PNCA to set up regional centers in G-B

Arts council, cultural department sign MoU

ISLAMABAD:

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology and Museum Department of Gilgit Baltistan on Wednesday.

PNCA DG Dr Fouzia Saeed and Minister for Culture Gilgit Baltistan Raja Nasir Ali inked the agreement.

The MoU will allow PNCA to set up its Regional Culture Centre in GB for collaborative programmes of mutual interest and understanding to share a common objective for promotion of cultural activities such as art, cultural education, dissemination of related information including the transmission of knowledge and cultural development and training of human resource in the fields of art and culture.

The main aspect of this kind of cooperation is to open new horizons for the younger generation to learn about the power of cultural information with correct perception.

PNCA under the guidance of Federal Minister for Education, National Heritage and Culture Division Shafqat Mahmood, is trying to explore new avenues to engage youth in its cultural endeavours.

Minister Ali described the MoU as a new beginning for the promotion of art and culture of Gilgit Baltistan at national and international level.

Dr Fouzia Saeed explained that the initiative of signing MoUs with the government of G-B was for extending cooperation for the promotion of regional art and culture of GB in Pakistan and abroad.

She was of the opinion that the PNCA has been too Islamabad-Centric and it’s time that it should reach out to the provinces and establish itself there in collaboration with provincial governments, as PNCA has a national mandate and is not an Islamabad Arts Council.