Islamabad, the 28th August, 2025: The Standing Committee on National Heritage & Culture Division held its second meeting on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. The meeting was held in the Committee Room of the Division, located on the 4th Floor of the Kohsar Block, Pak-Secretariat, Islamabad, under the chairpersonship of Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA.

The meeting commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran. This was followed by an in-depth briefing from the Senior Joint Secretary on the working and performance of the National Heritage & Culture Division and its attached departments. He outlined the Division's main functions, which include promoting, developing, and preserving Pakistan’s cultural heritage, arts, languages, literature, archaeological sites, museums, and historical monuments. This mission is achieved through local and international collaboration, nurturing institutional strength, safeguarding decaying value systems, and fostering tolerance. The Committee was informed that eleven organizations operate under the Division.

 

Subsequently, the heads of various attached departments briefed the Committee:

• The Executive Director of Lok Virsa detailed the organization's ordinance, functions, human resources, budget, and activities. He announced a 10-day folk festival showcasing the traditional culture of all provinces from November 7th to 16th. The Committee advised focusing on youth engagement, particularly at the Annual Lok Mela.

 

• The Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) apprised the Committee of its operations, noting that the National Arts Gallery receives up to 500 daily visitors.

 

• The Resident Engineer of the Quaid-e-Azam Mazar Management Board reported that the Mazar receives approximately two million visitors annually.

 

• The Chairperson of the Pakistan Academy of Letters briefed the Committee on its work, including the annual distribution of 22 National Literary Awards and the Kamal-e-Fann (lifetime achievement) award, as well as stipends for indigenous writers and grants to learned bodies. The Committee recommended that the Division provide details of all funds given to artists at the next meeting.

 

A Committee Member inquired about the activation of social media accounts for the Division's organizations. The Senior Joint Secretary confirmed that all organizations maintain active accounts, and the Committee recommended that links to these accounts be provided at the next meeting.

 

The meeting continued with briefings from:

• The Director of Iqbal Academy Pakistan, who stated that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah allocated Rs. 1 lac in 1948 to promote Allama Iqbal's works. He informed the Committee that the Academy has published 500 books on Iqbal in 27 languages and preserved 1,730 of his letters. Grand celebrations for Allama Iqbal's 150th birthday are planned for 2027. The Committee recommended digitizing all of Iqbal's literary works with visuals and promoting them on social media for youth engagement. The Director also noted that a comprehensive curriculum on Iqbal, from nursery to post-doctorate levels, has been prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Federal Education for approval; the Committee advised expediting this process.

 

• The Administrator of Aiwan-e-Iqbal Complex, who described their work in engaging youth to uphold Allama Iqbal's legacy. The Committee recommended inviting students from across Pakistan for this purpose.

 

• An officer from the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), who described its 3-year Diploma programs in Theatre Arts and Music. The Committee recommended that details of all students from the last four years be provided at the next meeting.

 

• An officer from the Department of Archaeology & Museums, who reported that all archaeological sites, except those in Islamabad, were devolved to the provinces in 2011.

 

• The Director General of the National Library of Pakistan apprised the Committee about the functions, human resources, budget allocation, offices, and regular activities of the organization.

 

• The Director General of the National Language Promotion Department. The Committee recommended practical measures to improve the Urdu language and expedite the approval process for offering exams in Urdu as an option in Combined Competitive Exams.

 

Attendance: The meeting was attended physically by MNAs Ms. Shaista Khan, Ms. Shahnaz Saleem Malik, Ms. Samar Haroon Bilour, Ms. Saeeda Jamshid, Ms. Ghazala Anjum, Ms. Naeema Kishwer Khan, and Mr. Sanjay Perwani. MNAs Ms. Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Ms. Natasha Daultana, and Ms. Saba Talpur attended virtually. The Federal Minister and senior officers from the National Heritage and Culture Division were also present.