Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo on Wednesday performed the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Sindh Cultural and Heritage Institute at the National Museum Karachi with a cost of Rs 200 million in three years. While addressing the ceremony, Sassui said that the provincial culture department within five years had largely worked for the promotion, projection and protection of the cultural heritage and civilization of the province, while striving to set unique trends by initiating various mega projects during the tenure of the present government. She said that establishment of cultural centres, public libraries and many development projects under the auspices of the above mentioned department were being continued throughout the province.
Work on such institute had been our dream which was now going to be fulfilled, the provincial culture minister said. Though the project had been previously delayed due to many problems, but now development works had been initiated throughout the Sindh province. Meanwhile, renowned writer Amar Jaleel had correctly pointed out on the occasion that Sindh and Karachi were one. He said that this institute was as important for Karachi, as it was for the rest of the province. Sassui said that it should be the state’s responsibility to initiate more people oriented development programmes. During the martial law periods of Zia and Musharraf, hurdles for social and cultural development were many, but the present government, through its visionary policy had initiated many mega projects and had also doubled the budget of archeology and culture department to make things better in the future.
Furthermore, Sassui said that though the culture department had faced funds problems in the past, but in spite of all that the provincial government had initiated such projects including the formation of galleries and corridors on the names of Faiz, Josh, Latif, Sachal, Sail and many other important local personalities. Recently the department had inaugurated public libraries namely Shamsherul Haideri and Tajal Bewus.
Moreover, Secretary Culture Abdul Aziz Uqaili highlighted the various development projects undertaken by the archeology and culture department, said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, budget of both the departments has been doubled. He also said that the culture department had 12 public libraries in 2008 which had presently increased to 22 and would further increase up to 42 in the next two years.
The culture secretary further said that 20 different development schemes were under way and right cultural centres, except at Bhit Shah and Sehwan Sharif, would also be established, adding that seven different centres for Hindu and Christian communities would also be established in the near future.
