Foundation stone laying ceremony of cultural institute: Sassui vows to safeguard Sindh’s cultural heritage at all levels | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Foundation stone laying ceremony of cultural institute: Sassui vows to safeguard Sindh’s cultural heritage at all levels

* Fall of precious cultural buildings is being awaited for raising multi-storey buildings, observes Amar Jaleel

By Nawaz Khuhro

KARACHI: Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo vowed on Tuesday to safeguard cultural heritage of Sindh at all levels and said that her department was determined to promote cultural values by initiating various projects across the province.

Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of Sindh Culture and Heritage Institute Karachi, she said that Sindh is from Karachi and Karachi is from Sindh, so no one could separate them. Several communities like Sindhis, Balochs and others are living in this mega city.

John Marshal’s book entitled “Mohan jo Daro & Indus Civilisation” was also launched during the ceremony.

Sassui said that laying foundation stone of the institute was the brainchild of the culture department.

She termed the devolution of some provincial departments as a landmark achievement, which was achieved after 65 years. She also expressed concern over some elements speaking against it. She said that endowment fund for heritage conservation had also been set up to promote culture of Sindh.

The minister said that the culture department within five years had largely worked for the promotion of the cultural heritage and civilisation of Sindh by initiating various mega projects.

The establishments of the cultural centres, public libraries and many development projects under the department are going on throughout the province. She said work on such institute was their dream, which is now going to be fulfilled.

She said it should be our political and social responsibility to promote our cultural heritage and civilisation.

Sassui said that despite funds problems, they had initiated such projects, including the formation of galleries and corridors named after Faiz, Josh, Latif, Sachal, Sail and many other personalities. Recently, the department also inaugurated public libraries named after Shamsherul Haideri and Tajal Bewus.

Earlier, she performed the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Sindh Cultural and Heritage Institute at National Museum Karachi.

Famous intellectual and writer of Sindh Amar Jaleel expressed concern over the degradation of Sindh culture and heritage and stressed the need to safeguard the at all levels. He said that the fall of precious cultural buildings in Karachi is being awaited in Karachi in a bid to raise multi-storey buildings which is matter of great concern. The culture department should take concrete steps to preserve such precious buildings. He said that after 1947, Sindh faced a lot of changes in cultural values. He said: “If we enter Lahore, we will see culture of Punjab, and while entering Peshawar, we will observe culture of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but when we enter Karachi, we will see a big difference.” Great highhandedness has been committed with Karachi, he said. People in Karachi were killed ruthlessly, such killings were even never seen during British rule, he said. Shikarpur in 1947 was a great and beautiful city but has lost that glory.

Secretary Culture Abdul Aziz Uqaili highlighted various development projects of the archeology and culture department.

He said that for the first time in the history of the Pakistan, budget of both the departments was doubled, which was exemplary in Sindh and other provinces of the country. He said that since 1947, we had heard about provincial autonomy but in present government, through the personal efforts and keen interest of Minister Sassui Palijo, ADP had been doubled. Like Moen-jo-Daro, Makli, Bhambhore and such scheme of the institute was important for the cultural heritage. The culture department had 12 public libraries in 2008 now it would be increased up to 22, and would further be increased up to 42 in next two years. Some 20 different development schemes are under way and eight cultural centres except Bhit Shah and Sehwan would also be established, and while seven different centres for Hindu and Christian communities would be part of the projects.

Daily Times


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