25 December 2004	Saturday	12 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Dec 24: A theatre and an auditorium of the Arts Council, which have taken over 12 years to be constructed, were inaugurated on Friday afternoon.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad said of late cultural activities in the city had lost momentum.

He hoped that the theatre and the auditorium, which contained over 400 seats, would give a much-needed fillip to cultural activities in Karachi. He added that the building also met the long-standing demand of theatre groups.

Dr Ibad told the audience that he had pleaded the case of the Arts Council with the federal government, asking it to give a grant to the cultural body on a regular basis. At present, the Sindh government gives a grant of Rs1 million to the Arts Council.

He said that work on the establishment of a cultural village was in progress, adding Rs500,000 had already been released by the provincial government for the project.

He spoke about his meeting with the stakeholders of the film industry and told the audience that a tax holiday announced by the provincial government would go a long way towards promoting the cinema trade.

Vice-president of the Arts Council Khushbakht Shujaat and secretary Yavar Mehdi also spoke. Work on the theatre and the auditorium in the Arts Council had begun in 1992, with the release of a grant of Rs10 million by the Sindh government.

Subsequent breakdown on law and order in the city put the project into cold storage. However, in 1999 the project was revived. The federal government released a grant of Rs25 million which was matched by the provincial government.