Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar distributed cheques of financial assistant among deserving artists under Artists Support Fund at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam on Saturday.
The CM gave away cheques of financial assistant to artist Huma Dar, singer Zahoor Ahmed Ilyas (Sain Zahoor), artist Muhammad Javed Kodu and Nasir Sherazi. The chief minister while announcing to increase in Artists Support Fund said this fund will further increase from the next fiscal year. He said that we have fulfilled one of our promise made with artists community and funds of millions of rupees have been released under the Artist Supports Fund.
He said that helping the deserving artists was our duty and responsibility. He said that the services of artists for the promotion of culture and art have great respect in our eyes. Usman Buzdar said that artists played an important role for highlighting the soft image of any country.
He said that monthly financial assistant will also be given to deserving artists and a list of deserving artists has been prepared by the Information & Culture Department. He said that we will not leave alone the deserving artists suffering in financial crisis.
The process of supporting the artists will continue. The artists thanked Usman Buzdar for helping them in their time of trial. MPAs Sadia Sohail Rana, Musarat Jamshaid Cheema, Secretary Information, DG PILAC, Executive Director Punjab Arts Council, Executive Director Lahore Arts Council, DGPR and concerned officers were present on this occasion.
The spokesman of Chief Minister’s Office has released the details of expenditures spent during the current and previous governments for the renovation and maintenance of CM’s residence at 7-Club Road and his Office on 8-Club Road. According to the spokesman, not that much amount was spent on renovation of aging 7-club road, which were used by the previous government in the name of this abandoned CM Office. The building of 7-club road is many decades old and after former chief ministers Manzoor Wattoo and Sardar Asif Nakai, this building has not been used as CM’s residence. It was declared as an office in the first tenure of Shahbaz Sharif. This building was remained neglected with very few staff in the tenure of Gen. Retd. Pervaiz Musharaf as governor house was the center point of all activities. Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, during his CM-ship, used this building as his office for some time, whereas Shahbaz Sharif during his two tenures of ten years visited here perhaps 15, 20 times. Former CM Shahbaz Sharif merely used 7- Club Road as his office. Offices of 96-H and 180-H Model Town were the pivot of his political and government activities. According to the spokesman, Usman Buzdar after holding the portfolio of Punjab Chief Minister started using 7-Club Road as his residence. The 7- Club Road building was in a dilapidated condition due to the negligence spanning over many decades, therefore, renovation and maintenance of this building is utmost necessary to make it worth living place.
