KARACHI, Aug 18: A special committee of the Arts Council will meet on Thursday to finalize a list of proposed amendments sent in by members over the past three months. The proposed amendments will go before the general body of the Arts Council for approval at a special meeting on Sept 20.

Article 8 of the Arts Council's memorandum of association and articles of association says: "Quorum for the annual general body meetings and special general body meetings will be one third of the members of the council or 200 whichever is less.

If an annual general body meeting of a special general body meeting is not held due to lack of quorum then no quorum would be required for holding the adjourned meeting. Prescribed quorum will however be needed for amending the Articles of Memorandum and/or Articles of Association."

The Arts Council general-secretary, Yavar Mehdi, told Dawn that the special committee tasked to finalize proposed amendments consisted of the following four members: Prof Anis Zaidi, Saifur Rahman Grami, Hasan Zaheer and Aniq Ahmad.

Sources said that a large number of proposed amendments had been sent in by members of the Arts Council. "It has been suggested that life-members who obtain membership of the Arts Council on payment of Rs10,000 should not be allowed to cast votes.

Besides, a large number of people become life members by paying Rs10,000 and contest elections within six months. They should not be allowed to contest elections at least before two years," they said.

The sources said that some members objected to the continued practice of making the district coordination officer ex-officio president of the Arts Council. "In the old set-up, this position was held by the commissioner.

It is clear that the current DCO does not enjoy all the powers which commissioners in the past did. Some members suggested that other high-ranking Karachi-based government officials could be made ex-officio presidents of the Arts Council on a rotation basis," the said.

The sources said that some members urged the Arts Council to extend the tenure of a governing body from one year to two years. "Some members suggested that it be made mandatory on contesting panels to put up at least six artists as candidates in elections."