KARACHI, April 17: The Sindh government has announced setting up three awards of excellence in the name of outstanding poets of Sindh, Shah Latif Bhitai, Shaikh Ayaz and Josh Maleehabadi.

The Bhitai award will carry a cash prize of Rs100,000 while Shaikh Ayaz and Josh Maleehabadi awards will carry Rs75,000 cash prizes each .

This was announced by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Tuesday during a press conference after the cabinet meeting. Sindh Culture Minister Rauf Siddiqui thanked the chief minister for not only approving the institution of the award, to be given every year to literary figures, but also for increasing the cash amount.

The minister said that the first award distribution ceremony would be held on April 19 where seven awards would be given in each category.