KHAIRPUR, Feb 21: More than two dozens of singers, folk artistes, Sughars and their families have not received grant from the Sindh Culture and Tourism Department for a whole year.

They included the families of classical singer late Ustad Gulzar Ali Khan, late Ustad Rasool Bux Bhat, late Ustad Seengar Ali Saleem, late Ustad Imdad Bhat and Hameed Ali Sehwani and Sufi singers, Sughars including Sohrab Faqir, Shershah, Bhooral Faqir Bhatti and Faqir Ghulam Hussain.

Singers of Sachal Sarmast’s shrine, including Faqir Ghulam Hussain and Bhooral Faqir and relatives of late artists told journalists on Wednesday that they had not received the grant for a whole year.

Artists belonging to Sukkur, Rohri and Khairpur included Faqir Ali Bux, Dilbar Hussain, Shamshad Qazi, widow of late Umeed Khairpuri (poet), widow of Sikandar Ali (Dholak Nawaz), widow of late Mazhar Ali Shaikh (artist) and Barkat Ali Bhat (singer).

On the other hand, Sufi singer Faqir Azizullah Maitlo said that he had suffered a paralysis attack in October 2005, but his health had now greatly improved. However, he did not appeal to the department nor Sindh government for aid and would not do so in future.

He said that he was awarded Sachal Award in 2005 and declared best Sufi singer still the organisers did not invite him to Sachal musical conference held on the eve of annual Urs in 2006.

He said that the Sachal Award also included a cash prize of Rs10,000 but he was given only the award minus cash. Mr Maitlo said that he could sing in seven languages Arabic, Persian, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindi, Seraiki and Urdu.

He said that he had memorised a major part of the verses of Sachal Sarmast and Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai.