ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture Division in its third meeting held Wednesday to deliberate on significant initiatives including the digitization of Allama Iqbal’s literary works, preservation of Sikh cultural heritage, and financial support for artists.
The meeting was chaired by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA.
The nembers reviewed the compliance report on earlier recommendations.
The Director of Iqbal Academy Pakistan briefed the Committee that the Academy has fully digitized Allama Iqbal’s complete literary works and associated scholarly material, now available worldwide through the Iqbal Cyber Library.
He highlighted that the platform attracted 4.46 million visitors in just two months and is used globally as a reliable reference, including by AI tools like ChatGPT.
The Committee recommended that the Academy conduct and preserve interviews with Iqbal’s relatives, publish them in book form, and circulate the content on social media.
It also urged the Managing Director of PTV to ensure coverage of the Academy’s activities, which currently go unnoticed on national media.
The Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division informed the Committee that financial aid amounting to Rs. 70 million was disbursed among 1,086 artists during the Division’s 13th meeting held on April 10.
He noted that six of seven board members of the Iqbal Academy have been appointed by the Prime Minister, while one vacancy remains.
In a detailed briefing, the Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) outlined measures to protect Sikh cultural heritage, including restoration of gurdwaras and improved pilgrim facilities.
The Committee directed the ETPB to renovate the gurdwara in Village Fateh Bhinder, Tehsil Daska, enhance security at two gurdwaras in Peshawar through CCTV cameras and shuttle services, and restore the Ram Das Gurdwara.
It further asked the Chairman to present a comprehensive briefing on all religious sites under federal and provincial jurisdiction in the next meeting.
To strengthen interfaith dialogue, the Committee also decided to invite Punjab’s Minister for Minorities Affairs, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, and Mr. Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das as special invitees.
Punjab’s Minister for Minorities Affairs, attending virtually, proposed the creation of a coordination committee comprising federal and provincial representatives.
The Standing Committee endorsed the proposal and instructed the Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division to prepare Terms of Reference and nominate members, including three Standing Committee MNAs, provincial minorities ministers, and concerned secretaries, for discussion in the next meeting.
The session was attended physically by MNAs Saira Tarrar, Samar Haroon Bilour, Saeeda Jamshid, Ghazala Anjum, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Saba Talpur, and Sanjay Perwani, while MNAs Rabia Naseem Farooqi and Natasha Daultana joined virtually.
The Parliamentary Secretary and senior officers from the National Heritage and Culture Division and the ETPB also participated. – Agencies
