THIS is with reference to Irfan Husain’s column about A. J. Shemza’s works.

Shemza passed away of a heart attack in Stafford, UK, a year after my father, Faiz Ahmad Faiz died. My mother and I went to condole with Mary. She showed us the paintings and prints Shemza had prepared for exhibition in Pakistan. The title of the show had already been decided — ‘Roots’. My mother and I both encouraged Mary to go ahead with her late husband’s plans and bring the exhibition to Pakistan.

She subsequently brought two exhibitions — one of her own works and one of her late husband’s. Shemza’s ‘Roots’ was shown in Indus Gallery in Karachi at Alhamra, Lahore, and PNCA in Islamabad.

Mary showed her work at Rohtas Gallery in Islamabad and Alhamra Lahore. Mary planned to return to the UK, right after the PNCA show and the late Ghulam Rasul, who was in-charge of PNCA at the time, requested Mary to allow the works to be on exhibition for a bit longer.

He promised the works would be well looked after and returned to her safe and sound Mary generously agreed to make a loan. A list of ten works to be loaned with titles and medium was made and signed by PNCA authority.

Later correspondence ensued in which PNCA offered a sum of Rs40, 000, (in writing) for the works, which Mary refused (in writing) and asked for the works to be returned as agreed. Since then the PNCA has refused to return the loaned works.

I asked Mr Rasul if they would be returned, the reply was,’Ji-Ji.’ Years passed, Mr Rasul passed away. Letters went unanswered.

Mary came to LLF in Lahore to launch a publication on Shemza some years ago and I requested her to come to Islamabad with me and demand the return of her property. She was quite upset and told me: “I am over 80 years old now Salima, I am going to take legal action”.

(She had written a formal complaint to our High Commissioner in UK.) The family had then decided to put the case on the international Lost Art Register, and later approached the late Asma Jehangir, who looked at the documents and was surprised at the audacity of PNCA. A legal notice was then served on PNCA. Asma passed away before the next steps could be taken.

I am so happy that PNCA and the new DG have decided to right a wrong and the case was put before the Board of Governors and the Chairperson ,Federal Minister Shafqat Mahmood. All unanimously agreed to return the works to Mary.

The works of AJ Shemza were never ‘lost’; they only lost their way home.

Salima Hashmi
Lahore

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2020