LAHORE: After Lahore was designated as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, there are plans to organise three to four major cultural events in the city.
It was revealed by Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi while speaking to the business community here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday.
According to the minister, efforts would also be made to encourage cultural participation from Karachi, Islamabad and SCO member states. Describing Lok Mela as an important international cultural platform for Pakistan, he said opportunities would be created to introduce Pakistani artists and artisans to international audiences. He said his ministry and the LCCI would work together to promote Pakistan’s creative economy, preserve its cultural heritage and introduce traditional arts and handicrafts to international markets. The minister said that promoting Pakistan’s cultural heritage, traditional arts and handicrafts internationally was among the government’s key priorities.
A number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) associated with the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture had increased from 23 to 40 in one year. Six Pakistani sites were included on Unesco’s World Heritage List, while referring to India’s 30 and China’s 60 sites in the context of international heritage recognition.
The minister underscored the need for Pakistan to make further efforts to enhance the global recognition of its historical and cultural assets. He said that progress had been made during the current year on nominations for two historical sites for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
He stressed the importance of cooperation with the LCCI through MoUs, joint cultural activities, training workshops and initiatives to strengthen artisans’ professional skills. Such collaboration, he said, could help take Pakistan’s traditional crafts, arts and cultural heritage to global markets, generating employment and boosting exports.
The ministry’s Federal Secretary Asad Rehman Gilani said the creative economy had become an important source of employment, exports and income worldwide. Pakistan, he added, could also take its traditional skills and cultural products to international markets through contemporary designs, improved quality and effective global marketing.
LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar assured the minister of full cooperation in promoting the creative economy, saying the sector had the potential to generate billions of dollars in economic benefits. He said Pakistan’s cultural products needed greater international exposure and that artisans, designers, industrialists and exporters should be brought together on a common platform. This, he said, would help add value to traditional products and improve their marketing in international markets. He announced that the LCCI would organise a programme to promote the creative economy and also briefed the federal minister on the LCCI’s efforts to seek amendments to business-related laws.
Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026
