Though the government has declared 2011 “Faiz Ahmed’s Faiz Year,” it has yet to expedite the construction of an auditorium in the heart of the federal capital named after the late poet. The Faiz Ahmed Faiz auditorium, being built on the premises of Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) over the last three years, is facing a shortage of funds and lack of support from the officials at the helm.
This state-of-the-art auditorium was scheduled for completion in February 2011 to match the 100th birth anniversary of Faiz, but its construction was stopped in February 2009 due to the lack of interest on the part of the PAL administration and federal government. A senior PAL official, who asked not to be named, told Pakistan Today that a sum of Rs 39 million was allocated for the project in 2008, but the government has only released Rs 20 million so far.
“The auditorium has been left to lie in ruins and a further delay in construction work could case a lot of damage to its structure, which will result in increasing its finishing cost,” he said. The government has released a paltry Rs 800,000 for the project over the last 12 months and I doubt the government will release the remaining funds.” Giving details of the under-construction Faiz Auditorium, the official said it would have a 400-seat grand hall, committee room, conference room and a lobby. “The first literary television channel of the country is also been planned to be set up in the basement of this building,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here at the position of DG PAL has been lying vacant after the suspension of Abdal Belas’s contract as DG PAL on June 30. On the other hand, PAL Chairman Fakhar Zaman spends most of the time abroad. Talking to Pakistan Today writers and intellectuals from the twin cities expressed their dismay over the delay in the construction the auditorium. “The year 2011 is Faiz’s year and it would be sad if the auditorium is not completed in this year. It is time the government paid attention to this project,” said renowned poet Iftikhar Arif.
He demanded the government release of funds for the completion of this project. Another Poet, Anwar Feroz, said that it would be an injustice to the great poet if an auditorium named after him was not completed this year. On President Asif Ali Zardari’s instructions, the PAL chairman had announced in March that the year 2011 would the year of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. President Zardari had also directed PAL to arrange special functions to celebrate Faiz’s 100 birth anniversary. No PAL official was available for comment.
