September 19, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 18, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 18: The Sindh government has directed the National Academy of Performing Arts to vacate the Hindu Gymkhana within three months.

According to sources, in its notice to Napa chief Zia Mohyeddin, Sindh culture secretary Shams Jafrani has accused the institution of violating the agreement signed between the arts body and the government under which the gymkhana was rented out to the academy.

The sources said that the decision to get the Hindu Gymkhana vacated by Napa was taken by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

The Sindh culture department’s letter, with the subject “notice under clause eight of agreement”, says that “Napa, by constructing a theatre/auditorium within the premises of the Hindu Gymkhana, which is already been declared protected heritage under (the) Sindh Culture Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994, has violated the agreement dated Sept 23, 2005 between (the) Sindh Culture Department and Napa.

“The aforesaid act of the Napa one way has committed breach of the said agreement and on the other way has violated the provisions of the Sindh Culture Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994.

“In pursuance of clause eight of the agreement, notice is hereby given to Napa regarding termination of the said agreement and from receipt of this notice, after expiry of three months, the possession of the Hindu Gymkhana together with (the) building thereon shall be resumed by the government without any compensation.”

A Hindu philanthropist constructed the Seth Ramgopal Goverdhandas Mohatta Gymkhana in the 1920s. However, after the creation of the country the premises was declared as evacuee property and allotted to the Federal Public Service Commission in 1961 and remained with it till 1978, when the commission shifted its offices to Islamabad.

Till 1990, the building remained unoccupied and its condition deteriorated. Then, on the directives of the prime minister, it was handed over to Sindh culture department in the early 1990s to set up a Centre of Sindh Arts and Crafts. The SCD restored and rehabilitated the building at a cost of over Rs4 million.

The sources said that Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad asked the SWD to rent out the Hindu Gymkhana to Zia Mohyeddin for 30 years for the establishment of Napa. The premises was handed over to Napa in 2005.