Senate panel reviews cultural bodies, seeks reforms

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture on Tuesday reviewed the performance, structure and funding of key cultural institutions and called for a series of reforms aimed at strengthening the sector.

The meeting was held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah Khan. Senators Rubina Khalid, Syed Waqar Mehdi and Sarmad Ali attended the session along with the secretary of the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and other relevant officials.

During the meeting, the committee received detailed briefings from the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), the National Library of Pakistan and the National Language Promotion Department on their mandates, responsibilities and ongoing efforts. The briefing covered initiatives related to the promotion of regional culture, the creation of a literary environment for young people, and the advancement of the national language within the country and abroad. Annual budget allocations of the institutions also came under review.

PNCA structure and regional outreach

The PNCA director general told the committee that the organisation was created under a 1973 law and has its headquarters in Islamabad, with regional offices in Lahore, Karachi, Gilgit, Quetta and Jamshoro.

Committee members voiced concern over the absence of a regional office in Peshawar and decided to raise the matter with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and the chief secretary. Senator Rubina Khalid said the issue should also be taken up with the federal minister and the prime minister.

Senator Waqar Mehdi said PNCA’s role should be projected more effectively and public awareness about its facilities should be increased.

The committee was informed that PNCA is run by a 30-member Board of Governors. Members expressed concern that only a small number of board members come from cultural and artistic backgrounds and recommended that more relevant professionals be included. The chairman sought details regarding the appointment procedure, tenure, income and CVs of board members in order to examine their credentials.

The committee also directed PNCA to provide details of its income and expenditure for the last three years.

Programmes, vacancies and funding

The committee was told that in fiscal year 2024-25, PNCA held 38 programmes in performing arts, 41 in visual arts, 30 through the National Puppet Theatre and two under cultural pacts.

Officials said PNCA has 232 sanctioned posts, of which 43 are vacant. The institution generated Rs185 million in revenue in FY2024-25, compared with Rs48 million in FY2023-24 and Rs69 million in FY2022-23.

Its annual budget stands at Rs265 million, while the Public Sector Development Programme allocation is Rs9 million. The committee expressed concern over the low PSDP allocation and recommended that it be increased.

The secretary informed the committee that a proposal of Rs10 billion for the next fiscal year is under consideration. The committee stressed the need to strengthen cultural institutions and directed that the issue of enhanced funding be taken up with the prime minister.

Recommendations and upcoming initiatives

Senator Rubina Khalid also proposed holding workshops with renowned artists and creating more opportunities for emerging talent, particularly by including children in cultural programmes.

The committee was further informed that PNCA events had not been approved during the past two months because of security concerns. However, officials said new programmes are being planned for the coming year and would require sponsorship support.

The briefing also noted that some initiatives are being developed in collaboration with Korea and South Africa.

Members were also given a detailed briefing on affiliated bodies, including the National Art Gallery, Shakir Ali Museum Lahore and the Performing Arts Division.

The committee recommended that culture-related subjects be included in the national curriculum and was informed that digitisation work is in progress.