Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Hon’ble Aurangzeb Khan Khichi,
attended the ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Italian Archaeological Mission at
Swat, where he participated as Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker. The Minister is currently on
an official visit to Italy, leading Pakistan’s delegation to the ICCROM General Assembly.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister highlighted the enduring Pakistan–Italy
partnership in archaeology and its vital role in preserving shared cultural heritage. He
underscored ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation, academic
exchanges, and institutional collaboration in the fields of archaeological research, conservation,
and education.
“Pakistan is committed to advancing archaeological research, conservation, and
education, and looks forward to deepening cooperation with Italy in both scope and dimension,”
the Minister said, reaffirming Pakistan’s dedication to safeguarding its rich archaeological legacy
through international collaboration.
The ceremony was organized by Italy’s International Association for Mediterranean and
Oriental Studies (ISMEO), with support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation
(AICS) under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the University of Venice. The event paid rich
tribute to decades of technical and academic cooperation at archaeological sites across
Pakistan, carried out under the Italian Archaeological Mission established by renowned scholar
Giuseppe Tucci in 1955.
The celebration featured four thematic sessions covering the mission’s history in
Pakistan, ongoing collaborations with the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and future
projects in archaeobotany, epigraphy, and geoarchaeology. Detailed discussions also focused
on landmark archaeological sites, including Barikot, Butkara, and Saidu Sharif.
The event was moderated by Professor Luca Maria Olivieri, recipient of the Sitara-e-
Imtiaz, who teaches archaeology at the University of Venice and has been associated with
archaeological fieldwork in Pakistan for over 38 years.
Officials from the Pakistan Embassy in Rome, Italian academics, archaeologists, and
representatives of cultural institutions attended the ceremony, reaffirming the strong and
longstanding cultural and scholarly ties between Pakistan and Italy.
