A high-level Tajik cultural delegation arrived in Islamabad this week as Pakistan and Tajikistan prepare to launch the first Pak Tajik Festival. The delegation was received at Islamabad International Airport by Federal Minister for the National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi and is led by Ms. Sattoriyon Matlubakhon Amonzoda, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday at the Convention Centre Islamabad, where officials from both countries will highlight cultural diplomacy and plans to deepen bilateral ties. During a meeting between Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi and the Tajik Minister of Culture, both sides agreed to use cultural exchange as a platform to strengthen relations.
The Pak Tajik Festival itself takes place on December 19 and 20 at Lok Virsa and is organised by the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage in collaboration with the Pakistan National Council of the Arts and the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture. Lok Virsa will be transformed into a lively space of craft demonstrations, exhibitions, and performances that celebrate shared traditions and artistic talent.
Visitors can expect live artisan demonstrations, exhibitions of traditional handicrafts, and daily performances of folk music, dance and theatre from noon until 8:00 pm. A wide selection of authentic Pakistani and Tajik cuisine will be available alongside cultural seminars that explore common heritage and historical links between the two nations.
Special programming includes film screenings on Friday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, followed by a Farsi language seminar on Saturday at the same time. Renowned Tajik performers Noziya Karomatullo and Muhammadrafi Karomatullo are scheduled to appear, with Noziya a recipient of the Medal Hizmati Shoista and Muhammadrafi holding the honored title of Zasluzhenny Artist of Tajikistan.
Organisers emphasise that the Pak Tajik Festival is family friendly and designed to foster people-to-people connections, promote mutual respect, and create opportunities for future cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Tajikistan.
