KARACHI - The federal government is still trying to resume the control of museums and archaeological sites devolved to the provinces under 18th amendment in the constitution, said Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo here on Saturday.
After inaugurating the project of ‘Conservation of Heritage Building of Karachi Press Club’ with Rs20 million, she said that the Moenjodaro, Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, National Museum and other archaeological sites devolved to the province without financing from the federal government. However, the culture department through its resources started a number of uplift schemes for rehabilitation and renovation of these sites.
She disclosed that the federal government still trying to get the control of Quaid-e-Azam House Museum and other sites devolved to the province after 18th amendment, declaring that provincial government will not let to transform these sites to the centre.
Palijo said that though founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam was born in Jherk of Thatta district, but he grew and studied in Karachi, so culture department giving importance by launching various uplift schemes in the city.
She underlined the importance of one century old building of Karachi Press Club, which had been already declared Heritage site said that the original structure of the press club will not be touched as scheme is only to protect the heritage building.
She condemned the lynching to death of man by mob in Sita town of Dadu district of the province, saying that Sindh is land of Sufis, where no place for the Tehreek-e-Taliban and other organizations having extremist thoughts.
Culture Minister said that to discourage the extremist thoughts, the Sindh Culture Department is establishing cultural complex in each district of the province, besides centers of performing art also being established to promote the cultural, literary, fine arts and Shah Latif Bhittai’s message of love in the province. Palijo said that other schemes in culture and archaeological projects would be initiated through public private partnership as MoUs being finalized with the USA, French and Italy governments. Abdul Aziz Oqeli, provincial secretary of Culture Department while addressing the gathering said that conservation of heritage building of Karachi Press Club and Thatta Press Club initiated with Rs20m. He said that uplift schemes including establishment of cultural complexes, printing of books on Shah Latif’s poetry and history of Sindh under process. He said that scholars from India, Iran and other countries will read their papers on the poetry of Shah Latif during an international Shah Latif Bhittai Conference to be held during on Dec 28, 2012 on his Urs this month.
Secretary of Karachi Press Club Mosa Kaleem, President Tahir Hassan Khan, Vice President of Press Club Saeed Sarbazi, Rizwan Bhatti, Riaz Sohail, Imdad Soomro and other members of governing body of press club thanked the culture department and minister for her cooperation for initiating the project for conservation of heritage building.