For a ‘Pursukoon Karachi’, say no to toy guns

Toys were collected from students in Shireen Jinnah Colony, Neelam Colony and DHA.

KARACHI: A streamroller flattened hundreds of toy guns on Thursday, sending out the message that weapons - plastic or real - are harmful for Karachi and especially its children.

The toy guns were collected by Pursukoon Karachi, a not-for-profit society, from school children in Shireen Jinnah Colony, Neelam Colony and Defense Housing Authority. “Hatyar Nahi Pyar [Love, not Weapons] is one of our projects against toy guns,” explained the society’s member, Abdul Jabbar Gull. “Even plastic guns have a bad impact on children’s minds. Some of them consider those who use guns as hero - we need to break that perception.”

He told The Express Tribune that their team visited five schools in Shireen Jinnah colony, DHA and Neelam Colony where they conducted workshops on toy weapons and their negative impacts. “Children voluntarily brought their toy guns to us. In return, we gave them dolls and sporty toys,” said Gull.

The demonstration was held at the end of Pursukoon Karachi’s press conference during which details of their upcoming festival were announced. “We thought about our role in this city and felt the absence of a creative forum. This is how Pursukoon Karachi came into existence,” said Pursukoon Karachi curator Noorjehan Bilgrami.

The three-day Pursukoon Karachi Festival, starting on November 22, aims to celebrate the joys of the city through visual and performance art. The event will be held at the Karachi Arts Council, National Academy of Performing Arts and Karachi Cantonment Station. Work on the restoration of the 120-year-old building of the Karachi Cantt. Station, one of the prominent features of the event, is under way and the first phase of the revitalisation project is near completion, said Bilgrami, adding that they are working on 24 projects and each one has its own coordinator.

The festival will feature art shows, programmes for children, musical shows, plays and movie screenings among other things. Zambeel Dramatic Readings will present Asif Farrukhi’s story ‘Samandar ki Chori’ and check people’s reactions to a scenario in which they find out that the sea outside their homes has been stolen.

Karachi Arts Council President Ahmed Shah appreciated the efforts of Pursukoon Karachi for restoring peace and lost glory of the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th,2013.