LAHORE, Aug 31: The federal government has sought archives from all four provinces for the National Movement Museum being set up in Islamabad to project Pakistan as a “modern and progressive state” with historical evidence.

The museum is being established by Lok Virsa and it has asked the provincial governments to provide historical documents, manuscripts, audio-tapes, rare photographs and books, artifacts, personal effects of national personalities and heroes, and newspaper clippings from 1938 to 1947, officials informed Dawn on Wednesday.

According to them, the federal government had asked the provincial archives departments to identify the related material within 10 days and forward a list to it. But the selection would actually be made by a representative of the federal government.

They said the provinces had suggested the federal government to collect material from 1857 which they had in their archives so as to give a complete picture of the struggle of Muslims during the colonial period, especially from 1937 to 1947.

A committee, comprising heads of the archives departments of all provinces, was also constituted to collect the required material from private sources and bargain their price. Donations would also be welcomed.

The committee would especially approach personalities and families connected to the Pakistan Movement for the collection of the material reflecting Pakistan’s true identity, cultural values and rationale as originally conceived by the Quaid-i-Azam, and portray in simple terms its birth, history, society and advancement.

This would help dispel the impression that Pakistan was a retrogressive country, officials claimed.