KARACHI, 16: The issues of reconstruction and renovation of Wazir Mansion, the birth place of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, and promotion of cultural activities around Jehangir Kothari Parade, Clifton, were discussed at two high-level meetings held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Secretary Fazalur Rehman.
A presentation was given to the participants regarding the holding of a weekly ‘cultural bazaar’ at the Jehangir Kothari Parade.
It was decided that the provincial Culture Department and the CDGK would chalk out a joint strategy in this regard with the cooperation of all other stakeholders.
The meeting was told that a show about decoration work of local minibuses of W-11 route was held at the Royal Institute of Technology, Melbourne (Australia) for which arrangements had been made by the Common Wealth Games 2006.
In this regard, a special tram was decorated on the pattern of W-11 minibus and some 80,000 people had travelled through it. The decoration work of W-11 minibuses had been much appreciated. A documentary film had also been made and the same would be shown next month at the Allahwali bus stop in New Karachi. The meeting was told that Australian Culture Minister would also be invited to attend this function.
Regarding that reconstruction of Wazir Mansion, Director Federal Archaeology Department Qasim Ali Qasim told the meeting that the PC-1 for the scheme had been submitted for approval so that this historical building could be reconstructed as per its original picture, published in daily Dawn in October 1948. He said that the structure of the new building in its original shape would remain preserved for next 100 years.
The meeting decided that the director general of projects would visit Wazir Mansion to prepare a report so that work could be initiated in a coordinated manner.
Secretary Office of the Provincial Ombudsman, Sindh, Ashfaq Ahmed Memon, Secretary Culture Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Secretary Implementation Nazar Hussain Mahar, Secretary General Administration and Coordination Abdul Qadir Mangi, Director General Projects and Special Institutions Dr Kaleemullah Lashari, Director Federal Department of Archaeology Qasim Ali Qasim, Head of the Department of Visual Studies, Karachi University, Dr Durriya Qazi, DCO Karachi Fazalur Rehman, Prof of Archaeology NED University Dr Asma Ibrahim, Dr Asia Sadiq, Seema Jaffar and Mohammad Umar among the participants of the meeting.—PPI
