KARACHI, Feb 7: Ministers and literary figures belonging to Karachi have expressed their strong reservations to the federal government's intention to move the offices of the Urdu Dictionary Board (UDB) from the city or change its status.

Speaking at a literary gathering, they said that they would resist the government's attempt to deprive Karachi of the UDB or other literary bodies as they regard such institutions as symbols of social and cultural heritage reflecting historical literary achievements by Karachiites, as well as the people of Sindh.

They were expressing their views at a ceremony held for the launching of Sakinan-i-Shehr-i-Quaid Trust at the Central Defence Library on Monday. Establishment of the trust is aimed at promoting the works of eminent poets, writers and researchers, besides extending financial support to them.

Senior Minister for Finance, Sindh, Syed Sardar Ahmad presided over the ceremony which was attended by City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, Federal Minister for Housing Syed Safwanullah, Sindh Minister for Planning and Development, Syed Shoaib Bukhari, Justice Haziqul Khairi and many other prominent personalities from education and literature fields.

Noted columnist and poet Jamiluddin Aali, speaking on the occasion, said that writers and poets did not restrict their work to certain areas or aspects, but some measures taken by the bureaucracy in Islamabad gave to understand that something was cooking up otherwise.

"Perhaps they want to undermine the role of writers and poets from Karachi or reduce the educational and literary status and coherence that exists in the literary community of this city."

Aali referred to some correspondence originating from the federal government regarding merger of the UDB, based in Karachi, with the National Language Authority in Islamabad.

He said that at a time when the Board had already published 19 volumes of the dictionary, and was all set to complete the dictionary in remaining four volumes, it would be highly deplorable that the centre of the activity of utmost importance was shifted from its logical base, Karachi, along with its grand stock of precious and rare books, or the institution was deprived of the independent status it had been enjoying for half a century.

He said that the Board, which was among a few big literary achievements and sources of inspiration for Pakistanis, should not be shifted from Karachi at all to avoid provincial biases gaining grounds. He urged the president, prime minister, governor and chief minister of Sindh, and ministers from Karachi to come forward and resist any uncalled for move by the federal government in this regard.

The audience and speakers at the ceremony also unanimously opposed any such move and declared that neither any change in the status of the UDB nor the shifting of its offices from Karachi was acceptable to them.

Syed Sardar Ahmad agreed with poet Aali and mentioned that he would do his best to desist the federal authorities from shifting any literary assets belonging to Karachi. "I have noted the protest by Jamiluddin Aali and will take up the matter with Sindh governor and prime minister at the earliest," he pledged.

He vehemently declared that transfer of no educational or historical assets, parts of libraries and museum from Karachi or Sindh would be allowed at any costs.

He informed the audience that he was already working on a plan to preserve libraries and other historical resources in the province through a forum comprising dignitaries from related fields. The forum has undertaken to compile an authentic history of Sindh from all available sources in Arabic and Persian languages.

Minister Shoaib Bukhari also expressed similar sentiments and said that those who wanted to ruin the educational and literary institutions of Sindh and take away the pride of Karachiites would be discouraged.

City Nazim Niamatullah Khan lauded the launching of a trust for the benefit of educational and literary figures of the city. "Our poets and writers have been adding to the prestige of Karachi and deserve praise for their valuable services."

Noted scholar Dr Manzoor Ahmad said that efforts should also be made to bring different personal libraries available in the city at one place so that their precious material could be utilized in a meaningful manner, largely for the promotion of education and literature.

Syed Safwanullah also opposed any change in the status of the Urdu Dictionary Board. He appealed to well-off Karachiites to come forward with generous donations to the Sakinan's trust for the welfare of writers and poets.

Azhar Abbas Hashmi of Unikarians, who is one of the founders of the trust, said that it had been planned to collect an amount to the tune of Rs50 million for an endowment fund through which health insurance of eminent literary personalities, publication of literary works, provision of monetary aid, and recognition of educational and literary persons of fame could be ensured.

"Initially, we have set the target of collecting Rs5,000 each from about 10,000 well-wishers, which seems not a difficult task keeping in view the generosity of people in the city."

He said that under the auspices of the Sakinan-e-Shehr-e-Quaid, which was established in 1988, about 14 grand international mushairas had already been held, while the next one was scheduled for April this year.