PESHAWAR, June 24: The Culture Journalists Forum (CJF) on Monday demanded of the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to announce a ‘solid and clear’ culture policy, allocate funds for the promotion of art and culture in the province and set up a transparent censorship board to check production of substandard and vulgar Pashto CDs.

The demand came during a meeting here at Peshawar Press Club with CJF President Ihtisham Toru in the chair.

In a news release issued here, the participants demanded that the government should implement the culture policy drafted by the last government after getting it approved from the provincial assembly.

They complained of no budgetary allocations for cultural activities in the next provincial fiscal budget and said it had caused unrest among artists and literati, who had suffered a lot due to militancy.

The participants demanded better funds for promotion of art and culture and establishment of an endowment fund for the welfare of artists, painters, singers, poets and writers.

They said the last government had taken several bold steps for the revival , promotion and preservation of artistic and cultural activities and thus, improving peace and the province’s soft image.

The participants said it was extremely disappointing that the PTI-led government did not allocate even a single penny in the next budget for the promotion of cultural activities in the militancy-hit province and that extremism could be defeated only by the strong weapon of the rich and diverse culture.

They said the government should announce a separate fund for the artists’ welfare and boost literary and cultural activities in the province as the people of the province were entertainment-starved and needed healthy activities.

The participants said the so-called Pashto CD producers and telefilms makers promoting violence and obscenity should be dealt with strictly and that a transparent and independent censorship board should be put in place to promote indigenous art and culture of the province.

They said a ‘solid and clear’ culture policy could help defeat terrorism and thus, restoring peace in the province.