HYDERABAD, May 19: The chairman of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Culture, Syed Ameer Ali Shah Jamote, and MNA Pir Aftab Shah Jilani have recommended the Sindh government should hand over control of Mehran Music School to the provincial culture department.

The school set up in the Mehran Art Council here this year, is being run under the Benazir Bhutto Youth Development Programme.

They told journalists after visiting the school that the music school was a revolutionary step to give a new lease of life to classical music. It could help revive lost glory of Sindh’s classical music, they said.

They called for revitalising the school’s teaching faculty and providing it equipment and musical instruments.

Earlier, addressing students at the auditorium after a demonstration of their skills, Mr Jilani lauded efforts of Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo for promoting classical music.

In past, he said, Sindhi landlords used to patronise renowned vocalists, wrestlers and teachers but now their families had given up the tradition, giving a setback to Sindhi arts.

It was now the government’s responsibility to promote cultural heritage of Sindh, he said.

The province is fortunate to have classical singers belonging to renowned singer families of Gawaliyar, Patiyala and Sham Chorasi who had rendered great services in the field of music, he said. Gawaliyar family had absorbed itself in the culture of Sindh and promoted Sindhi classical music, he said.

He termed Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan of Gawaliyar family a patron of Sindhi classical music and said this family was committed to classical music to date and did not prefer monetary gains. He told students that they were lucky to have Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

Mr Jamote said that it was high time the government took steps to promote mysticism and music to spread love and peace and defeat hatred which was being spread through weapons and hate-filled ideologies.

He expressed hope the school would prove instrumental in spreading love, peace and national integrity.