The Baacha Kan Trust Educational Foundation (BKTEF) and Idarai Taleem o Taraqi (IBT) established Culture Club in Torwali speaking community of Swat in a meeting held on March 18, 2012. A large number of Torwali writers, poets, media persons and artists attended the meeting.
Chairperson of the IBT, Zubair Torwali, gave his opening remarks highlighting the need of freedom of diverse cultural expression, significance of culture education and the IBT’s role in the revival, preservation and promotion of indigenous Torwali culture and language. He further elaborated on the close collaboration between the BKTEF and the IBT in education, culture and development.
Managing Director BKTEF, Khadim Hussain, also spoke on the occasion. He said that the BKTEF was engaged in promoting values of human dignity, pluralism, peace, democracy and indigenous wisdom. He said that these values were interwoven in the diverse cultural and historical mosaic of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. These values invariably provided a basis for responsive socio-cultural and socio-economic institutions. He said that the BKTEF was eager to develop networking with likeminded national and international organizations. He further said that it was important recapture space for diverse indigenous cultural expression integrated with modern human civilization. The MD BKTEF highlighted the need of concerted and coordinated efforts to revive, preserve and promote indigenous culture, arts and crafts. He invited the participants for their suggestions to form a Culture Club (Kalturi Tolana) in the Torwali speaking community.
Manager Abdul Jalil, Mr. Khan Saeed, Mr. Noor Khan and Mr. Aftab suggested a four committee consisting of a representative from all the four union councils of Torwali speaking community. The Committee would call a large gathering of Torwali artists, writers, cultural practitioners, craftspersons, media persons and elders on March 20 2012 for deciding domain, functions, activities and structure of the Club. Zubair Torwali offered space at the IBTE office for the initial activities of the Club.