ISLAMABAD: Pakistan risks losing a $6.79 million Korean Grant-in-Aid for the proposed National Museum of Pakistan in Islamabad as the formal transfer of the project’s designated land remains pending.
The issue was raised before the Senate Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture, which directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture to address the matter without further delay.
The committee warned that continued administrative delays could put the foreign grant at risk, potentially affecting plans for the proposed museum at Shakarparian.
Land Was Already Allocated for the Museum
The land issue has been under discussion for several months. In January 2026, officials had reported that CDA allocated approximately 8.33 acres at Shakarparian to the Department of Archaeology and Museums for construction of the National Museum of Pakistan.
At that time, officials told a National Assembly committee that the process of taking possession of the land from CDA was already in progress.
The latest Senate committee discussion therefore appears to concern the completion of the possession and formal transfer process rather than the initial identification or allotment of land for the project.
Senate Committee Seeks Immediate Resolution
The committee expressed concern that the unresolved transfer could have consequences beyond a routine administrative delay because the project is linked to external development assistance.
Members directed the relevant authorities to coordinate and resolve the outstanding matter so that the museum project does not lose access to the committed Korean funding.
The exact deadline imposed by the Korean side for utilization of the grant, however, has not been disclosed in the available proceedings. It is also unclear how much time remains before the funding could lapse.
Other Heritage Issues Also Raised
The Senate committee also discussed several broader heritage-related matters during the meeting.
Members expressed displeasure over the absence of senior CDA officials, including the CDA Chairman, and decided that the Ministry of Interior should be informed about the matter.
The committee additionally raised concerns regarding encroachments around protected heritage locations and called for enforcement of the prescribed 200-foot buffer zone around such sites.
Officials were also asked to provide details concerning 523 artefacts that were recently returned to Pakistan from the United States.
Why the Land Transfer Matters
The situation highlights the difference between allocating land for a public project and completing the legal and administrative process required for possession and transfer.
Although the museum site had reportedly been allotted months earlier, the continuing delay in completing the transfer could now affect the project’s ability to utilize foreign assistance within the required timeframe.
For a project supported through international grant funding, delays in land availability can potentially affect subsequent stages such as design finalization, approvals, procurement and construction.
What Remains Unclear
Authorities have not publicly detailed why the transfer process remains incomplete despite earlier reports that possession arrangements were already underway.
The available information also does not establish that the Korean grant has already been cancelled. Rather, the Senate committee has warned that continued delay could place the funding at risk.
The immediate priority is therefore to complete the outstanding land-transfer formalities and clarify the grant’s utilization deadline so that the proposed National Museum project can move forward without losing its external funding support.
