Through our Culture and Filmmaking Program, we strive to preserve Pakistan’s cultural heritage and showcase real-life Pakistani stories of selflessness and resilience.
Our Program & Impact
Ashoka Rock Edicts
PYCA and the Faculty of Archaeology, Hazara University collaborated to provide support to the university’s students for restoring and reviving historical remnants from the era of King Ashoka. Under this initiative, the artifacts were cleaned and preserved.
This exercise revived the cultural heritage of Pakistan, helped in developing a sense of ownership in the community, and allowed students belonging to various castes, religions, and ethnicities to work together as a team.
The much-neglected site of Ashoka Rock Edicts is now once again open to the general public. Through this activity, people minimized their encroachments and developed a sense of respect for the worship places of the local Buddhist community.
Restoration of 3rd Century BC Stucco at Dharma Rajika Site, Taxila
Upon receiving a request from the Department of Conservation at Hazara University, Mansehra, PYCA supported the renovation and revival of a badly damaged 3rd century BC sculpture at chapel N-18 on the southern wall of Dharma Rajika Site Taxila. Most of the surface material of the stucco had been detached from the core whereas only 10% of the sculpture remained intact.
The process of conserving the damaged stucco to its original shape was completed in collaboration with the Department of Conservation at the Hazara University and Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Punjab. Mr. Tariq Kakar, an internationally renowned sculpture artist, and Mr. Muhammad Safdar Khan, Chief Archaeological Chemist/Chairman (Department of Conservation Studies).
In 2016 students of Hazara University launched a highly sustainable project titled, “Preserving Shiv’s Temple: An emblem of Hindus’ Survival Stretching Back Three Millennia.”
After receiving financial support from PYCA the students collaborated with the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Interfaith Harmony, Govt. of Pakistan, and Directorate of Archaeology & Museums to complete the restoration work.
Activities such as cleaning, dis-tempering, painting, installation of dustbins, lighting, etc. were completed by the students so that the Hindu devotees coming from within the country and abroad could visit their religious site to pay homage and celebrate the Annual Shivaratri Festival regularly.
In 2018 PYCA partnered with Cams & Comms to venture into cause-based filmmaking.
The first film to come out of this program was “Rai – The Living Miracle.” which was based on the life and struggle of a terrorism survivor, Advocate Rai Azhar Hussain, (Tamgha-e-Shujaat) who braved 7 bullets in the 2014 terror attack on Islamabad Civil Courts to save the life of at least 13 people.
The film won an Honourable Mention at Canada Shorts –Canadian & International Short Film Festival. It was also selected and aired by PTV as part of its Green Belief initiative.