KARACHI, Feb 27: One more artwork created by renowned sculptor Anjum Ayaz at Seaview has disappeared.

To date four sculptures have been stolen and some others vandalised. Thirteen stone and marble sculptures were put on display at Seaview as part of a beautification plan two years ago by the Defence Housing Authority.

A photograph taken in January by a resident who takes daily walks along the beach revealed that three sculptures placed in Seaview had disappeared mysteriously, however, no action was taken to save the others.

The latest casualty is a sculpture inscribed with a Quranic verse near Kinara Hotel. Pictures taken by the resident show the sculpture was there three days ago but had disappeared on Tuesday.

A DHA spokesman said the sea had rusted the sculptures made of metal.

He added that there was no ‘complete ‘disappearance’ of the four sculptures in entirety, however, their upper parts rusted and lost their grip.

“Just after they lost their grip some people stole them in pieces,” he added. He said the DHA could not be blamed because the weather and public’s insensitivity had caused the loss.

The artist, Anjum Ayaz when informed by this scribe that yet another of his artworks was no more said “my idea behind putting those sculptures at Seaview was basically to share my work with the common citizen who has no access to art galleries here and I am still committed to my cause to work for the people." Anjum Ayaz is globally famous for his work in stone, marble and metal.

“Karachi is my city and I have decided that I will work for people only and not for the galleries where my people have little access,” he added. “I hadcreated those artworks for my people and won’t mind creating more for them.”

Mr Ayaz’s work is also on display at public places in Tokyo, Beijing and Dubai.

He has great affection for Karachi. The artist said every human was inherited with aesthetic sense and his efforts were part of his endeavour to awaken it among the ordinary Pakistani.

The resident who lives along the beach and is a retired educationist, however, wondered about the contradictions in the government’s policies towards social development and entertainment for the public.

“It is absurd to see President Pervez Musharraf inaugurating a great park (Bagh Ibne Qasim) himself while in the same vicinity art which is the natio’s property is being stolen and no one takes notice.”