ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain approved on Wednesday Rs11.7 million for 43 deserving artists and writers across the country.

The decision was made during a meeting of the Steering Committee of Federal Government’s Artist Welfare Fund held at the presidency.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif headed the committee before the chairmanship was handed over to the president last year.

The Fund was set up a couple of decades ago to provide monetary assistance to deserving artists and writers.

Any artist and writer can apply for the assistance by filling in a form available at the website of Fund. The steering committee assesses the request and the grant is allocated according to the applicant’s need.

“Last year the committee released a sum of Rs1 million to a Sindhi artist who was suffering from some liver disease. He was devised to undergo liver transplant operation for which he required Rs5 million. The committee provided Rs1 million to him,” a senior official at the presidency told Dawn.

President Hussain said that writers, poets and artists were an important segment of society because they promoted cultural and moral values.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2016