Shiraz hosted the festival between Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, 2025. During these seven days, the festival hosted Iranian artists and filmmakers, as well as artists from 200 countries around the world.
On the sidelines of International Fajr Film Festival in Shiraz, Mehr News Agency correspondent conducted an interview with Pakistan’s Minister for National Heritage and Culture, Aurangzeb Khan Khichi, which comes as follows,
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to conduct this interview. The first question we had you to like to ask what cultural relation currently exist between Iran and Pakistan?
I'm thankful that you have woke us to for an interview with me. And it's I'm honored to be given an interview to this prestigious news agency of Iran. As you inquire about the ties between Pakistan and Iran, cultural ties, I believe that both Iran and Pakistan share same history, same culture, same civilization and we are really together in every aspect of a cultural activities in both countries. Nowadays after the visit of President Masoud Pezeshkian to Pakistan, we have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Iran and Pakistan for culture and heritage and it will be according to that MoU both ministries of Pakistan and Iran are moving forward to achieve the goals of that MoU.
Considering the similarities between the two countries, in which cultural fields can cooperation be expanded?
First of all, there is a main field that is exploring the message of Iqbal Lahori. Both countries value the thoughts and the vision of Iqbal as much as it is more famous and loved by Pakistani that is from Iran also. We are having a joint venture in translating the Persian version of Iqbal which is two third of his poetry to Urdu. And number two, we are trying to have a religious tourism between Pakistan and Iran but as the whole we have very less tourists coming to Iran for exploring the whole country and vis-a-vis in Pakistan. We are both ministries are trying to make things easier for the tourists from both countries to visit both countries for their tourist destinations.
How can the cultural institutions of both countries help strengthen and promote the Persian literature?
I'm glad to say that every famous and renowned university in Pakistan have a Persian language department in Pakistan and people are taking not now it is a as you know before the British came to subcontinent, the official language of court was Persian. So, our history, our strength is all written in Persian and all the great manuscripts available in our museums, they are all in Persia. So, we are trying our best to preserve this treasure of Persian language in our country and also, we want that in Iran the same vice versa will be done with Urdu also.
And how effective are exhibitions and festivals in developing culture relations between the two countries?
Festivals like the festival of films and other festivals, they are the main source of people to people contact and we in Pakistan support these activities and I believe in also in Iran that with such activities the people to people contract between both countries will be more binding and more useful. And especially this film festival, Fajr Film Festival, we are learning a lot from the Iranian film industry which is have a very high ranking in the world. Our directors, our producers are visiting and taking interest in it and we believe that by participating in this festival we learn a lot.
What suggestions do you have for creating the necessary conditions to expand cultural cooperation?
Well, first of all, we want to have relaxed visa policy for the tourists of both countries. I am happy to tell you that we had a meeting with your honorable cultural minister and there we formed a working group of both countries to analyze to come with suggestions to how to make the things go move forward faster. And I am happy that we have decided a timeline of six to one year, six months to one year to make these things happen.
As the last question, how is the screening of fine films especially Iranian films managed in Pakistan and are they welcomed by the public?
They (films) are most welcomed and I have requested Iranian culture minister Mr. Esmaili that we are having a Noro's festival in Pakistan for the first time on a government level and we have requested them to participate in that by bringing the films to there. Let's have a Iranian film week in Pakistan and we believe that the people of Pakistan, due to the high standard of Iranian cinema and Iranian actors, would love to see them in our screens.
MNA
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