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Massive damage done
What was feared and apprehended has happened. National institution PNCA has been deprived out of its art works collected over the years of as many as 10 paintings and prints of internationally-acknowledged artist Anwar Jalal Shemza which have been quite stealthily handed over to his so-called heirs. The art works worth millions of dollars in the international market have been handed over to a lady by the PNCA high ups who appeared to be in a somewhat hurry to accomplish the task without caring for the national interests being so hurt.
The art works were with the PNCA in its Permanent Collection since 1985 when these were borrowed from the family following demise of Anwar Jalal Shemza for displaying his works as a tribute to the noted artist following his demise in 1984. By resorting to such an extra-ordinary step, instead of convincing the heirs of Anwar Jalal Shemza to let his art works remain with the PNCA for the benefit of artists community as well as the art lovers, the incumbent lady DG has opened a Pandora Box. Citing this not so appreciable step, the living artists or heirs of deceased artists whose art works are in with the PNCA may now start claiming back the paintings and other art works one after the other.
The lady DG should preferably have followed the policy of her predecessors of keeping the matter in abeyance instead of succumbing to the invisible pressure from the vested interests including some big names of the country’s art circles. Some days back, this scribe had requested for urgent intervention of the Prime Minister to prevent this impending massive damage but none from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat had somehow bothered to take notice of this development and save the national art treasure being withered away and averted impending massive damage.
OSAMA BIN ASIM
Rawalpindi
Not good news
I have been pondering over after hearing about it. But it surely and certainly is not good news from national and artistic point of view. The bad news is that the PNCA in Islamabad has been depleted of its treasures as creative art works, numbering 10, of internationally celebrated artist Anwar Jalal Shemza have been quite mysteriously handed over allegedly to a lady representative of his Britain-based heir by the lady DG in a hush up manner. Shemza’s art works were in PNCA possession since 1985 when these were secured from his family for holding his art work exhibition as a tribute to him immediately after his demise in 1984. There were no claims made for almost three decades and his heirs had suddenly surfaced on being instigated by local vested art circles.
If all this was genuine, it would have been appropriate if Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood along with his cousin, prominent artist and art teacher Mrs Salima Hashmi, whose name was mentioned some years back as local representative of Shemza’s heir, were invited by DG to grace the occasion and hand over the paintings in the presence of electronic and print media.
The lady DG has taken this extraordinary step against the sincere advices of the PNCA officials to move extremely careful forward since such white collar crime was quite rampant in the art world, this will open flood gates of corruption in the art world where rightful owners will have dubious claims on all works of art at PNCA and it will be criminal if the officials supposedly custodians of national art treasure should be facilitating this white collar crime.
M Z RIFAT
Lahore
Speed barriers a necessity
A few days ago, a mother along with her little daughter met an accident on the famous Hazara Road Hasan Abdal. Both were hit by a truck which resulted in the loss of both precious lives. Many similar accidents have been occurring on the same road that have claimed many lives and injured many more.
The main reason of these accidents is the removal of speed breakers by competent authority. These speed breakers were built after a tremendous hue and cry of the locals upon the death of a very young girl some two decades ago. However, these were dug out by the authorities for unknown reasons a few years ago. I don’t know what was the reason for removing these speed breakers that were a major hindrance to such traffic accidents. The elderly too have to face difficulty while crossing road with heavy vehicles dashing across along road.
Another reason of increasing traffic accidents is allowance of heavy traffic during day time and rush hours. Many schools, a THQ hospital and even a girl’s college are located on the same road. Local authorities and the NHA must rebuild these speed breakers for safety of the general public and impose restrictions on the entrance of heavy traffic during day and rush hours.
ZULFIQAR HAYAT KHAN
Hassanabdal
Positivity generates positive
What is meant by positivity? It simply means finding good even in worse situations. A person with a positive attitude can handle every catastrophic condition in his life. Really, people who are negative and who have no positivity are pessimistic; they are hopeless because they see everyone negatively. Being positive is always a pleasure and good deed because when there is a problem it helps us to take decisions and go ahead with a better solution.
More you are positive, more you are decisive and strong. Remember, Leaders always think of victory not failure. Really, a leader thinks about the success of his mission, he concentrates on success, he never thinks that what do I do if I fail it even if he fails it, he restarts his work and goes ahead that is why he is called a leader. Furthermore, when you fail, it empowers you to try again with a greater plan as well as positivity gives connectivity; it lets you be connected with others and also it connects others to you which is an essential part of life.
Nothing is impossible in world but everything needs a proper attention and that we do not understand therefore 99% people fail the test of life. Only 1% who succeed have positive attitude. They fall, they stand up and try going toward their destination; it’s called positivity. At last, I just want to say to my dear readers a quotation of mine which is, “positivity is an activity which becomes an ability to find good in bad things and situations.
PARVEZ MOULA BAKHSH
Malir, Karachi
