Body Formed For Management Of Rs 500mln Endowment Fund

Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Barrister Syed Ali Zafar Thursday approved formation of an executive committee for management of Rs 500 million Endowment Fund to promote literary activities and support deserving writers.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Jun, 2018 ) :Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage Barrister Syed Ali Zafar Thursday approved formation of an executive committee for management of Rs 500 million Endowment Fund to promote literary activities and support deserving writers.

He took the decision in that regard while chairing a meeting here at the National History and Literary Heritage Division.

The committee headed by Secretary National History and Literary Heritage Division Engineer Aamir Hassan and comprising prominent journalist Hameed Haroon, Ejaz Rahim, Dr Ashraf and Musharraf Ali Farooqi, has been tasked to ensure transparent use of Endowment Fund, besides identifying projects for educational, literary and historical heritage activities, provision of resources for them and their monitoring.

The Rs 500 million fund was established last year to promote activities related to education, literary and historical heritage, and provide help to writers.

The minister directed to initiate special programmes at national level to inculcate book reading habit among children towards book friendship. Prominent personalities should be engaged who should read out books to children for develop their interest in reading. Such programme should be initiated from Islamabad, he added.

Ali Zafar said book reading habit among the children was declining and its promotion was need of the hour, for which interesting ways would have to be adopted.

The minister directed to chalk out annual programme for writers so that educational and literary activities should continue throughout the year.

He also directed to expedite the construction of National Museum in Islamabad.

Briefing the minister about the ongoing and future plans of National History and Literary Heritage Division, Joint Secretary Syed Junaid Ikhlaq said work on the building map of the National Museum would be completed by the end of current financial year.

The meeting was told that a two-day Book Mela (fair) would be held in Murree next month. A calligraphy exhibition would also be held in which local and foreign calligraphers of international repute would participate, while a seminar titled '70 years of literature' had been planned in July next.

Junaid Ikhlaq said the National library was organizing a conference under its Global Vision, which would be attended by delegates from 40 countries.

He said a project was being initiated in collaboration with UNESCO to save historic and literary places of the country from Landi Kotal to Lahore in books whereas the Department of Archeology and Museums was setting up a Archeological Survey branch in collaboration with China, which would help in proper maintenance of historical and cultural buildings, besides imparting training to Pakistani experts for the purpose along with provision of modern equipments to them.

The minister lauded the projects and directed to fix deadlines for completion of stages of various projects.

Besides Secretary National History and Literary Heritage Division Aamir Hassan, the meeting was attended by Department of Promotion of National Language head Iftikhar Arif, National Book Foundation Managing Director Dr Inam-ul-Haq Javed, and senior officials of National History and Literary Heritage Division and attached departments.