Murad hopes to see cultural pluralism

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has said that in an age where divisions and intolerance threaten the fabric of our societies, we must draw strength from our cultural roots that teach us to accept, respect, and celebrate differences.

This he said while speaking at the World Cultural Festival in collaboration with the Culture Department of the Sindh government on Thursday.

The CM said that culture could be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that were passed down from generation to generation. "Culture has been called the way of life for an entire society including music, poetry, codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, and art," he said.

The CM said that poetry, the rhythmic expression of thought, allows us to glimpse the profound. "The verses of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, who is not just a poet but a beacon of wisdom, continue to inspire generations," he said and added Bhittai's poetry, like that of Faiz Ahmad Faiz and many other luminaries, speaks to the timeless human values of love, justice, and tolerance.

Murad said that the written word preserves our collective memories and imaginations. "We find our stories, our struggles, our victories in the literature which plays a significant role in shaping our identity and enriching our cultural tapestry," he said.

The CM said that tolerance and pluralism are the foundations of a harmonious society." Beyond the beauty of art, culture teaches us essential lessons about coexistence, tolerance, and unity," he said and added that Sindh has long been a land of diverse faiths, ethnicities, and traditions. "Our history is a testament to the power of pluralism, where people of all backgrounds have lived and thrived together in harmony," he said.