Daily Times

Dr Fouzia Saeed, who has been a well-known figure in the field of culture for decades, has been appointed as director general of Pakistan National Council of the Arts.

As Executive Director of Lok Virsa, she lifted the organization to one of the best cultural entities in the country. She left the assignment to be appointed as Gender Advisor for UNDP Pakistan. Dr Saeed is known for her firm management, discipline and high performance. She has been in the field of culture since last three decades. She has a PhD in education with her minor in cultural anthropology from the University of Minnesota, US. She served Lok Virsa as a deputy director as her first job and later joined the UN system. She was the head of an international NGO Action Aid in early 2000s.

Her role as a civil society member is also prominent in the field of culture. She headed a cultural organization ‘The Folklore Society of Pakistan’ and has been the coordinator of a cultural network she founded called ‘Autaq’. She remained Executive Director Lok Virsa from February 2015 to 2018.

Among several books she has authored on women’s rights and culture, her recently edited coffee table book, Folk Heritage of Pakistan, remains the only reference book of its kind. Her book on women of folk theatre, Forgotten Faces, also is the only English language book on the subject in Pakistan.