ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National History and Literary Heritage Division Shafqat Mehmood on Sunday appointed a new board of governors (BoG) for Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

The board comprises performance and visual artists from across the country.

“While affairs of many organisations are managed by their board members, PNCA has had a history of its board members not meeting five to six years and even longer. Since board members are appointed from across the country, getting them to meet is not easy and an expensive affair,” a source in PNCA said.

Nonetheless, PNCA and Lok Virsa were shifted under the Heritage Division in August 2019. Since then the minister has taken keen interest to bring both these significant cultural institutions back on track.

A notification issued by National History and Literary Heritage Division said the board was formed to bring good governance and that there was diversity and all provinces were represented. The minister said while there were experienced individuals representing all forums, there were also some youth representation in the field of culture and arts.

Apart from ex-officio members, 20 artists have been appointed for the board who are believed to be specialists in their respective fields. According to PNCA Act 1973, the board members are expected to advise and assist the federal government on matters pertaining to projection, perpetuation and preservation of art and culture of Pakistan.

Among the icons in their disciplines include playwright and director Ajoka Theatre group Shahid Mehmood Nadeem. Tina Sani is another iconic figure who will be representing Sindh. Farhan Bogra from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a known representative of Pashtun music and culture.

From Punjab, three names were selected. Veteran film star, TV artist, director and producer Samina Peerzada and Sarmad Sultan Khosat have also been appointed as the members of BoG.

Son of a renowned TV artist, Irfan Khosat, has made his own name in the field of acting, direction and production. The recipient of President’s Award of Pride of Performance and the voice for social causes and promotion of arts, Mehwish Hayat is also among the members.

Among visual artists, renowned painters like Mansoor Rahi and Rashid Rana are also included in the BoG. Founder and director of Satrang Gallery, Asma Rahid Khan, will represent Islamabad and renowned painter and sculptor Akram Dost Baluch will represent Balochistan. He is also a recipient of President’s Award for Pride of Performance.

The new BoG also includes members from fashion industry like Ziad Bashir, representing Sindh, and Deepak Perwani.

Urdu poet and playwright Amjad Islam Amjad, who received Sitara-i-Imtiaz, besides numerous awards for his literary work and Moneeza Hashmi, daughter of poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and TV producer have been appointed from Punjab.

Other members are: Mohammad Ahmed Shah, president of Arts Council of Karachi, recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz for his contributions towards art, culture, peace and harmony in society from Sindh, Taqi Akhundzada, from Gilgit-Baltistan and Abdullah Baloch, former director of Cultural Directorate of Balochistan.

Ghazala Rehman, associated with the furniture industry, and Naeem Pasha, architect, painter and poet, and Parveen Malik, TV artist and president of Asian Study Group have are also among the new BoG members.

A statement issued by PNCA said Minister Shafqat Mehmood will be the chairman of the board. Other ex-officio members include the secretary and joint secretary of the Heritage Division, director general PNCA, managing director PTV, director general archaeology besides representatives from Foreign Office and the finance ministry.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2020