We can make phenomenal progress without external help: CM

We have all the potential required to make progress without banking on any external help and going about asking for help. All we need to do is to put our act together.

This exhortation was made by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Al Shah after inaugurating the new Arts Council wing named Ahmed Shah Building after Arts Council President Ahmed Shah. In this regard, he said Pakistani personnel had helped almost all newly independent Middle Eastern countries stand on their feet, and had helped them evolve a development infrastructure.

“So why can’t we do so four own country?” he exclaimed. Talking about the improvement in the state of the civic situation of the city, he said, “It is up to us to sustain the civic peace and order that we have restored over the last decade.”

Enumerating the achievements of the Pakistan Peoples Party government in this regard, he said vibrancy had returned to Karachi. He said his government had succeeded in holding the PSL in 2018 and that another five PSL matches would be held in 2019.

He narrated how he came for a flag-hoisting at zero hour on August 14 and saw the condition of the building which was not very flattering. On asking the Arts Council president as to why the building was in that state, he was told that they had run out of funds

He said that he straightaway promised to make up the shortfall and said that the result was there for all to see. Referring to the video shown whereby peace had returned to Karachi from the extreme bloodletting and crime that was a hallmark of the city over a decade ago, he acknowledged the role of the Arts Council in helping sanity to return to the city through the extensive cultural and educational activity undertaken by the cultural body.

In the course of his speech, he suggested that the collection of the sales tax be made a provincial subject. Earlier, the newly elected governing body members and the co-opted members were administered the oath of office.

This was followed by the inaugural speech of Arts Council President Syed Ahmed Shah. He thanked the chief minster for his generosity for helping complete the ambitious project of the new state-of-the-art building.

He highlighted the role played by the Arts Council in generating the soft revolution transforming the city from one of mayhem and bloodletting to one of cultural and ethnic unity where cultural activity had assumed the front seat, drowning the negative aspects that had ruled a decade earlier.

Shah announced the holding of a Faiz Mela soon and then a women’s conference which would feature women from all walks of life, the fabulously rich and the poor, the elite and the anonymous working class, including domestic help, and the dumper truck women drivers of Thar.

He also suggested the connecting of the national museum and the Arts Council buildings and said the museum lawns could be utilised for cultural and educational activity. Earlier, an almost ten-minute video was screened highlighting the activities of the Arts Council featuring well-known poets, musicians, the music school, the youth festivals and other highly constructive activities, especially for the youth.

The new multi-storey building has been constructed at a cost of Rs200 million, as disclosed to The News by President Ahmed Shah. The programme was rounded off with a music concert by the famed band, Fuzon.