The Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) signed a memorandum of understanding with tourism, sports, culture, archaeology and museum department of Gilgit Baltistan on Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Dr Fouzia Saeed, DG PNCA, and Raja Nasir Ali, Minister for Culture Gilgit Baltistan, signed the agreement. The MoU will allow PNCA to set up its regional culture centre in GB for collaborative programs of mutual interest and understanding to share a common mandate of the promotion of art and culture, cultural education, dissemination of related information including the transmission of knowledge and cultural development and training of human resource in the fields of art and culture.
The main objective of the cooperation is to open up new horizons for younger generation to learn about the power of cultural information with correct perception. Raja Nasir Ali, Minister for Tourism, Sports, Culture, Archaeology and Museum Department of GB, termed the MoU a new beginning for the promotion of art and culture of Gilgit Baltistan at national and international level.
Dr Fouzia Saeed, Director General PNCA, took this initiative of signing MoUs with GB for extending cooperation for the promotion of regional art and culture of the region in Pakistan and abroad. She is of the opinion that PNCA has been too Islamabad-centric and that it’s time that it should reach out to the provinces and establish itself there in collaboration with the provincial governments.
During her remarks, she also highlighted the role of Shafqat Mehmood, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division, who is very keen to promote the regional as well as international cultural exchange to portray the true image of Pakistan and its centuries old cultural traditions.
To achieve the common goals government of GB will provide space free of cost for the establishment of PNCA’s provincial office in Gilgit-Baltistan. It will hold collaborative programs to further the cultural awareness, promotion and research, as and when planned with mutual consultation. It will facilitate PNCA for any permission, authorizations that may be required to conduct cultural activities, festivals or filming in GB and also provide the facilities/venues including auditoriums in GB free of cost to PNCA for holding cultural activities.
The common goal of collaboration is to accelerate the cultural activities to preserve and promote the tangible and intangible culture and traditions of the people of GB, conduct training programs for artists, technicians for audio/video recordings and any other training in the field of art and culture, assist the culture department of GB in preparing its provincial cultural policy and to disseminate it at national level.
