US envoy backs Punjab’s cultural revival, hails CM Maryam’s welfare drive

• Information Minister Azma Bokhari highlights landmark programmes for women, students and farmers

• Stetson Sanders praises Film City project and theatre revival initiatives

• Punjab, US discuss cultural partnership through Alhamra and joint artistic events

 LAHORE: United States Consul General in Lahore Stetson Sanders on Thursday lauded Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's public welfare initiatives and appreciated the provincial government's efforts to promote culture and the arts, particularly the establishment of the Punjab Film City and the revival of the province's theatre industry, as both sides agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of culture, arts and creative industries.

The appreciation came during a meeting between the US Consul General and Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari in Lahore, according to a statement issued by the Punjab Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR).

وزیر اطلاعات و ثقافت پنجاب عظمیٰ بخاری سے امریکی قونصل جنرل لاہور سٹیٹسن سینڈرز کی ملاقات، ثقافتی تعاون کے فروغ پر تبادلہ خیال
پنجاب میں فن، ثقافت اور تخلیقی شعبوں کے فروغ کے لیے پاکستان اور امریکہ کے درمیان تعاون بڑھانے پر اتفاق۔ ملاقات میں پنجاب فلم سٹی، تھیٹر ریوائیول اور… pic.twitter.com/URwbS5CKbT

— Government of Punjab (@GovtofPunjabPK) July 9, 2026

The meeting focused on matters of mutual interest, enhanced cultural cooperation, and the Punjab government's ongoing development and public welfare initiatives.

Punjab Information Secretary Syed Tahir Raza Hamdani and Political and Economic Advisor at the US Consulate, Sadaf Saad, also attended the meeting.

According to the statement, the two sides discussed the possibility of establishing a cultural partnership between American artists and the Alhamra Arts Council, as well as organising joint cultural and artistic activities in Lahore to further strengthen people-to-people ties.

Speaking on the occasion, Azma Bokhari briefed the US Consul General on the flagship public welfare programmes launched under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She said the Punjab government had introduced historic initiatives aimed at improving the lives of women, students and farmers across the province.

She also informed the Consul General that construction of 170,000 homes was currently underway under the "Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar" housing programme, enabling thousands of families to fulfil their dream of homeownership, the statement said.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation between the Punjab Information and Culture Department and the US Consulate Lahore in the fields of culture, arts and creative industries, with a view to promoting cultural exchange and collaborative initiatives.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari presented a commemorative souvenir to US Consul General Stetson Sanders.