (DMO) ordered to send the video footage of the NA-186 candidate to a forensic laboratory for analysis after the incident was reported and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif’s wife Tehmina Durrani raised her voice against Sultan in a series of tweets.
During a rally in his constituency, Sultan – who is contesting 2018 elections against PTI candidate Zehra Basit Sultan Bukhari – said he will follow the directions of religion and will abstain from casting a vote to any female candidate as it is considered “haram” [forbidden in Islam].” “I will work under the commands of Allah and His messenger…and will desist from doing the contrary,” he added.
Reacting to the statement, Durrani condemned the act and demanded of the PML-N to “ride of” the candidate. “My instructions for all women in Muzaffargarh as a woman consistently concerned for their future is to vote against Haroon Sultan. He is standing there neither for welfare nor progress. Dump him like he dumped u,” she tweeted.
Minister Ali Zafar opens Children’s Free Summer Book Club
Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Barrister Syed Ali Zafar inaugurating the Children’s Free Summer Book Club organised by the National Book Foundation (NBF) said that education and book reading were powerful tools that could change the world and prepare a nation for future challenges. He said the children had qualities of heart and mind and they could become super heroes if they equipped themselves with education.
Ali Zafar said that the children were the future of Pakistan as they would take up important roles for the nation building. He said that the education prepared a nation for future challenges and time had come that it should be taken as a security issue. He said that the children would be joining important institutions like the parliament when they would be adults.