Forum Pakistan

(Lok Virsa Museum) Located in Islamabad it was founded in 1974 and linked to the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage, also in Islamabad. Lok Virsa Museum has religious departments, and since 1981 has held annual autumn festivals of art and fairs to exhibit Lok Virsa products Museum. The museum also collects and preserves works of folk art in Pakistan. It has permanent exhibitions as well as exhibitions of foreign works. The museum collects and records folk songs and music. It is also engaged in publishing. It has a specialized library of books and journals, and also of audio and video films freely accessible to the public. It co-ordinates and plans the work of craftsmen, supporting and developing various kinds of crafts. The museum endeavours to discover master craftsmen and organizes public presentations for them. Since 1993 the president of Pakistan has awarded medals to outstanding masters for the best works of art. In the 1970s construction began on the museum's new building. An adjoining park was restored in which an open-air museum was installed. The museum's annual publication is 'Folk Festival of Pakistan'.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: 'Folk Festival of Pakistan', 1988.