The federal government has approved a Rs1 billion allocation to produce an “Ertugrul-style” drama series on the lives of Pakistan’s founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poet-philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
The decision was disclosed on Wednesday during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture, chaired by Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar.
Briefing the committee, the secretary of national heritage said the funding was approved on the prime minister’s directives to develop high-quality historical drama series highlighting the lives, struggles and ideas of national heroes for the younger generation.
The director of the Iqbal Academy informed the committee that interviews with Allama Iqbal’s grandsons have already begun and will be completed by the end of February. The committee also decided to hold a meeting with members of Iqbal’s family as part of the project.
The committee was told that the proposed series would follow the narrative style of Ertugrul, a popular Turkish historical drama based on the life of 13th-century Muslim leader Ertugrul Ghazi, father of Ottoman Empire founder Osman Ghazi.
The series gained widespread popularity in Pakistan and other countries and played a key role in familiarising younger audiences with Islamic history.
The meeting also reviewed other cultural and heritage initiatives. Officials said provincial governments in Sindh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were actively working on heritage-related projects. A World Sculpture Exhibition is scheduled to be held on February 6.
The committee directed that students should be facilitated with regular educational visits to the Pakistan National Council of the Arts to strengthen their connection with national culture.
Progress on the construction of a new national museum near Shakarparian was also discussed.
The secretary of National Heritage said land for the project has been acquired, but the scheme has been delayed until next year after funds were withdrawn. He added that the department currently has only Rs190 million available.
Taking notice, the committee decided to write to the prime minister seeking restoration of funds for the national museum project.
The standing committee approved the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa) Amendment Bill 2025. Officials said amendments were required following the Mustafa Impex case, transferring the authority to frame rules from the prime minister to the Lok Virsa board.
The committee was also briefed on the restoration of a gurdwara in Daska.
The Evacuee Trust Property Board said members of the Sikh community were facing serious access issues. Fencing around the gurdwara has been initiated, while the boundary wall and gate are expected to be completed within two weeks.
The chairman of the board told the committee that the institution was facing a severe financial crisis and that the prime minister had been informed. Officials said several properties were under illegal occupation at nominal rents, while only two properties in Islamabad generate 90 per cent of the board’s revenue.
It was also disclosed that the Federal Board of Revenue recovered Rs2 billion from the board in a single day, terming the matter sensitive.
The committee termed the issue serious and decided to summon FBR officials for an in-camera briefing at the next meeting, stressing that resolving financial constraints was essential for the protection of national heritage and religious sites.
