Pakistan and Nepal discuss expanding cultural and heritage cooperation

ISLAMABAD: Nepal’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Rita Dhital, met Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi on Wednesday to discuss ways to broaden bilateral cooperation in culture, heritage and people-to-people exchanges.

During the meeting, Khichi said Pakistan attaches significant importance to direct public engagement as a key element of diplomatic relations. He stressed the value of closer links between Pakistani and Nepali cultural institutions, particularly in music, the arts, artefacts and other cultural activities.

The minister said Pakistan remained committed to strengthening cultural relations with Nepal in line with the prime minister’s vision of expanding cooperation with friendly countries. He said such collaboration was important for safeguarding shared heritage and encouraging greater mutual understanding.

Khichi also highlighted Pakistan’s Buddhist heritage, saying the government had renewed efforts to showcase Buddhist civilisation as part of a wider policy aimed at promoting religious tourism. He said the country houses important Buddhist artefacts, including the fasting Buddha sculptures, and remains committed to their preservation and promotion.

He invited the Nepali ambassador to visit the Department of Archaeology and Museums, which functions under the ministry and holds a significant collection of cultural objects, especially those connected to Buddhist heritage.

Existing cooperation and cultural exchanges

Ambassador Dhital said Nepal and Pakistan share a longstanding relationship based on mutual respect, goodwill and cooperation. She said bilateral engagement had continued to grow in trade, education and people-to-people contacts, and underscored the importance of exchanges in academia, media, sports and cultural programmes.

She also praised Pakistan’s efforts under the minister’s leadership to promote and preserve culture, the arts, museums and Buddhist heritage.

Referring to earlier milestones in bilateral cultural cooperation, the ambassador mentioned the Cultural Agreement signed in May 1970, the ongoing work of the Nepal-Pakistan Friendship and Cultural Association in Kathmandu, and the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Nepal Academy and the Pakistan Academy of Letters.

That memorandum supported the translation of literary works, including The Voices of Nepali Poets.

Dhital also noted Nepal’s participation in Pakistan’s cultural initiatives, including the Artist Residency Programme for South Asian Countries and the World Culture Festival 2025 held in Karachi.

Invitation for Vesak Day event

During the meeting, the ambassador formally invited Khichi to attend the International Vesak Day event scheduled to be held at the Taxila Museum on May 1, 2026.

The event is being jointly organised by the embassies of Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Myanmar. It is intended to highlight the importance of Buddhist cultural heritage as a shared link across South, Southeast, Northeast and Central Asia.