KARACHI, Aug 16: City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday announced to increase financial aid to the Anjuman Taraqi-i- Urdu from rupees one million to two million.

He announced this on the occasion of 45th death anniversary of Baba-i-Urdu Moulvi Abdul Haq during his visit to the old building of Anjuman Taraqi-i-Urdu.

Renowned intellectuals Jamiluddin Aali, Azfar Rizvi, DCO Fazlur Rehman, EDO (Community Development) Rehana Saif, teachers of the Urdu university and members of the Anjuman Taraqi-i-Urdu were also present on the occasion.

The nazim said that Urdu language had a great contribution in formation of Pakistan and it was our national language. He said that people living in every part of the country “From Karachi to Khyber they all speak Urdu”. Anjuman Taraqi-i-Urdu was our national heritage and it was our duty to safeguard it, he observed.

He said that the city government besides initiating decoration and renovation of the old building of Anjuman would also give financial support to those male and female individuals translating important books of science into Urdu language. He stressed on the need for launching a campaign about services of Moulvi Abdul Haq so that people could be made aware of his literary services.

Mr Kamal assured that all possible help would be provided by the city government in translating books of science into Urdu, decoration and renovation of the old building of ATU and preserving of the mausoleum of Baba-i-Urdu, what he called a national heritage.

Later, he laid floral wreath on the grave of Moulvi Abdul Haq and offered Fateha.

Meanwhile, in a meeting chaired by Mustafa Kamal, it was decided that the city government-run Spencer’s Eye Hospital would hold eye camps in various parts of the city.

In this connection, the inaugural eye camp would be set up in Saudabad, Malir, where eye patients would be provided with medical treatment included eye surgeries.

In order to make the Spencer’s Eye Hospital as a modern hospital of the city, several decisions were also made in the meeting.

Mustafa Kamal informed the meeting that transplantation of cornea, after a long suspension, was now once again being started. He further said that transplantation of cornea of some four blind persons would be carried out at the Spencer’s Eye Hospital every month.

He said that the hospital needed special attention, as people belonging to Balochistan, Sindh and half of Punjab province were taking benefit from its services.—Agencies