Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said Pakistan\u2019s cultural diversity remains the country\u2019s greatest strength as he spoke at a Policy Dialogue on Prospects and Challenges to National Cohesion and Cultural Integrity in Islamabad. The minister underlined that culture can serve as a bridge for national cohesion by fostering understanding, social harmony and progress across communities.<\/p>\n
Welcoming scholars, artists, policymakers and students, the minister described the dialogue as part of a wider government vision to promote inclusivity and mutual respect. He noted that the newly announced Centre for National Cohesion and Outreach will offer a platform where culture and conversation connect differences and create shared purpose.<\/p>\n
The Centre will operate as a think-and-do tank to document Pakistan\u2019s cultural plurality, engage young people through art, media and education, and supply evidence-based policy inputs aimed at strengthening national cohesion. By linking creative expression with community empowerment, the initiative seeks to turn culture into a practical source of resilience for local communities.<\/p>\n
Addressing the obstacles that threaten unity, the minister highlighted how polarization and inequality have frayed social bonds and stressed the need to revive the capacity to listen and celebrate diversity. Institutions such as Lok Virsa together with the new Centre for National Cohesion can play an essential role in rebuilding connections and promoting civic values.<\/p>\n
Mr. Khichi said the ministry will collaborate with universities, think tanks and international partners including UNESCO and UNODC to develop programmes that promote peace, tolerance and active citizenship. He added, “National cohesion cannot be legislated; it must be nurtured,” urging investment in dialogue over division so every Pakistani feels respected and heard.<\/p>\n
Secretary National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gillani formally announced the Centre for National Cohesion and Outreach and described its mission to harness shared cultural heritage\u2014stories, songs and values\u2014to heal divisions and unite people. The Centre is envisioned as a collaborative space for artists, scholars and community leaders to foster cross-community dialogue and engage youth in cultural initiatives that strengthen social bonds.<\/p>\n
Executive Director Lok Virsa Dr. Waqas Saleem welcomed participants and outlined the forum\u2019s objectives, emphasizing the Dialogue\u2019s role in promoting intercultural understanding and celebrating the nation\u2019s diverse heritage. Together, the ministry and cultural institutions aim to make national cohesion a living practice rooted in culture, creativity and inclusive policy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Learn how national cohesion is being strengthened through a new Centre for National Cohesion and Outreach, connecting culture, youth and policy for inclusive unity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12896,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12897"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12897\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}