LUMS to House the Extraordinary ‘Lutfullah Khan Sound Archive’

LUMS is proud and thrilled to acquire the Lutfullah Khan Sound Archive, the premier repository for the literary, cultural, musical, and intellectual heritage of Pakistan and the wider region. There is no other audio library in the region that comes close to matching the scale, richness, and uniqueness of this incredible collection that is bound to serve as an invaluable resource for interdisciplinary scholarship, student learning, and community outreach across various disciplines, including history, sociology, religion, cultural studies, musicology, film studies, and more.

Mr. Lutfullah Khan (1916 – 2012) was a renowned collector, archivist, photographer, patron of the arts, and a classically trained and accomplished musician. Throughout his lifetime, he dedicated himself to assembling an unparalleled assortment of audio recordings. With tens and thousands of hours of recordings, his extraordinary collection includes oral recitations and conversations with more than 800 poets, writers, intellectuals, critics and other prominent personalities from Pakistan and the wider region. From Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to Suraiya Multanikar, the Lutfullah Sound Archive also has a remarkable and exceptionally rare archive of classical, semi classical, instrumental, and folk music. The typed catalogue of this collection alone is close to nearly 40 volumes. In recognition of his services to preserving cultural heritage, Mr. Khan was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2012.

Commenting on the collection and her motivation to select LUMS to house the archive, Ms. Zahida Lutfullah Khan, said, “My husband devoted his entire life to this library, and I have worked with him, so I know how much hard work has gone into this. Therefore, I wanted an institution where it would be cherished and preserved. There were a lot of institutions reaching out to us to acquire it, but I thought that LUMS is the right place because I have a lot of confidence in this university.”

Speaking about the acquisition that marks a significant milestone in LUMS’ dedication to safeguarding and advancing the cultural and literary legacy of Pakistan and the broader region, Dr. Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor, LUMS, said, "It is with great pride that we assume the custodianship of the Lutfullah Khan Collection—one of the most significant historical, cultural, and social archives of Pakistan and the South Asia region. This collection embodies the essence of 'a citizen' who dedicated his life to recording the voices of individuals who have profoundly shaped our society. By safeguarding it, we ensure that future generations of scholars and citizens inherit a legacy of knowledge, empathy, and resilience.

The commitment underlying this collection reflects a social ethos that defines the civic and metropolitan spirit of Karachi—a spirit that our nation needs to celebrate and uphold. Preserving it is another crucial step in deepening the bond between LUMS and the city of Karachi, whose youth have enriched our university community as students, alumni, faculty, and staff."

The collection will be housed at the Gad and Birgit Rausing Library at LUMS and in the coming months, the university will be working to catalogue, digitize, and make these invaluable materials accessible to students, faculty, researchers, and the general public. Opportunities for collaborative research projects, public exhibitions, and educational programming to showcase the richness and significance of this collection will also be explored.

Dr. Ali Khan, Bilquis Dawood Chair and Dean, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School for Humanities and Social Sciences (MGSHSS) at LUMS reiterated the importance of this acquisition, “The archives are a precious and unique resource for students to learn about the cultural heritage and history of Pakistan and South Asia and it is now our responsibility to preserve this national treasure and to make it accessible for generations to come.”

Dr. Khursheed Abdullah, collector and archivist, who has worked extensively on the Lutfullah Khan Archive, was instrumental in making this acquisition possible. While entrusting LUMS with this collection, he expressed, “I thank Allah that I was able to transfer this unique cultural heritage in responsible hands in my lifetime. Now better people than me will do it and I pray for their success.”

LUMS is grateful to the Gurmani family for their generous support in acquiring this archive and to Professor Kamran Asdar Ali, former Provost, LUMS and former Dean, MGSHSS, for his invaluable help throughout this process. Finally, the university is thankful to the MGSHSS faculty, Dean, Dr. Ali Khan and Associate Professors, Dr. Ali Usman and Dr. Ali Raza, for leading this project which marks an exciting new chapter in LUMS’ history.