QUETTA: Pashtoon Cul­ture Day was celebrated across Balochistan with traditional enthusiasm and fervour on Monday. Balochistan Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail and Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, while congratulating the Pashtoons on the occasion, said their culture has a history of thousands of years. They said that culture is of pivotal importance as it highlights the identity of each region and Pashtun culture teaches love, respect, harmony and tolerance in society. Various cultural organisations and political parties, including Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party and Pash­toon­khwa National Awami Party held special functions and events in the provincial capital to mark the occasion. A large number of people wearing traditional Pashtoon dresses participated in these events. Speaking at these events and gatherings Pashtoon leaders said that celebrating this special day means remembering Pashtoon customs and teachings which were spread through poetry. They said it was the responsibility of Pashtoons to spread the message of love, harmony and tolerance. Speaking at a function to mark the occasion, Balochis­tan Governor Mandokhail said that culture is a thread that binds together our past, present and future and it is the responsibility of all Pashtoons to keep Pashtoon history alive. Provincial Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, Provin­cial Adviser Naseem ur Rehman Malakhail, Member of the Provincial Assembly Zamrak Khan Achakzai, Director General of Iranian Cultural Centre Abu ul Hassan Amiri, Nazar Mohammad Barech, Dr Tahir Barech and a large number of women and youths attended the function. The governor said that the history of the Pashtoon nation is thousands of years old and the Pashtoon language is among the 40 major languages of the world.