ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday said artistic endeavours based on creativity and innovation could help strengthen the country’s economy.
“No society can survive without bringing creativity and innovation in their work following the modern trends,” he said in Islamabad while addressing concluding ceremony of three-day National Calligraphy Exhibition as a chief guest.
The exhibition was arranged by National History and Literary Heritage division in collaboration with National Book Foundation (NBF). It displayed over 100 calligraphic art pieces of around 50 professional as well as young calligraphers belonging to different provinces.
Ahsan Iqbal said in past, four subjects including science, technology, mathematics and English were considered as important but now arts subjects had been significant. He said creative abilities of artists could be nourished only through promotion of arts.
Art and culture had developed into a full-fledged industry of billions dollars in the whole world today and promotion of calligraphic art at international level could be a source of foreign exchange too, Ahsan Iqbal said.
With the use of modern technology, the calligraphers could now sell their art pieces online to different countries and earn handsome amount, he added.
The minister said calligraphy represented sense of beauty and aesthetic expression and evolved into different innovative and embellished forms.
Ahsan Iqbal said this art had strong link with the religion and Holy Quran and should be promoted at all levels.
Ahsan Iqbal also distributed certificates among the calligraphers.
