Federal Minister Aurangzeb Kachhi, Senator Talha Mahmood, Syed Sadat Shah and Philippine Ambassador Attend Event

ISLAMABAD (Press Release): The 16th annual photo exhibition of the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Photojournalists Association (RIPJA), titled “Culture and National Heritage of Pakistan — Our Identity, Our Pride,” was held to showcase Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage and historic landmarks.

Federal Minister for Culture Aurangzeb Khan Kachhi, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Senator Talha Mahmood, Chairman of the Sadat Group Syed Sadat Shah, and Ambassador of the Philippines Dr. Emmanuel attended the exhibition as special guests. RIPJA President Sajjad Haider presided over the event.

Photojournalists from the twin cities displayed their outstanding work, featuring 100 photographs highlighting Islamabad’s historic sites and various aspects of Pakistani culture.

Senior photojournalists and RIPJA office-bearers, including Javed Nasir, M. Javed, Latif Adil, Bashir Shad, Alfate Shah, Mazhar Khan, Tanveer Shehzad, Afzal Chaudhry, Jahangir Chaudhry, Sohail Shehzad, Muhammad Asim, Zulfiqar Khan, and Raja Mudassar, also attended the event.

Addressing the gathering, Federal Minister for Culture Aurangzeb Kachhi highlighted the importance of protecting Pakistan’s national heritage and culture.

He said his ministry was working to develop historic sites into attractive destinations for tourists.

“Preserving and protecting national heritage is an important part of a nation’s identity,” he said.

The federal minister also announced that the Ministry of Culture would sign a memorandum of understanding with the Photojournalists Association and announced a grant of Rs500,000 for the association.

Senator Talha Mahmood described photojournalists as “the eyes of society” and paid tribute to their professional services and contribution to documenting important events and developments.

Syed Sadat Shah described the exhibition as a milestone and announced an annual grant of Rs300,000 for the association. He also announced that modern professional training courses would be arranged for photojournalists.

The exhibition featured photographs of historic sites ranging from hundreds to several thousand years old, including Ban Faqiran, Shah Allah Ditta, Rawat and Pharwala forts, Raira, Mai Qamro Mosque, Kori, the British Memorial, Rawal Dam, Sultan Muqarrab’s tomb, Korang, the railway bridge, as well as various photographs depicting Pakistan’s cultural heritage.

In his welcome address, RIPJA President Sajjad Haider thanked the distinguished guests and said the association would continue working with the Ministry of Culture in the future.

He said the organization was among the leading associations in Pakistan in terms of welfare initiatives for its members.

According to Sajjad Haider, over the past 23 years, the association has distributed professional equipment and financial assistance worth approximately Rs10 million among its members, including laptops, professional camera bags, mobile phones, and cash awards.

At the conclusion of the exhibition, professional camera bags were presented as gifts to RIPJA members by the Al-Sadat Group and the Talha Mahmood Foundation.