KARACHI, Nov 15: The Sindh government has agreed to provide financial assistance for the completion of long-pending Aiwan-i-Riffat project.

Speaking at the 10th prize distribution ceremony at the Gallerie Sadequain in the Frere Hall on Thursday, Sindh governor Mohammedmian Soomro held out an assurance that apart from the provincial government assistance he would try to procure grants from the federal government for the project.

He asked the city Nazim to present a complete report about the project so that it could be taken up immediately.

The Aiwan-i-Raffat project structure has been lying abandoned in a corner of the Burnes Garden for the past many years as successive governments have failed to commit funds for the much- needed project.

The governor also presented awards to the amateur artists at the ceremony organized by the community development department of the city government.

He said the fact that the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and now the city government had been organizing the Sadequain Awards for the past 10 years was reflective of their commitment towards the fine arts.

He also expressed his pleasure over the holding of old books bazaar on the premises of the Frere Garden every Sunday.

“Apart from the old books bazaar, a literary function should be held every Sunday evening at Frere Garden,” Mr Soomro said.

He admitted that the government activities in the field of the fine arts had not up to the mark.

He said attention was being paid to the renovation and refurbishment of old and ancient buildings, adding that such activities would continue as it was the government’s responsibility to provide opportunities of sports and recreation to the youth for the establishment of a healthy society.

Alluding to the city Nazim’s speech in which he had talked about the under-construction Aiwan-i-Riffat, the governor said that certainly Attiya Fayzee deserved appreciation for donating her assets worth millions of rupees including the most valuable piece of land adjoining the Arts Council to the citizens of Karachi so that the city’s biggest cultural centre could be constructed here.

He expressed satisfaction over the construction of Al-Markaz Islami in the Central district which would have a modern library and an auditorium.

He said it had been brought to his knowledge that a women’s sports complex in Gulshan-i-Iqbal had been completed and now it was being equipped with necessary facilities. He said its inauguration was expected shortly.

Speaking on the occasion, the city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, said that some 25 years ago Attiya Fayzee had given a piece of land, measuring two acres, to the defunct KMC so that a cultural centre could be established. “She had also donated 50 paintings of her husband’s as well as letters written by such luminaries as Allama Iqbal, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Mohammad Ali Jauhar, Maulana Shibli Nomani, Hafeez Jallandhri, Bernard Shaw and Sarojni Naidu to her,” he said.

The city Nazim said that despite an expenditure of Rs50 million on the project — which would house an auditorium with a seating capacity for 1,800 people, a gallery, a library and a conference hall — was still unfinished. He urged the Sindh government to help the city government in this regard.

At least 178 amateur artists had submitted their works. The calligraphy prizes went to Adil Akhter, Nadeem, Mehnaz Ahmed Ali and Nabeel Majeed. The painting prizes went to Rahila Asadi, Ambreen Saba, Tahir Pervez, Sidra and Rabiya Tehmina.

Artists Jimmy Engineer, Neelophar and Tariq Javed judged the entries sent by the candidates.