Its completion was delayed due to various reasons including political unrest, death of the main editor, financial crisis.

It was started in the 1950s at University of the Punjab, as a project led by Muhammad Shafi.

[4][6] Because of Shafi's death, and lack of funding, work on the Encyclopaedia stalled until 1971, when a grant from the Asia Foundation enabled it to resume.

[9] The first fifteen-members of Majlis-e Intizamiyy, lays down the publication policy and decides on the financial structure.

A representative body called the Foreign Editorial Board was also formed to support encyclopedias among scholars outside the Pakistan.