KARACHI, Nov 7: The Sindh government, with the cooperation of private sector, has established a legend trust for welfare of national heroes with an initial funding of Rs 50 million.

The trust will grant subsistence and assistance to artists, authors, journalists, scholars, poets, intellectuals, sportsmen and other similar talented persons or legends who, by virtue of their dedication, devotion and work, have served Sindh and Pakistan and are considered to be national heroes.

The legend fund was established at a ceremony held at Governor’s House here on Tuesday wherein Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan signed the declaration and deed of the trust.

Eminent bankers and Trustees Shaukat Tareen, S M Munir, Sohail Wajahat, Munir Kamal, Liaquat H. Merchant, Maryana Karim, Salman Burny besides Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, Secretary of Culture Abdul Qadir Mangi, finance secretary Malik Israr, special secretary Javed Hanif were present on the occasion.

The Sindh government also provide an annual contribution of Rs 10 million towards the trust fund while a grand function will be organised at the Governor’s House for fund raising in early December in which national heroes and superstars of Sindh and Pakistan would be invited.

The idea for the setting up of the trust was instituted by the Sindh governor Ishratul Ibad, and a ceremony was held on August 14 last year. The Government had allocated Rs 50 million for the fund which will now be transferred to the account of legend trust.

The Trust will have its offices in other cities as well and gradually its scope will be extended to whole of country.

For this purpose, the private sector will be motivated and philanthropists provided an opportunity to come forward for making their contribution.

Through this trust, help would be extended for welfare and treatment of talented persons and legendaries besides meeting expenses of education of their children.

The trust will introduce an insurance scheme for them while expenses on education of their children within and outside Pakistan and medical facilities at home and abroad will be borne by the trust fund. Besides heroes of the past, care will also be taken of welfare of present day heroes.

Talking to journalists after the signing ceremony, governor Ishratul Ibad said he feels greatly satisfied that whatever he had conceived last year, had been given a practical shape.

He said there had been no such institution in the country which could have taken care of welfare of our national heroes. This institution has now come up which would take care of their health and educational needs under public-private partnership.

The governor said that services of national heroes will be remembered, and referred to examples of Mehdi Hasan and Lehri and said they brought good name to the country.

He acknowledged the role played by Shaukat Tareen, S M Munir, Sohail Wajahat and others who worked hard in the establishment of this fund and said complete transparency would be maintained in the provision of funds through this Trust.—APP