The National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Centre of Excellence, Quaid-e-AzamUniversity, Islamabad will hold an International Conference on Balochistan: History and Culture as part of series of conferences on various regions and provinces of Pakistan.
The three-day conference will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik on Monday, April 28 at a local hotel in Islamabad.
Chief organizer of the conference, Dr Eitezaz Ahmad, acting Vice Chancellor of the Quaid-e-AzamUniversity, stated that the NIHCR was established in 1973 with the objective to conduct research on the history and culture of Pakistan.
“The Institute has so far published over 115 titles in English, Urdu and Persian. Some of these works have seen more than one edition. The Institute has also been bringing out regularly two bi-annual journals, namely Pakistan Journal of History and Culture (English) and the Majallah-e-Tarikh wa Saqafat Pakistan (Urdu) for the last several years,” the Vice Chancellor said.
He further recalled that in order to highlight history of important national issues, the NIHCR has been holding conferences and seminars for the benefit of all and sundry; this includes Documentation of Current History; The National Hijra Conference; Pakistan History Conference; Quaid-i-Azam International Seminar; National Conference on Madar-i-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah; National Conference on Pakistan Movement: Historical and Cultural Perspectives; National Conference on Balochistan Through History and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: History and Culture besides others.
Dr Sajid Mehmood Awan, acting Director of the NIHCR, informed that the three-day international conference spans over 10 academic sessions discussing the history and culture of Balochistan. Each session would be chaired/moderated by a noted historian, he said.
“On the first day of the conference history of Balochistan would be explored; the second day is assigned to digging out culture and economy whereas on third day of the conference the guest historians would discuss politics and society of Balochistan,” said Sajid Awan.
He further declared that through the course of intellectual discourse on the subject this venture will confer new prospects and possibilities for the sustainable peace, progress and prosperity of the country in general and that of Balochistan in particular.
The conference will end with a resolution in the concluding session to be chaired by the Governor Balochistan Mohammad Khan Achakzai. However, in his message, he appreciated this effort of the NIHCR and confirmed his complete support for the success of the conference and its tangible outcome afterwards.