r Khalid Saeed Butt who died recently was a victim of the vicissitudes that have rattled Pakistan’s cultural establishment for decades.

When a Pakistan Peoples Party government took over in the aftermath of the dismemberment of the country in 1971, significant administrative re-organisation was undertaken. Several new entities set were set up to emphasise the importance being given to culture and cultural expression. Poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz was appointed an adviser to the prime minister and the Pakistan National Council of the Arts came into existence. The PNCA was meant to promote various aspects of national culture including the performing arts in the country. Its establishment was to be followed by the setting up of provincial arts councils. The devolution was to proceed further and reach the divisional and district levels. District art councils all over Pakistan were then to promote art education and organise suitable events.

Khalid Saeed Butt, who had a doctorate in French, was into performing arts, particularly drama. He had acted on stage as well as contributed to Pakistan Television where Kahani Ki Talash is still remembered by PTV ‘s early viewers. Those early days of television in the country had helped establish teleplay as a serious art form different and independent of the already well laid out radio play.

Dr Butt was appointed the director general of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts and went about establishing the cultural infrastructure in earnest. Folk heritage was to be part of the project. Several smaller units were envisaged as part of the initiative.

It was during this period that PNCA acquired the residence of Shakir Ali and converted it initially into a house museum and later into a centre for artistic activity. The initiative went well and the museum has thrived along the lines envisaged by the project’s initiator.

At that time, a journal called Saqafat was published. It carried informative debate on various topics including some that have been made controversial or treated in too simplistic terms in utter disregard of our complex cultural milieu.

The countrywide network of arts councils never materalised. The PPP rule came to an abrupt end in 1977 and was followed by a government hostile not only to its political leadership but also some of its education and culture policies. 

The countrywide network of arts councils never materalised. The PPP rule came to an abrupt end in 1977 and was followed by a government hostile not only to its political leadership but also some of its education and culture policies. Under Zia government some of the art and culture infrastructure already in place was dismantled. The remaining institutions and the initiatives, and the personnel handling them, came under a great deal of pressure following the change of government. The Zia-ul Haq regime was not sympathetic to the tone that the cultural profile had started to take. Most of the people in charge of these projects were mistreated and made to repent their choices. It was a very difficult phase for the country on the whole, particularly for those who had been associated with the PPP government in some capacity.

Khalid Saeed Butt was removed from his position and for several years was in a virtual wilderness. Now and then he was posted in positions that were not specifically related to culture. Like many others in public service, he leant to survive under extreme hardship. People like him had to face persecution, harassment, victimisation, imprisonment, exile and much badmouthing. Some were threatened with prosecution on charges of corruption.

The Institute of Folk Heritage became Lok Virsa. Under Uxi Mufti it thrived, overshadowing its parent institution. When the PPP returned to power after eleven years, Khalid Saeed Butt was not immediately restored as director general of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. For this, he had to wait for about fifteen years. Once he retired from that assignment, he spent the rest of his years reading and writing.

It appears that the creative and administrative potential of a whole generation was lost while fighting battles for survival. The threats of physical harm, incarceration and exile were all too pressing. The attention to what could have been their proud legacies was divided at best and often totally eliminated.

Given an even playing field, people like Khalid Saeed Butt could have achieved much more. Not much has changed in the country or in its governance. Abrupt changes in policies are still the norm with every change in government.

The author is a culture critic based in Lahore