Pakistan and Tajikistan will jointly stage a week-long celebration of Tajik Culture in Islamabad with events expected to extend to Lahore, marking a fresh push in cultural diplomacy between the two countries. The Ministries of Culture of both nations, together with the Embassy of Tajikistan, the Pakistan National Council of the Arts and Lok Virsa, are coordinating a programme designed to highlight shared heritage and creative exchange.
The festival will feature a traditional cultural showcase and an art exhibition titled “Land of Mountains and Poets,” alongside a fusion music and dance night, a Tajik film festival and live demonstrations of handicrafts. A culinary festival will introduce authentic Tajik cuisine and a literary forum will explore classical poetry, reflecting the organisers’ aim to present a broad picture of Tajik Culture to Pakistani audiences.
Ambassador Sharifzoda Yusuf Toirali held detailed meetings with Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi to finalise preparations. The ambassador proposed an additional gala night in Lahore at the Shahi Fort to evoke Mughal-era connections and offered full support for joint initiatives that revive shared heritage, art and music between the two countries.
Ambassador Sharifzoda said Tajik artists, musicians and dancers are keen to collaborate with Pakistani counterparts, sharing traditional skills such as Tajik hand embroidery. He also announced plans to launch two films that draw on Tajik history, culture and classical poetry, and noted the high regard Tajik audiences have for the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
The ambassador indicated he will invite Pakistan’s mainstream leadership, including the Chief Minister of Punjab, to attend both the Islamabad programme and the Lahore gala. Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi welcomed the proposal, saying cultural cooperation will deepen people-to-people ties and create new channels for exchange.
Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division Assad Rehman Gillani provided a detailed briefing on proposed venues, schedule and arrangements, and officials said final dates for the Week of Tajikistan Culture will be announced after the conclusion of Lok Mela 2025. Organisers expect the events to open fresh avenues for artistic partnership and to strengthen long-standing cultural and linguistic links between the two nations.
