Week-long Gandhara festival begins today.

ISLAMABAD -- The Gandhara Festival 2023, organised by Punjab Arts Council (PAC), will be inaugurated today in Gandhara Art Village Taxila by Secretary Information and Culture Silwat Saeed.

In this regard, Director General Punjab Arts Council Muhammad Mehboob Alam said that the promotion of culture is the top priority of the Punjab government. The recent approval of the first cultural policy of the Punjab province is a testament to the efforts of the Punjab Arts Council, he added.

Gandhara Festival 2023 will be held from January 29 to February 4 at Gandhara Art Village Taxila and Punjab Arts Council Cricket Stadium Road Rawalpindi. Moreover, several other 3-day cultural festivals will be organised in different regions of Punjab on the civilisation of Harappa, Sindhi, and Hakra culture of Cholistan along with Gandhara.

More than 20 stalls based on sculpture, stone carving, and Gandhara art are being set up by expert artisans. Moreover, traditional food, a kids' play area, and a book fair on Gandhara are also part of the festival.

The event will begin with an opening ceremony where Sufi Sain Zahoor will be performing on a Sufi night...