National Archives of Pakistan

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National Archives of Pakistan
قومی دفتر خانہَ پاکستان
Agency overview
Formed8 December 1973
Preceding agency
  • Directorate of Archives and Libraries
JurisdictionGovernment of Pakistan
Agency executive
  • Director-General
Parent agencyCabinet Division
WebsiteOfficial website

The National Archives of Pakistan (Urdu: قومی دفتر خانہَ پاکستان) is a body established by the Government of Pakistan for the purpose of preserving and making available public and private records which have bearings on the history, culture and heritage of Pakistan. Located in Islamabad, the National Archives of Pakistan is a member of the International Council on Archives.[1] Some of its stated functions are the acquisition, preservation, conservation, reprography, restoration, automation, dissemination and access of documents. NAP is also responsible for the facilitation of important state documents and collections of dated files.[2][3]

History[edit]

The Directorate of Archives and Libraries was established in 1951 under the Ministry of Education. On 8 December 1973, the directorate was divided into two which gave rise to a separate National Archives under the authority of the Cabinet Division. A major newspaper of Pakistan reported, "Despite the existence of the National Archives Act 1993 and the Archives Material (Preservation and Export Control) Act 1975, government ministries have been lax in transferring documents to NAP."[3][4]

Organization[edit]

Director General (BPS 20) heads National Archives of Pakistan. It is organized into 3 departments for record keeping, conservation, reprography and administration/accounts.[5]

Public Record Wing[edit]

Public Record Wing, also known as Public Collection Wing, manage the acquisition, preservation and review of public record activities.[6]

Private Collections Wing[edit]

Private Collections Wing is responsible for acquisition of private collections having national or historical significance.[7]

Technical Wing[edit]

Technical Wing is responsible to provide technical support to other departments. Technical Wing is subdivided into 3 sections.[8]

  • Microfilming
  • Repair and Preservation section
  • Oral Archives

National Archives Library[edit]

National Archives Library has 19000 books, mainly on history of Indo-Pak Subcontinent.[9]

Important collections at the NAP[edit]

The National Archives of Pakistan (NAP) houses the following important collections, among others:[10]

Activities[edit]

NAP has participated in more than 50 international conferences, seminars, symposium and workshopsmore than 50 international conferences, seminars, symposium and workshops, and hosted International Symposium on Archives 1982 (participated 13 countries), 1989 SWARBICA Regional Seminar on Training Needs and Policies (participated by 7 countries) and 1991 SAARC Seminar on Archives.[11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ National Archives of Pakistan website, Retrieved 27 June 2017
  2. ^ Mission and Vision of National Archive of Pakistan, Retrieved 27 June 2017
  3. ^ a b c d e f 'National Archives of Pakistan: Practical issues limit access to historic documents', The Express Tribune newspaper, Published 28 March 2011, Retrieved 27 June 2017
  4. ^ http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1329724034_276.pdf National Archives Act, 1993 - official government act document release, na.gov.pk website, Published 3 April 1993, Retrieved 27 June 2017
  5. ^ "NAP | Organizational Structure". archives.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  6. ^ "Public Record Wing". National Archives of Pakistan. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  7. ^ "NAP | Private Collections Wing". archives.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  8. ^ "NAP | Technical Wing". archives.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  9. ^ "NAP | Archives Library". archives.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  10. ^ Habib A. Khan and Zahir Gul National Archives of Pakistan: A Guide to the Collections, pub Islamabad: NAP Publications, Govt of Pakistan, 2012
  11. ^ "NAP | Achievements". archives.gov.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.

External links[edit]