U.S. Consul General Brian Heath paid tribute to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai by laying a floral wreath at the Sindhi poet’s shrine. “Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai’s poetry calls for tolerance and coexistence,” said Mr. Heath. “Shah Latif’s message of universal love is truly inspiring.” The U.S. Consul General is leading a delegation through Sindh.
The U.S. government provides a wide range of assistance to Pakistan to protect its rich heritage and encourage cultural development, said Mr. Heath. Each year, the U.S. Consul General welcomes musicians, artists, poets, intellectuals and cultural figures to his residence in Karachi to celebrate both Baloch and Sindh Culture Days. In addition, the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has provided $260,000 to preserve the Makli Hills necropolis in Thatta, Sindh.
According to Mr. Heath, the U.S. Department of State awarded $1 million to the National Association of Performing Arts (NAPA) and the University of Texas, Austin’s (UTA) Butler School of Music to develop a three-year university partnership. NAPA students and faculty travel to UTA for six-month exchanges to develop their music and expose them to other styles of music, said Mr. Heath, while UTA faculty members visit NAPA to conduct workshops and master classes with students. “The creativity and dynamism of their cultural creations are truly exciting,” he said.
For more information on U.S. cultural and educational programs and exchanges, please visit the following web site: www.eca.state.gov.
