Mapping of all cultural sites to be conducted

ISLAMABAD, Mar 11 (APP):National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH) Division is planning to start mapping of all cultural sites, including archaeological and religious sites on priority basis.
This was disclosed in a meeting of Advisory Committee on Heritage was held here in chair of Minister for Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood at NH&LH, Division.
The meeting was also attended by Secretary National History and Heritage Division Aamir Hasan, Director General Department of Archeology and Museum (DOAM), Representative of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Vebeke Jensen and other experts and architect.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said that first step would be formation of Provincial Level committees on heritage to mobilize youth and people concerned at district and union council level.
He said that platform is available and ministry would extend all possible support for the mobilization of people concerned.
The minister said that genuine and committed people would be identified at district and union council to work for promotion of heritage of the country.
He said that people would be organized at grassroots level to achieve the set targets, adding that once the network would be in place, “we can go for legislation”, he said.
Shafqat Mahmood said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is very keen of tourism promotion in the country.
The meeting was also informed that on the order of Supreme Court (SC) last month National Museum of Pakistan be transferred back to the federal government.
The minister directed the official concerned to keep in touch with the provincial authorities for making the process of handing-over of National Museum at the earliest.
Earlier, the meeting was informed that PC-II project has been developed expected approval in one week to conduct a study and mapping in the six months.
It was further informed that data will be collected from all the sources and about 10 thousands sites will be mapped. Ten sites would be visited for validation. In a survey, analysis, categorization of the buildings heritage and report would be compiled.
The Advisory Committee was also informed that 6 world heritage sites were in Pakistan while 26 sites on the tentative list of Pakistan.
The committee was also informed that there were total 405 protected heritage sites in the country including 30 in Balochistan province, 92 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 129 in Sindh province, 149 in Punjab, one in Gilgit-Baltistan and four sites in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The government has been constituted an Advisory Committee on Heritage with the mandate of sharing valuable inputs for mapping of cultural heritage sites including religious sites across the country.
National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH) Division in collaboration with UNESCO has already started a project to document cultural heritage sites along the Grand Trunk Road from Peshawar to Lahore.