A Senate Sub-Committee on National Heritage and Culture on Wednesday called for greater public access to Mazar-e-Quaid, urging authorities to remove unnecessary restrictions while ensuring adequate security, saying that wider access would help strengthen young people’s connection with Pakistan’s history and national identity.
The committee, chaired by Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, reviewed administrative, technical, and management issues related to the mausoleum. Members attending the meeting included Senator Bushra Anjum Butt and Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, while Senator Sarmad Ali joined via video link. Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi, representatives of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), the Additional Inspector General of Police, and other officials also participated.
Addressing the meeting, Mehdi stressed the need for stronger coordination among all relevant departments and institutions to improve public facilities and ensure the effective management of Mazar-e-Quaid. He said that access to the national monument should be facilitated and encouraged, adding that educational tours, public libraries, and school activities at the site would promote civic awareness and strengthen the younger generation’s understanding of the country’s history and cultural heritage.
The committee expressed concern over restrictions on public access to the mausoleum, observing that such limitations distanced young people from their national roots and cultural identity. It urged all stakeholders to make the mausoleum fully accessible while maintaining appropriate security arrangements for visitors.
Committee members also called for eliminating the perception that VIPs receive preferential treatment over ordinary citizens by ensuring equal access for the general public. They further recommended improvements in water and electricity supply, the installation of additional surveillance cameras, and enhanced operational efficiency at the mausoleum.
The panel emphasized that a comprehensive and sustainable reform strategy was needed instead of temporary measures. It urged the relevant authorities to adopt a coordinated approach to strengthen the preservation, security, maintenance, and efficient administration of Mazar-e-Quaid.
Following the meeting, the committee participated in a special anti-polio campaign at the Commissioner House, reaffirming the government’s commitment to eradicating the poliovirus from Pakistan.