The Sindh government has reconstituted the management board responsible for providing financial assistance to poor and deserving artists, writers, and poets. The 2018 notification establishing the previous board under the Department of Culture and Tourism has been officially withdrawn.
The new notification, issued by the Chief Secretary Sindh with the approval of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, introduces major changes in the board’s composition. Under the new structure, Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah will serve as Chairman of the Management Board, while the Secretary of Culture will act as Vice Chairman and the Director General of Culture as Secretary and member.
The board will include key representatives from across the province’s cultural landscape. Among its members are the Presidents of Karachi and Sukkur Arts Councils, a representative of PTV, and the Secretary General of the Sindhi Adabi Board.
Prominent singers Sanam Marvi and Rajab Faqir have been included as members, representing the music community. Veteran actors Javed Sheikh, Ayub Khoso, Ahsan Khan, and Muneeb Butt have been appointed to represent the acting fraternity. Writers Noorul Huda Shah and Mehtab Akbar Rashdi are also part of the board, along with designer Yousuf Bashir Qureshi and cultural figure Irfan Samoon.
According to a government spokesperson, the board will oversee financial assistance programs for struggling and low-income artists, writers, and performers across Sindh. The aid will be disbursed based on collective decisions made by the board members.
Provincial Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah expressed good wishes for all newly appointed members, stating that the Sindh government remains committed to strengthening support systems for deserving artists, poets, and writers. He added that all members are well-acquainted with the challenges faced by their peers and will ensure fair and effective distribution of financial help.
The minister reiterated that the Department of Culture and Tourism has always stood by the artistic and literary community of Sindh and will continue to enhance welfare mechanisms for them.
