ISLAMABAD, Oct 29 (APP):Former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Sardar Muhammad Masood Khan has lauded students for portraying the suffering of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir through paintings displayed at an exhibition marking Kashmir Black Day.
Inaugurating the exhibition, jointly organised by the Nazriya Pakistan Council Trust (NPCT) and the Directorate of Electronic Media and Publications (DEMP), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, at Aiwan-e-Quaid, Fatima Jinnah Park, he said the paintings offered a poignant portrayal of the atrocities committed against the Kashmiri people, said a press release issued here on Thursday.
He appreciated the efforts of both organisations in providing young students with a platform to express solidarity with the oppressed Kashmiris through their artwork.
Sardar Masood Khan said the Kashmir cause was intrinsically linked to Pakistan’s ideological foundation, adding that the paintings displayed in the Council’s permanent Kashmir Gallery, accompanied by verses from renowned poets, captured the pain and suffering of the Kashmiri people.
Describing the paintings as deeply moving, he said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had endured decades of struggle and made immense sacrifices in their quest for rights and freedom.
He also proposed compiling and publishing the verses displayed alongside photographs in the permanent Kashmir Gallery in book form to convey the message and suffering of the Kashmiri people to audiences worldwide.
Director General DEMP Muhammad Saleem thanked the Nazriya Pakistan Council Trust for providing the venue free of charge every year to facilitate the exhibition marking Kashmir Black Day.
He paid tribute to Sardar Masood Khan for his services as Pakistan’s ambassador and president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the sacrifices made by Kashmiri leaders for freedom would remain an enduring chapter in history.
In his introductory remarks, Director Media and Programmes NPCT Hameed Qaiser said the Council had consistently organised events to commemorate important national days. He said the exhibition aimed to draw international attention to the suffering of the Kashmiri people and raise awareness of their plight.
The ceremony was attended by former ambassador and senior Council Executive Committee member Salahuddin Choudhry, Director Administration and Finance Sultan Hamid Malik, Irshad Khokhar, DEMP Director Muhammad Hussain Wazir and other officials, along with noted intellectual Syed Zaheer Gilani and other guests.
The exhibition is on display at the mural lobby of Aiwan-e-Quaid, Fatima Jinnah Park, Islamabad, and will remain open to visitors until Sunday.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
