Korean grant at risk over museum delay

Senate panel directs CDA, Ministry of Heritage & Culture to settle the matter on priority

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture has directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture to resolve the outstanding land-transfer issue for the proposed National Museum of Pakistan at Shakarparian at the earliest, warning that a $6.790 million Korean Grant-in-Aid could lapse if delays persist.

The direction was issued during a committee meeting chaired by Senator Hidayatullah Khan at the Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges, Islamabad, where members also expressed serious displeasure over the absence of senior CDA officials, including the CDA Chairman.

The Chairman directed that the Ministry of Interior be informed of the committee's concerns, stressing that parliamentary committees should not be undermined.

The committee was briefed on the legal framework for protecting and preserving heritage sites across Pakistan. Senator Shahadat Awan, mover of the agenda item, raised concerns over the neglect of Ranikot Fort, which is on UNESCO's Tentative List, and highlighted the lack of effective coordination between the federal government and Sindh over conservation efforts for the Great Wall of Sindh, also known as the Wall of Asia.

The Secretary, Ministry of National Heritage and Culture, said Pakistan's UNESCO World Heritage nominations were made on the recommendation of the Federal Government.

He said ministry officials had been trained to prepare nomination dossiers and that UNESCO had been requested to consider more than one dossier from Pakistan annually, despite the existing limit of one dossier per country each year.

The committee was informed that Pakistan had recently secured UNESCO inscription for the traditional clay musical instrument Borendo and was currently working to secure the inscription of Bhanbhore on the World Heritage List. The ministry said it maintained regular coordination with provincial governments for the protection of heritage and archaeological sites under the Antiquities Act.

The committee also expressed concern over encroachments around protected heritage sites and called for effective enforcement of the prescribed 200-foot buffer zone. It sought a report on 523 priceless artefacts returned from the United States, including details of their illegal removal from Pakistan and action taken against those responsible.

Regarding the upcoming Lok Virsa Mela, the committee was informed that cultural ministers from all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states would be invited, while Lahore has been declared the Cultural Capital of the SCO.