On 27 January 2026 the Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture met at the Parliament Lodges under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah Khan to review the role, responsibilities and institutional capacity of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture. The Secretary briefed members on the division’s mandate, sanctioned posts, current human resources, attached departments and annual budget allocations, with repeated reference to delivering a coherent national heritage strategy.
The Director General of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage Lok Virsa presented a detailed account of the institute’s responsibilities, the cultural shows staged at national and regional levels over the past two years and the use of its annual funding. The Director General of the Department of Archaeology and Museums provided an overview of core functions, employee strength and financial allocations, underlining the operational constraints that affect conservation and display of Pakistan’s cultural assets.
Committee members raised concerns about the Quaid-e-Azam Mazaar Management Board and the need for better event planning; the Chairman directed the Secretary to submit an annual calendar of cultural events. The Ministry told the committee that international cultural exchanges took place last year with partners including China, Japan, Korea and Kuwait, highlighting cultural diplomacy as a key component of national heritage work.
Senator Sarmad Ali asked for details on financial assistance for retired and financially constrained artists. The Ministry confirmed that support mechanisms exist while recognitions were made of earlier government efforts and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s role in establishing major cultural institutions; the Secretary acknowledged these historical contributions.
Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi queried 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 to ensure coordinated stewardship of records and artifacts important to the national heritage.
Serious concern was expressed over limited gallery space at the National Museum in Karachi. The Ministry reported that about 10,000 artifacts are on display while more than 90,000 remain in storage because of space constraints. Members urged the construction of a purpose-built National Museum in Islamabad capable of presenting the breadth of Pakistan’s cultural heritage. The committee also discussed the Shemza painting donated by Mr. Anwar Shemza and was informed that the work was taken back in 2020 under executive orders issued during a previous government.
On the matter of stolen artifacts, the Ministry told the committee that since devolution under the 18th Constitutional Amendment no new cases have been reported, though valuable pieces from Gandhara and Mohenjo-daro had been illegally smuggled abroad in earlier years. The Chairman requested details of international memoranda of understanding for recovery efforts; the Ministry said MoUs with European and Asian partners have led to the repatriation of several items and underlined the need to expand cultural diplomacy to protect national heritage.
The committee reviewed the status of Pakistan’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites and urged the Ministry to pursue additional listings. Members noted ongoing archaeological excavations by American and German teams in Sindh and welcomed a proposal from Japanese experts to explore the Shah Allah Ditta caves. The committee also called for annual cultural exhibitions across all provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and discussed priorities such as audio-visual archives, Lok Virsa funding, management of Bag-e-Jinnah and the digital gallery at Sir Syed Memorial Hall in Islamabad.
The meeting concluded with shared concern about human resource capacity and funding limits and a renewed commitment from the committee to strengthen national heritage institutions through targeted policy oversight, coordinated planning and enhanced international cooperation.
