KARACHI, July 24: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad announced on Sunday that the government would give 300 acres to Arts Council for its cooperative housing society.

Speaking at the formal inauguration of Koocha-i-Saqafat, he also announced that the government would withdraw entertainment duty currently levied on cinema houses in Sindh.

Underlining the need for projecting the country’s soft image, he urged the silent majority not to allow what he described as the “fringe minority” to give Pakistan a bad name in the comity of nations.

He said the government was committed to hold local body elections in a free and fair manner. In this regard, he added, the government would strictly implement the code of conduct recently announced by the Election Commission.

The governor said that the holding of Koocha-i-Saqafat was indicative of the fact that law and order was under control in the city. He claimed that according to overall economic indicators, foreign investment was coming in the country and local investment was expanding. He expressed hope that improvement in the economy would soon have a trickle-down effect.

Praising Arts Council Koocha-i-Saqafat Committee chairman Saifur Rahman Grami, Ishratul Ibad said that the Arts Council had his “black cheque of support” and its governing body could always turn to him for assistance and cooperation. He expressed hope that the Arts Council would also activate its theatre.

Earlier, the Arts Council secretary, Aniq Ahmad, recalled that previously the city’s apex cultural body used to receive a measly grant of Rs10,000 from the Sindh government. He praised the governor for upping the grant to Rs4 million.

He requested the governor to enable the Arts Council to set up a cooperative housing society for its members as well as for deserving men of letters.

Koocha-i-Saqafat Committee chairman Saifur Rahman Grami said the governor had given a much-needed fillip to cultural activities and arrested a flight of talent from Karachi to other cities. He appreciated the governor for withdrawing entertainment duty from cinema houses, recalling that the number of cinema houses had come down from 83 in the 1970s to 27.