Breakfast with Jang

Cultural evolution of Pakistan discussed

The third session of "Breakfast with Jang," organised by the Jang Group of Newspapers at a local hotel on Saturday focused on cultural evolution of Pakistan and consequent changes it has brought with it. 

In his inaugural remarks on Saturday, Jang Group Managing Director Sarmad Ali told the audience that even though 69 years had passed since the creation of Pakistan, it was still early to praise the country for its cultural progress. Meanwhile, in-charge of Jang Economic Session, Sikandar Hamid Lodhi, questioned what was the state of culture in the country and its relation to politics and ordinary lives of citizens. The question that confronts us, Lodhi said, is how to make it acceptable to everyone. The chief guest and renowned columnist and intellectual, Atta-ul-Haq Qasmi, said that scientific grounds could not be used to appreciate culture satisfactorily. "Changes are bound to happen with the evolution of time and these may not be acceptable to all," he said and lamented that the festival of Basant, an important part of Punjabi culture, was banned by the government for very unfortunate reasons. He also criticised the use of mobile phones on core cultural values and daily personal interaction with family members. To substantiate his argument of cultural changes not being acceptable to all, Qasmi quoted examples of hijab, burka, and chaddar undergoing changes in fashion in a small period of time. At the end of his speech, Qasmi appreciated the Jang Group for organising the programme and opening up an important dialogue. —Correspondent