National museum shifts to Bhara Kahu under $6.79 million Korean grant project

The proposed National Museum of Pakistan in Islamabad is set to move from its original location at Shakarparian to a larger site

Islamabad: The proposed National Museum of Pakistan in Islamabad is set to move from its original location at Shakarparian to a larger site at Bhara Kahu, as the Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture reviewed delays in land allocation, the project’s construction plan and financial penalties imposed over delays.

The Capital Development Authority has agreed to provide 20 acres of land for the National Museum within a proposed 160 acre museum complex near Bhara Kahu. The CDA will handle construction of the building, while the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture will be responsible for its maintenance and operation.

The change comes after the original plan at Shakarparian faced delays over land allocation. Of the eight acres initially planned for the museum, the CDA had provided three acres, while the remaining five acres were still pending. The project was being developed in cooperation with the Korea Heritage Agency under a Korean grant in aid programme worth $6.790 million.

The committee was informed that, after detailed meetings with the Federal Minister for Interior and the CDA chairman, the government decided to develop the museum as part of a larger complex near Bhara Kahu rather than continue with the original Shakarparian location.

The CDA Chairman told the committee that the complex would include separate museums for the Army, Navy and Air Force, along with the National Museum of Pakistan. The committee reviewed the move from the original eight acre site to the proposed 20 acre location and stressed that the new building must meet national museum standards.

The Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, also raised the issue of financial penalties imposed in the past because of project delays. He argued that the penalties should be waived or adjusted because delays in allocating and handing over the land had affected the project.

The CDA chairman clarified that all financial dealings and land allocation for the museum would take place strictly on a government to government basis.

The committee also reviewed progress on recommendations for the protection, upkeep and improvement of Quaid e Azam’s Mausoleum and its surrounding areas in Karachi.

Officials informed the committee that the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture and the Quaid e Azam Mazar Management Board were working on the recommendations made by a subcommittee formed to address problems at the mausoleum and in its surrounding area.

The work includes removing solid waste from areas around the mausoleum, installing CCTV cameras, seeking exemption from water and sewerage charges, improving water supply and carrying out a beautification plan for all entry points.

The committee expressed satisfaction with the progress reported so far but stressed that arrangements should be made immediately to open the main chamber of Mazar e Quaid to the general public.

The committee also recommended that the ministry contact all provincial governments and ask them to contribute regularly towards the upkeep and maintenance of the mausoleum. Members stressed that preserving the national monument required continued support and cooperation from the federal and provincial governments.

The protection of heritage sites across the country was also on the agenda. Senator Shahadat Awan had raised Starred Question No. 64 regarding existing laws and the legal framework for protecting and preserving heritage sites in Pakistan.

However, he requested that the matter be deferred until the next meeting because the committee had not yet received a compliance report on recommendations made at its previous meeting. The committee agreed to postpone the discussion until the required information is available.

The committee also decided to visit Taxila in the last week of October to inspect conservation work carried out by the Archaeology Department of Punjab. The visit is intended to allow members to assess the work at the historic site and review the progress made in preserving its heritage.