KARACHI, Nov 28: The S.H. Hashmi panel has announced the names of its candidates for the Dec 22 election of the Arts Council.

The panel has nominated the following candidates: Saif-ur-Rahman Grami, vice-president; Talat Hussain, general secretary and Rizwan Siddiqui, treasurer. The candidates for the governing body are Dr Huma Mir, Dr Rehana Shah, Sajid Hassan, Arshad Mehmood, Jawaid Saba, Mohammad Ayub, Zakia Ghazal, Shahnaz Siddiqui, Zulfiqar Shaikh, Anwar Ali Roomi, Aneeq Ahmed and Waris Shaikh.

Read out at a press conference on Thursday, the message of the Arts Council vice-president, S.H. Hashmi, who could not show up because of the death of his grandson, says that three years ago he had promised that he would construct the unfinished building of the auditorium and restore to the Arts Council its past glory.

“Initially we were outnumbered but still we did our bid. Afterwards when we gained strength we managed to procure from the government a grant of Rs50 million which will be utilized to complete the project.”

He recalled that in the past the Arts Council had started to wear a deserted look because members would not frequent it. “The restaurant Gulrang had been closed down and people had become so indifferent towards the affairs of the

Arts Council that candidates would return unopposed. This led to a monopoly of one group.”

He claimed that in three years the Arts Council had become a hub of cultural activities.