An Hour at Datta Darbar
By Bushra Zulfiqar As I entered the bustling city, high red minarets of Baadshahi Mosque instantly captivated my attention. This was Lahore, the heart of Pakistan on an early October afternoon. Scorching heat and humidity was still in and out of the air, thanks to the globally warmed and heated climate. As our car passed [...]
Which Pak city is cooler – Lahore or Karachi
While visiting Lahore and Karachi, I found both cities were being perceived as unsafe. In Karachi, friends warned that I might die in a bomb blast in Lahore. In Lahore, friends warned that my cell phone might be robbed at gunpoint in Karachi. It was funny to hear Karachiites and Lahoris being bitchy about each [...]
Seventh SWAT Rejuvenation
A recent visit to Kalam, arranged by the GOC, Upper Swat, for Ar. Yasmeen Lari culminated in a meeting with a group of 75 women. Issues discussed ranged from options of work to the establishment of community centres. From fashioning handicrafts to growing vegetables and collecting medicinal herbs, these women were ready to participate in [...]
Heritage buildings on verge of destruction
Heritage enthusiasts call the city downtown as an open museum of historical treasures, but with the passage of time and lack of interest by the government, these colonial era buildings with symbolic architectures are on the verge of destruction. A large number of important historical buildings built by local merchant classes Sindhi Hindus, Parsis and [...]
Centuries Old Monuments at Taxila in Pakistan Damaged By Stone-Crushing Plants
By MalcolmJ It feels like it’s almost every week we’re reporting on a heritage site somewhere in the world coming under threat from land developers or big industry. Taxila, in the Punjab province of Pakistan – which contains fragile ruins dating back as far as 2,600 years – is the latest, and the reason is [...]
Museums role in modren era highlighted
By Mahtab Bashir ISLAMABAD: A workshop was organised on ‘21st Century Skills for Museum Professionals’ here at the Lok Virsa (LV), Shakarparian on Wednesday to highlight significance of museums in the modern age. Information, Research and Communication (IRC) Unit of Embassy of the United States of America in collaboration with Lok Virsa (LV) organised the [...]
Swati women’s crafts’ show opens at Lok Virsa
By Uzma Zafar A unique display of handicrafted products by valiant women of Swat and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa titled ‘Reviving Livelihood through Handicrafts in Post-conflict Areas’, being organized under the aegis of Heritage Foundation, UNESCO and UK Aid in collaboration with Lok Virsa, kicked off at Lok Virsa, here this Saturday. The inaugural ceremony was performed [...]
NA body directs Virsa to make stalls’ allotment process transparent
Expressing grave concern over utility and criteria for setting up a number of handicraft stalls in and outside Heritage Museum of Lok Virsa, National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Culture directed Lok Virsa to make the process of stalls’ allotment transparent and give preference to women from all provinces to showcase their native culture for [...]
National heritage in floods, water enters prehistoric site in Aamri
KARACHI: The worst floods in the history of the country after destroying villages, infrastructure, and public and private property, also pose a serious threat to the prehistoric archaeological sites of Sindh. On August 16, the water crossed the Indus Highway and entered the Laki Shah Saddar town, submerging more than 24 small villages near Manjhand [...]
Swat Relief Programme Update
With the devastating floods that have affected more than 20 million people, the Heritage Foundation, has been collecting items for immediate relief. The appeal was met with very generous contributions from both individuals and organizations. Donations received were both monetary and in kind. With the resources collected, HF has been able to distribute 250 packages [...]
