Javed Jabbar urges stronger support for NAPA
Former senator and ex-federal minister Javed Jabbar has called on both the government and the private sector to strengthen their support for the National Academy of Performing Arts, arguing that the institution has reached a point in its evolution where it can meaningfully expand its contribution to Pakistan’s cultural life, but only if it receives the backing it deserves.
Speaking to media in his capacity as a member of NAPA’s Board of Directors, Jabbar acknowledged the progress the academy had made over the past two decades while warning that future growth would not happen on its own. “What we have achieved over the past twenty years can now be expanded on a much broader scale,” he said, adding that while continued government support remained necessary, greater private sector participation was equally important to the academy’s sustainability.
His remarks carried a particular weight given the sustained neglect Pakistan’s performing arts sector has historically faced from commercial institutions. Jabbar drew a direct parallel with other sectors that have benefited from private philanthropy. Pakistan has a strong tradition of charitable giving in healthcare and education, he noted, and he argued that the performing arts deserved the same recognition and financial investment. Patronage, he said, should go beyond purchasing tickets and attending events. It should translate into structural, sustained support for institutions doing the long-term work of building a creative culture.
He also addressed the need for NAPA itself to remain current and adaptable. With rapid technological changes reshaping the media and entertainment industries, he stressed that the academy would need to regularly update its faculty and curriculum to ensure students graduate with skills relevant to the world they are entering. The performing arts landscape of today is not the one of twenty years ago, and the training institutions responsible for the next generation of artists and practitioners must reflect that reality.
At the same time, Jabbar made clear that responsibility did not rest with institutions alone. Students, he said, must bring the same commitment to the opportunities NAPA provides. They should not take those opportunities for granted and must maintain the discipline the performing arts require.
NAPA was established in 2005 at the request of then-President Pervez Musharraf and was founded by the legendary Zia Mohyeddin, who was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and had dedicated his life to theatre, film and television across both local and international productions. The academy offers programmes in theatre arts and music, with students taught by practicing musicians, musicologists and visiting maestros. Students also receive practical training in performance and are given the opportunity to present their work to live audiences.
Javed Jabbar himself is one of Pakistan’s most distinguished public intellectuals, with a career spanning advertising, documentary filmmaking, politics and writing. He has authored 19 books, directed over 300 commercials, and produced landmark documentary and cinematic works including the 1972 documentary Moenjodaro: The City That Must Not Die, which won the Silver Prize at the Asian Film Festival. He has also served as Minister of State for Information and as a member of the Senate Forum for Policy Research. His advocacy for NAPA reflects a longstanding commitment to the role of culture and the arts in Pakistan’s national life.
