KARACHI: The election for the office-bearers and members of the governing body of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, to be held on Dec 20 (Sunday), is an eagerly participated and observed event of Karachi’s cultural calendar. The polls used to take place annually until 2016 when a decision taken in a special general body meeting of the council members allowed the office-holders to stay in the saddle for two years instead of one.

For the last 13 years, the Ahmed Shah group, led by Ahmed Shah who is currently the president of the council, has been winning a majority of seats. He has gathered a bunch of individuals around him most of whom are known figures from the realms of art, literature and show business.

They, the general impression is, have worked hard to make the institution arguably the most happening (in terms of frequent organisation of big- and small-scale events) cultural space of the city.

The International Urdu Conference, which has been taking place on a yearly basis for as long as the group has been at the helm, has become a globally known event for those who read or understand the Urdu language.

Polls are to be held on Sunday

Although Mr Shah has not faced a truly stiff opposition ever since he’s held the reins of the institution, there have been unpleasant incidents, here and there, which have left a bitter taste on the otherwise smooth canvassing. In the last election, for example, a woman accused the incumbent party of inappropriately handling her. This year leading up to the event, a couple of videos of individuals representing the panel contesting against them have come out.

They’re seen in the videos levelling different allegations against Mr Shah and his colleagues. But things have been moving on. On Dec 12, a general body meeting, a regular pre-poll exercise, was also held in the open air (due to the pandemic).

Given that the commissioner of Karachi is the chief election commissioner of the council’s election, it’s up to him to keep a watchful eye on the voting process; and so far the [successive] commissioners have found the goings-on to be without too many complaints. Incidentally, when the date for this year’s election was announced, Iftikhar Shallwani was the city commissioner who gave the go-ahead to the Dec 20 date. But on Dec 12 the government replaced him with Navid Ahmed Shaikh. Now Mr Shaikh will be monitoring the polls.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2020