ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture has sought a report on 523 priceless artefacts returned from the United States, including details of how the artefacts were illegally taken out of the country and the action taken against those responsible.
The committee expressed concern over encroachments around protected heritage sites and urged the ministry concerned to ensure their effective protection in accordance with the prescribed 200-foot buffer zone.
A meeting of the committee was held under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah Khan to further consider a starred question regarding existing laws and the legal framework for the protection and preservation of heritage sites in the country and to receive a briefing on the construction of the National Museum of Pakistan at Shakarparian.
The committee expressed serious displeasure over the absence of senior officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The chairman directed that a letter be written to the Ministry of Interior conveying the committee’s displeasure over the absence of senior CDA officials. The committee stressed that parliamentary committees should not be undermined and directed relevant institutions to ensure the presence of senior officials at committee meetings.
The committee was briefed on the existing legal framework for the protection and preservation of heritage sites across the country. Senator Shahadat Awan, as mover of the agenda item, highlighted concerns regarding Ranikot Fort, which is on the Unesco’s Tentative List but, according to him, has remained neglected by the federal government. He pointed out that international organisations had shown interest in conserving the Great Wall of Sindh, commonly known as the Wall of Asia, but there was a lack of an effective coordination mechanism between the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and the government of Sindh.
The secretary, Ministry of National Heritage and Culture, informed the committee that sites from Pakistan included on the Unesco’s World Heritage List were nominated following recommendations of the federal government. He said the ministry had trained its officials in preparing nomination dossiers and requested the Unesco to consider more than one dossier from Pakistan annually, despite the existing limitation of considering one dossier per country each year.
The committee was informed that the ministry had recently submitted dossiers relating to intangible and cultural heritage to the Unesco and successfully secured the inscription of the traditional clay musical instrument “Borendo”. The ministry informed the committee that regular coordination and cooperation were maintained with provincial governments for the protection and preservation of heritage and archaeological sites under the Antiquities Act. It was stated that the ministry was currently working to secure the inscription of Bhanbhore on the Unesco World Heritage List.
The committee was briefed that during this year’s Lok Virsa Mela, the ministry planned to invite cultural ministers from all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The committee was informed that Lahore had been declared the Cultural Capital of the SCO. Hidayatullah recommended inviting the chief ministers of all provinces, as well as the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan and the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, to the planned cultural Mela. He observed that heritage and culture transcended regional boundaries, bound the people of Pakistan together and promoted harmony and unity.
The chairman appreciated the efforts of the ministry and directed it to provide details of coordination meetings held with provincial authorities during the last six months. He directed the ministry to furnish province-wise details of expenditure incurred on the protection and preservation of heritage sites.
The committee expressed concern over encroachments around protected heritage sites and urged the ministry to ensure effective protection in accordance with the prescribed 200-foot buffer zone. It sought a report on the 523 priceless artefacts returned from the United States, including details of how they were illegally taken out of the country and the action taken in this regard. The committee took serious notice of the absence of the CDA chairman while a matter of national importance was under discussion. Members emphasised that the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture should be accorded due priority, as heritage and culture
could play a vital role in promoting national cohesion and harmony.
Regarding the construction of the National Museum of Pakistan at Shakarparian, the chairman directed the CDA and the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture to resolve the outstanding issue of land transfer at the earliest, as there were fears that the $6.790 million Korean grant-in-aid could lapse if delays persisted. The committee recommended enhancing the budgetary allocation for the ministry and suggested exploring innovative models of self-sufficiency through the promotion of heritage, cultural and archaeological tourism.
The committee adopted the report of its sub-committee regarding the administrative issues and renovation of Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi. Senator Waqar Mehdi suggested converting the Radio Pakistan Karachi building into a cultural and heritage museum. The committee emphasised that the country’s national heritage must be protected and preserved as it represented Pakistan’s history, identity and cultural legacy.
