July 05, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1428

ISLAMABAD, July 4: A new national culture policy is being drafted by the ministry of culture with emphasis on public- private partnership, it was officially learnt here on Wednesday.

“The revised culture policy would be introduced with certain amendments in view of the changed circumstances,” Culture Minister Dr G G Jamal said.

The current culture policy was announced in 1995 in which the ideologies of the Constitution (of 1973) were missing while the revised cultural policy would not only cover the missing aspects but would also cover the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Mohammad Iqbal to promote cultural diplomacy. With the changed circumstances, amendments in the culture policy would integrate tourism industry in the country that would help to improve the socio-economic prosperity of the country, he said.

“The policy will go a long way for the promotion of Pakistani culture as well as to improve the soft image of the country”, the minister added.

Cultural diplomacy needs articulation and in this connection the draft would be put on the website of the ministry of culture for inputs and comments from the stakeholders and the general public to make it more useful for the promotion of culture.—APP