KARACHI, Nov 2: The city government is preparing answers to the queries recently raised by a senator about the fate of Aiwan-i-Riffat.

Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the community welfare department of the city government had been approached by the federal ministry of culture, sports and youth affairs.

They added that the federal ministry had forwarded to the city government the questions raised by Senator Chaudhry Mohammad Anwar Bhinder.

The sources said that the questions were: "(a) whether it is a fact that the president of Pakistan had assured a grant of Rs25 million for Aiwan-i-Riffat in Karachi, if so, whether the amount has been released on that project and if not, its reasons; (b) whether it is a fact that the construction work on the said project commenced in 1991 and came to a complete halt in 1998, and; (c) the time by which the said project will be completed."

The sources said that the city government's community welfare department had forward the relevant questions to the engineering department which would come up with answers in a day or two.

They recalled that every year the local government earmarked a certain sum of money for the construction of Aiwan-i-Riffat, but at the end of the financial year it either allowed the fund to lapse or let it be appropriated for other projects.

In June, the city government allowed Rs5 million allocated for the construction of Aiwan-i-Riffat to lapse. The same sum was earmarked for the next year, but there is little doubt about the fate it will meet.

Addressing a pre-referendum rally on April 28, 2002, President Gen Pervez Musharraf had announced a grant of Rs25 million for the ill-fated project. Two years on, the president secretariat has yet to release the funds.

At the same public meeting, the president announced an identical sum for the Arts Council. The fund was later released.