The Ministry for National Heritage and Culture and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have agreed to work together to strengthen the creative economy in Pakistan, protect cultural heritage and take traditional arts and handicrafts to international markets. Federal Minister Aurangzeb Khan Khichi made the announcement while speaking to business leaders at the Lahore Chamber on Monday. The creative economy covers businesses built on crafts, design, arts and culture, and the partnership aims to connect those businesses with buyers and exporters abroad.
Khichi said promoting Pakistan's heritage, arts and handicrafts abroad is among the government's main priorities. He said the number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs), or formal agreements, linked to his ministry had risen from 23 to 40 in one year. He also noted that six Pakistani sites are on UNESCO's World Heritage List, the UN agency's roster of places of outstanding cultural or natural value, compared with 30 for India and 60 for China.
What the two sides agreed
Khichi said cooperation with the chamber would be built through a memorandum of understanding, joint cultural activities, training workshops and efforts to sharpen artisans' professional skills. He said this could help Pakistan's traditional crafts reach global markets, while generating jobs and boosting exports. He also said progress had been made this year on nominations for two historical sites to be added to the UNESCO list.
LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar pledged the chamber's full cooperation and said the creative economy could generate billions of dollars in economic benefits. He said artisans, designers, industrialists and exporters should be brought onto a common platform so that traditional products gain more value and are marketed better abroad. He announced that the chamber would organise a programme to promote the creative economy, and asked the minister to appoint a focal person for the chamber.
Heritage, tourism and business support
LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani said Lahore has exceptional potential for cultural tourism because of its history and identity, and that hotels, catering services and transport firms could benefit. Lahore has been designated the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, and Khichi said three to four major cultural events are planned in the city. Efforts would also be made to draw participation from Karachi, Islamabad and other SCO member states.
Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain said public and private sectors must cooperate closely, and that crafts need modern designs, better marketing and stronger international promotion before they can earn more export income. Executive committee members proposed that businesses sponsor the cleaning, renovation and upkeep of heritage sites under their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, which are company-funded social projects. They said this would give companies visibility without adding a financial burden on the government, and they welcomed traditional festivals as a way to draw tourists.
What happens next
The next steps named so far are a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the chamber, a programme on the creative economy organised by LCCI, and joint training for artisans. The minister said more chances would be created to present Pakistani artists and artisans at Lok Mela, which he called an important international cultural platform. Timelines for the programme and the memorandum were not given.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Ministry for National Heritage and Culture aur Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry ne mil kar creative economy ko aage barhane ka faisla kiya hai. Is ka maqsad hunarmandon, designers aur exporters ko ek saath laana hai taake traditional crafts bahar ki markets tak pohanch sakein. Abhi yeh zyada tar plans hain, is liye iska asar aahista ho sakta hai. Lahore mein cultural tourism barhne se hotel, transport aur hunar se juday kaam karne walon ko kaam mil sakta hai.
