Integrating culture in education imperative to promote, preserve cultural activities: Ali Zafar

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Syed Ali Zafar while chairing the first meeting of the Co-ordination Committee on Heritage sites of Pakistan here on Friday, said that it was imperative to integrate culture in education to promote and preserve the fascinating cultural heritage of Pakistan.

“Preserving heritage is fundamental to uphold the country’s national identity,” he said while adding that culture and heritage bring people together and provides them with a sense of unity.

The information minister said that a dialogue and discussion should be initiated with both the federal and provincial education departments about coalescing culture and education.

He said that information sharing with regard to the preservation of heritage sites of the country was vital for better liaison and coordination at federal and provincial levels.

The minister appreciated the proposal of holding the meeting of Co-ordination Committee on Heritage sites of Pakistan once in every three months and directed the concerned authorities to prepare terms of references to further solidify the coordination mechanism between federal and provincial levels.

Minister for Culture Dr Syed Junaid Ali Shah, Sindh Minister for Culture Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, and the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) also gave their inputs and insights before the committee to preserve the cultural heritage and historical legacies in order to project a positive image of Pakistan.

Directorate of Archeology and Museums (DOAM) Director General Syed Junaid Akhlaq briefed the committee on the significance of documenting historical heritage sites alongside the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.

The minister has also briefed on the impact of Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) on the heritage sites particularly the Shalimar Gardens on its universal value as well as, about the current status of Makli Hills, Thatta by the respective provincial authorities.

UNESCO Country Director Vibeke Jensen said that they wanted to promote culture as part of sustainable development goals since culture had the potential to advance economy and industry by promoting tourism.

The meeting was attended by NH&LH Division Secretary Aamir Hasan, NH&LH Division Joint Secretary Syed Junaid Akhlaq, NH&LH Division Joint Secretary Nazir Ahmad,  Muhammad Ayoub Chaudhry, Punjab Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology & Tourism Ghulam Akbar Leghari, Sindh Information & Culture Secretary Jamshaid Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Archaeology & Museums Deputy Secretary Rabnawaz Abbasi and DOAM Director Abdul Azeem.