She was addressing a function as chief guest held to inaugurate National Database Centre of Cultural Assets at Lok Virsa Complex, under the aegis of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with UNESCO.
The minister said, "Pakistan has a very rich and diverse culture.People living in each corner and region have their own indigenous traditions, life styles, craft and musical heritage, which they proudly practise in their daily life."
Appreciating the efforts of Lok Virsa, the minster said, "Lok Virsa is a new important addition to our Ministry under the devolution process. This unique national institution is doing a great service to the nation by documenting, preserving and promoting the folk culture of Pakistan through creating various cultural facilities at the federal capital and giving due recognition to the practitioners of different traditional arts including crafts people, artists and musicians form all over the country".
The minister also thanked UNESCO and the Royal Norwegian Embassy for selecting Lok Virsa for establishing the National Database of Cultural Assets adding "it will serve as an important step to store, maintain and update information on the tangible and intangible assets of Pakistan."
The minister expressed the hope that all provincial and regional cultural institutions would also make best use of this facility for preservation and projection their cultural heritage.
Emphasizing on the policy of the government, the minister said "the democratically elected government of the Pakistan Peoples Party is determined to support all initiatives that aim to benefit the rural folk and to project Pakistan's magnificent cultural heritage at the national and international level."
In connection with the Norwegian contribution for the project, the minister said that the Norwegian government is contributing significantly for the promotion of Pakistani culture through an on-going joint institutional cooperation programme being implemented between Lok Virsa and the Norwegian Embassy.
Acknowledging their generous assistance in the cultural field, she assured them full support on behalf of her ministry and the government for effective implementation of programme.