KARACHI, April 19: The Arts Council has cancelled a three-day Urdu Afsana Conference amid allegations of foul play by the man of letters tasked to organize the event.

The editor of quarterly journal Tashkeel, Ahmad Hamaish, told Dawn that the Arts Council had cancelled the conference when he had done all the spadework for the literary event.

"I was asked by the Arts Council to organize the event. I corresponded with all the short story writers of the world and convinced them to come to Karachi to attend the event. They cancelled the conference when I had done all the spadework for it," he said.

Mr Hamaish claimed that Arts Council general-secretary Yavar Mehdi and Naqqash Kazimi had conspired against him. When contacted, Mr Mehdi said that no conspiracy had been hatched against Mr Hamaish.

"A large number of writers do not like him. The governing body did not want him to play any role in the organization of the conference. We accordingly asked him to step down. He, instead, told all the invitees that the event had been postponed. We then had no option but to postpone the event for the time being."

Echoing the views of Mr Mehdi, Mr Kazimi said that at least Rs15,000 had been given to Mr Hamaish for the conference, but he managed to give details of expenses accounting for only Rs4,000. He added that traditionally the chairman of the literary committee could be convener of conference, but Mr Hamaish wanted to be convenor, organizer and coordinator of the conference at the same time.