Three to Four Major Cultural Events Planned for Lahore After the SCO Named the City Its Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, Minister Says

LAHORE: Lahore cultural capital is no longer just a title on paper. Plans are now being drawn up to stage three to four major cultural events in the city after the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) designated it the bloc’s Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27, Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Aurangzeb Khan Khichi told the business community at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday.

Karachi, Islamabad and member states to join in

The minister said efforts would be made to draw cultural participation from Karachi and Islamabad as well as from SCO member states. He described the Lok Mela as an important international platform for Pakistan, one that can carry Pakistani artists and artisans to audiences abroad. His ministry and the LCCI, he said, would work together to promote the creative economy, preserve cultural heritage and take traditional arts and handicrafts to international markets.

A heritage gap, stated plainly

Khichi did not hide the gap. Only six Pakistani sites sit on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, against India’s 30 and China’s 60, and he said Pakistan needs to do more to win global recognition for its historical assets. Progress has been made this year, he added, on nominations for two more historical sites, while the number of memorandums linked to his ministry has risen from 23 to 40 in a single year.

Where the title came from

Lahore received the designation at the SCO summit in Bishkek, where Pakistan also assumed the organisation’s chairmanship for 2026-27. The city takes the title over from Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan. For a city that holds the Lahore Fort, the Shalimar Gardens, the Badshahi Mosque and the old walled city, the test now is whether the title turns into a calendar visitors can actually plan around.