Umer Sharif expected to leave for US in next 36 hours, says Wahab

The Sindh government has said it has been managing an endowment fund and also issues health insurance cards to ensure in the best possible manner welfare of the people in the province associated with fine arts and literature.

Sindh Education and Culture Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah stated this on Wednesday as he addressed a press conference along with Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who also acts as the spokesman for the Sindh government, and Arts Council President Muhammad Ahmed Shah. Son of renowned comedian Umer Sharif, Jawad Umer, was also present on the occasion.

The press conference was hosted by the Arts Council. The Sindh culture minister said the Sindh government and the ruling Pakistan People’s Party had never been in the habit of publicising if a helping hand was extended to a deserving member of the artiste community.

He said the Sindh government had always done its best to help out the deserving artistes. He added that Sharif was a versatile artist and his talent was simply unmatchable. He stated that the comedian held a position of distinction among the artistic community all over the world and no one could assume his position in the world of performing arts.

The culture minister said the Sindh government had issued health insurance cards for the deserving artistes, intellectuals, writers, and poets of the province.

He added that a body comprising eminent persons had been supervising the endowment fund meant to disburse stipends among the deserving members of the artiste community. Sardar said their prayers were with Sharif so that he could come back to Pakistan after full recovery once his treatment was completed in the United States. He prayed for his complete recovery so that he could once more entertain the people of the country.

Jawad said he was thankful to the Sindh government, especially its culture department, for taking timely steps to ensure treatment of his ailing father abroad. He added that his father would leave for the US for treatment via an air ambulance arranged by the Sindh government once he got the visa.

He appealed to the media not to share pictures and video clips of his father under treatment as only a smiling face of Sharif had been seen by the public. The Arts Council president said the Sindh government had always supported the Arts Council and its efforts to upgrade its infrastructure and programmes to promote art and culture.

He also appreciated the Sindh government for launching a system of stipends for deserving artistes. He added that he had been running the affairs of the Arts Council for the last 14 years and during his regime, he had not received a single phone call from the Sindh government meant to exert undue influence on the affairs of the council.

He said that this amply showed the commendable character of the Sindh government and the ruling party in the province. He said the press conference had been convened mainly to formally express gratitude in this regard to the Sindh government’s culture department.

Wahab said Sharif was like an asset to the country. “As we got to know about Umer Sharif becoming ill, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that they would never leave alone the person in times of his hardship who had spent his entire life to make other people laugh,” he said.

He added that the entire Sindh government fully stood with the ailing comedian and had released funds required for foreign treatment of the renowned entertainer.

He said the departure of ailing Sharif and his family was expected in the next 24 to 36 hours once the American visas were issued for the purpose. Wahab said they had never been in favour of publicising if financial assistance was extended for any such noble purpose. He appealed to the people to pray for the earliest recovery of the veteran artiste.