Punjab govt to restore Sadiqain’s works

Punjab government accorded approval to the project for restoration of unique murals created by the internationally acclaimed Pakistani artist, the late Sadiqain, which have been displayed on the ceiling of Lahore Museum.
The project to safeguard this national heritage from the effects of humidity and weather conditions will be accomplished with the technical assistance of an Indian NGO ‘Intach’ which has expertise in conservation work of this nature. The project will cost around four million rupees.
This was disclosed by Senior Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Senator Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, on his visit to the Lahore Museum on Monday. He was accompanied by the Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, Punjab Secretary Information and Culture Abdullah Khan Sumbal and Additional Secretary Syed Tahir Raza Bukhari. Museum Director Sumaira Samad gave a briefing to Khosa on the historic significance of the artefacts preserved in the museum. She said 48 panels of Sadiqain’s murals, having a size of 6×8 feet, will be restored under this project. Following his visit to various galleries in the museum, Khosa expressed satisfaction over the conservation steps taken by the management to protect rare artistic work of Quranic calligraphy and those pertaining to the pre and proto historic sites of Pakistan from the stone-age to Gandhara civilization, including sculptures of a fasting Buddha, plaster cast of the lion pertaining to the capital of Asoka at Sarnath and utensils excavated from Harrapa site.
Khosa also visited the painting exhibition being held at Lahore Museum in connection with the celebration of International Women’s Day. Classical paintings and miniature work depicting the social status of women in this region of the world during different eras including paintings of late Anna Molka Ahmed, Amrita Sher Gill, Zainul Abideen and Ahmed Chughtai and many other crafts related to the social life of women folk have been displayed in the exhibition, which will continue till March 30.