The Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture met at the Parliament Lodges under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah Khan to review institutional performance, capacity and policy direction of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and its attached departments.
The Secretary of the Ministry briefed members on the division’s mandate, sanctioned posts, current human resource strength, details of autonomous bodies and attached departments, and annual budget allocations. The Committee was also given a detailed presentation by the Director General of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) outlining the institute’s responsibilities, cultural shows at national and regional levels in the past two years, and the utilization of its annual budget.
The Director General of the Department of Archaeology and Museums presented the department’s core functions, employee strength and financial allocations, prompting members to raise concerns about museum capacity and artifact management across the country.
Committee members expressed particular concern over the Quaid-e-Azam Mazaar Management Board and asked the Ministry to provide an annual calendar of cultural events. The Ministry confirmed cultural exchanges took place last year with countries including China, Japan, Korea and Kuwait, and the Chair instructed the Secretary to provide full details of international visits and related Memoranda of Understanding aimed at the recovery of smuggled artifacts.
Senator Sarmad Ali sought clarity on financial assistance for retired or financially constrained artists. The Ministry responded that support mechanisms are in place and acknowledged historical contributions by previous administrations in establishing major cultural institutions. Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi asked about provincial financial contributions to federal cultural institutions, including the Quaid-e-Azam Management Board, and members stressed that the National Archives should operate under the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture to ensure coordinated preservation efforts.
The Committee raised alarm about limited gallery space at the National Museum in Karachi, noting that roughly 10,000 artifacts are on display while over 90,000 remain in storage due to space constraints. Members urged the government to prioritise a purpose-built National Museum in Islamabad with adequate capacity to display Pakistan’s complete cultural heritage and to reduce reliance on offsite storage.
On the subject of stolen and repatriated artifacts, the Ministry reported no new cases since devolution under the 18th Amendment, and said several MoUs with European and Asian countries have facilitated the return of many stolen items. The Chair emphasised strengthening cultural diplomacy and expanding engagement with foreign missions to further safeguard national heritage.
The Committee reviewed the status of Pakistan’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites and urged the Ministry to pursue additional registrations. Members discussed ongoing archaeological work by American and German teams in Sindh and noted a proposal by Japanese experts for exploration of the Shah Allah Ditta caves. The Committee also highlighted the need for annual cultural exhibitions in all provinces, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Other matters discussed included the Shemza painting donated by Mr Anwar Shemza, which Ministry officials said had been taken back in 2020 under executive orders from a previous government, concerns over audio-visual archives and Lok Virsa funding, and initiatives such as Bag-e-Jinnah and the digital gallery at Sir Syed Memorial Hall in Islamabad.
The meeting concluded with the Committee expressing concern about human resource capacity and funding constraints across heritage institutions, and reiterating its commitment to strengthening policy oversight, coordinated planning and cultural diplomacy to protect and promote Pakistan’s National Heritage.
