KARACHI, Dec 7: Now since the annual elections of the office-bearers and members of the governing body of the Pakistan Arts Council for next year are to be held on Dec 30, two parallel teams of the intending contestants are waiting to launch the election campaign. Nomination papers for all the offices have been filed and cleared, while Dec 8 is the day of withdrawal of the candidature.

At an Iftar party held on Thursday at Gulshan-i-Iqbal, presided over by Mr S.H. Hashmi, he formally declared his decision to repeat as vice president, recounting the services he rendered for the promotion of art and culture in the council, including the completion of Aiwan-e-Rafaat by recovering two-and-a-half crore rupees from the government as promised by president Musharraf in the past for the building.

Saifur Rahman Grami, chief of the cultural wing of the KMC, will be contesting for the seat of secretaryship while Rizwan Siddiqui is aspiring for the office of treasurer.

Abdul Haseeb Khan, a pharmacist by profession, would be contesting for the seat of vice-president, and Ms Qudsia Akber and Yawer Mehdi would be contesting for the offices of secretary and treasurer, respectively.

Other contestants from both sides, as known so far, would be the same with minor adjustments.

During the previous year’s electioneering, a code of ethics with the consensus of the governing body members was formulated, advising the candidates to shun the practice of lavish spending in future. Candidates from both sides have, as it appears till now, abided by the said code of ethics.

The Iftar party, the other evening was, however, arranged by Bazm-e-Nashoor, a literary body in the city. —Hasan Abidi