KARACHI, March 27: A leading comedian Omer Sharif wants a slot in the Guinness Book of World Record for his contribution in 18 fields of creative writing and performing arts.

“I am preparing the relevant documents to claim for the slot in the Guinness Book,” Mr Sharif said at a reception hosted by the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

According to him, during his 33-year career he has written and directed TV and stage dramas. He has also acted in theatre, television plays and movies. Besides, he has hosted and conducted television and stage shows.

“I have also composed poems and written short stories, which are going to be published soon. Besides, I have composed music for my forthcoming movie and have sung songs playback,” he said.

He said the Guinness Book authorities had started compiling extraordinary works region-wise and he was going to apply for a place for the region he belonged to. He said he had written over 200 stage plays and he would continue writing.

Mr Sharif said he had got five acres from a philanthropist in Orangi on which he would build a modern state-of-the-art hospital ‘Maa’ in return of the love and affection he and other artists got from society.

“The work on the hospital is going to start later this week,” he said. Along with other artists, he said, he was going to start a fundraising campaign in and outside the country for its construction. “We need at least Rs550 million and I am optimistic that we’ll generate it,” he said.

The hospital would offer free healthcare facilities to people and 50 of the 200 beds in the hospital would be allocated to artists for their medical treatment.

Senior journalist Iqbal Dal presided over the meeting, which remained alive with spontaneous replies from the comedian to the queries from the participants.