Islamabad, November 11, 2026: The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture has called for engaging students in educational and literary activities on Iqbal Day instead of declaring a public holiday, stressing the need to promote awareness of the thought and philosophy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
The recommendation was made during the committee’s 10th meeting, held at the National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday under the chairpersonship of MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar.
The committee expressed serious concern over the arrangements for Iqbal Day, observing that despite several directives issued during its previous two meetings, the Ministry had made insufficient progress in implementing them.
It recommended organizing speech competitions, quizzes and other educational activities in schools, colleges and universities to help students develop a deeper understanding of Iqbal’s philosophy and intellectual legacy.
The committee also directed the Ministry to organize as many programmes as possible in connection with Iqbal Day and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to ensure wider engagement.
Earlier, the committee reviewed the implementation of recommendations made at its previous meeting and approved the minutes of that meeting.
Regarding the National Library of Pakistan (NLP), the committee was informed that several improvements had been made, including better cleanliness and sanitation arrangements, installation of four water coolers, 52 lockers and 16 CCTV cameras, and development of an initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for a digital membership interface.
The Voluntary CSS Guidance Initiative was also launched at the library on October 1, 2026, using existing resources. Attendance is being monitored, while periodic assessments are planned to evaluate the initiative’s effectiveness and impact.
The committee directed that a detailed report on the operational status of all elevators at the National Library be submitted within one month. It also decided that the library’s affairs would remain a permanent agenda item at every meeting.
On the protection and repatriation of cultural heritage, the Joint Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division informed the committee that preventive and inter-agency coordination mechanisms had been established to curb the trafficking of antiquities.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the authentication of antiquities by qualified professionals had also been introduced. The committee was further informed that 1,258 artefacts had been repatriated from the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and France over the past five years.
The committee subsequently received a briefing from the Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on the transfer of an additional 5.09 acres of land at Shakarparian and delays affecting the proposed National Museum and the $6.79 million Korean-funded Research Institute projects, despite payment of the required land costs and charges.
The CDA chairman informed the committee that a high-level meeting had been held on September 24, 2026, at the Jinnah Convention Centre to discuss the establishment of the National Museum of Pakistan and an integrated museum complex in Islamabad.
The meeting was chaired by the Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control and co-chaired by the Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture.
The proposed complex would bring together several institutions at one location, including the National Museum of Pakistan, National History Museum, Islamic Museum, Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force museums, and a Korean Research Centre.
The CDA chairman further informed the committee that 160 acres of land had been identified at Malpur for the project, but approval, allotment and transfer of possession were still pending.
The previously proposed 8.33-acre site at Shakarparian, already acquired by the Department of Archaeology and Museums (DoAM), had been dropped because it falls within Shakarparian National Park.
He added that the concept and initial plan for the National Museum had been shared with the consultant engaged by CDA for designing the integrated complex. The design work was underway, and he offered to personally brief committee members on the proposed design.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Ghazala Anjum, Saeeda Jamshid, Shaista Khan, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Saira Tarar, Naeema Kishwer Khan, Muhammad Tufail and Shahnaz Saleem Malik, who participated online. The CDA chairman, Joint Secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division and other senior officials were also present.
