HYDERABAD: A theatre festival jointly organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi (ACP), and the Sindh culture department kicked off in Hyderabad on Friday.
The event will continue until October 8.
The festival was inaugurated at the Sindh Museum by ACP President Ahmed Shah and Hyderabad deputy commissioner.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ahmed Shah said there was no greater politics than culture. More than 200,000 people participated in a musical event in Hyderabad, which was held peacefully, he added.
He said the greatest strength of culture was love and his aim was to bring international artists to Hyderabad so that they could showcase their talents in the city.
He said he felt sad when he realised that the arts councils in other cities were not as large as the ACP.
Referring to the past 15 to 18 years, he said efforts were being made to overcome ethnic hatred. He urged the people of Hyderabad to attend the stage dramas in the festival with their families and enjoy the performances.
The ACP president also announced that similar theatre festivals would be held in Khairpur, Larkana, Nawabshah and Mirpurkhas.
He explained that the ACP also extended significant financial assistance to artistes during floods. Over 4,500 artistes who were displaced to Karachi received support from the ACP, he added. The ACP stood with artistes not only in good times but also in hardships, he said.
The Hyderabad deputy commissioner also addressed the ceremony. He stated that such events would continue to take place in the city with full administrative support.
