Categories
1.4K Shares Share Is the government working on the cultural heritage in the country?
The answer is yes.
On Friday, the Ministry of Culture and Information Technology released a list of cultural heritage areas.
It listed the list of areas where it is working on preserving and celebrating the country’s cultural heritage.
The list includes several areas in the eastern provinces of Balochistan, Swat and North Waziristan, as well as in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh.
These areas have historically been under the purview of the Punjab government, while in other parts of the country, it has been a state-run project.
In a statement, Minister of Culture Amirul Haq said that the department is currently in talks with a number of cultural institutions, including the Bihari-Kashmiri community in Punjab.
“These consultations are taking place to ensure that cultural heritage of the state of Punjab is preserved and celebrated in all its glory,” Haq told a press conference.
He also said that there will be a meeting with representatives from these cultural institutions on September 17.
“I will also ensure that there is a high-level coordination between the state government and these institutions,” he added.
The list of the areas in which the government is working is titled “The Cultural Heritage of Pakistan: A National Vision,” which is based on a UNESCO Declaration on the Protection of Cultural Heritage and Archaeological Sites in the Land of the Pakistan People.
Its contents have not been officially released.
However, the statement said that a number, which include cultural institutions and institutions of the public, will be included in the list.
According to Haq, the government plans to develop a detailed plan on cultural heritage protection for the region, as per the UNESCO Declaration.
However, it will not go ahead until the entire list of protected areas is finalised, Haq added.
This is the first time the government has made a list like this.
However, according to the declaration, it is also the first government to list the regions in which it is considering cultural heritage preservation and protection.
The declaration has been signed by the President of the Republic of Pakistan, Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary.
“The designation of cultural sites and cultural heritage is an important and crucial step in the cultural protection and promotion of our culture.
We are committed to work with the stakeholders to ensure cultural heritage and cultural preservation is safeguarded,” Haqq said.
He also mentioned that the designation of these areas will allow the government to make decisions for the protection of cultural monuments.
This article was first published on The Conversation.
