July 28, 2008	Monday	Rajab 24, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 27: Security concerns have been hampering launching of cultural activities at Nishtar Hall despite the government’s directive about three months ago.

On May 6, the Awami National Party-led NWFP government had announced to lift a ban on cultural activities at Nishtar Hall imposed by a former military governor six years ago, but after the passage of three months, only two programmes had taken place. The first event was organised by Adabi Saqafati Malgari (ASM), which was also attended by ANP leadership including its provincial chief Afrasiab Khattak, Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Minister for Culture Syed Aqil Shah.

The other programme was arranged by a private TV channel, but the professional artists, had been denied holding events for lack of security arrangements.

A case in point is of Shan Arts Council (SAC), which had the distinction of holding 500 dramas and variety shows at the 600-seat sole theater hall of the province since its establishment in 1988. Nishtar Hall was built a cost of Rs15 million over 14 kanals to provide healthy entertainment to the people.

SAC chairman Sajjad Khalil said that he had applied for holding a concert in the last week of May and was referred by NWFP Culture Department, which oversees the hall, to district coordination officer (DCO) for issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC). “I went to the DCO who referred me to SP Cantonment from where I was sent to West Cantonment police station. The SHO said that they had no extra police to be deployed at Nishtar Hall,” he told Dawn.

Mr Khalil said that he again approached culture secretary and narrated to him the whole story. “My application was filed on June 3 and there is no output. The government’s claim of lifting ban from Nishtar Hall is untre,” he alleged.

Artistes’ Welfare Association Zoom (Awaz) president Javaid Babar said that it was the responsibility of the culture department to obtain NOC and not of the organisers of the shows.

“Any gathering taking place inside four walls of a building doesn’t need NOC,” he told Dawn. According to him, they were ready to pay the enhanced fee, but security came under the domain of the government. Sources at Nishtar Hall said that they had received several applications, but lack of security measures had hampered their plan of starting full-fledged programme.

The present government spent Rs4 million on renovation of the hall before lifting of ban and constituted a committee to look into the scripts before any show.

NWFP Minister for Culture Syed Aqil Shah had said during ASM’s function at Nishtar Hall a month ago that they had received threatening letters from Taliban against holding of cultural shows, but vowed that they weren’t bothered and would go ahead with the plan of holding shows.

“We won’t allow obscenity and vulgarity in the hall. We would fully support the programmes which would be in line with the local culture and traditions,” he had told the same function.

An official at the hall said that they had 15 employees, whose salaries were being given by the culture department since its closure. “Now, it had been opened by the government and the shows should be allowed to generate amounts for staff’s salaries and maintenance of the hall,” he added.