HYDERABAD, Nov 4: Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Rauf Siddiqui has said that the Sindh government will give cash award of Rs50,000 each year in seven different disciplines of education, literature and arts to encourage artists and writers.

He said that the award would be in addition to the Shah Latif award.

Talking to newsmen at the Mehran Arts Council after inaugurating a painting exhibition "Mehran Colours 2006", he said that on the pattern of the presidential award, only the Sindh government would give the Shah Latif award and no NGO or other organisation would be authorised to announce the Shah Latif award.

He said that the award functions would be properly monitored.

Mr Siddiqui said that a gate "Baab-i-Pakistan" was being constructed near the Sindh Assembly building to pay tributes to the assembly which had first adopted the Pakistan Resolution.

He said that the names of Sindh assembly members of that time would be engraved on the gate for the information of the people.

The minister praised paintings saying the artists must be encouraged.

He appealed to the managements of different art galleries to reduce their commission on the purchase of artistic works.

He said that the Sindh government did not demand any commission from the artists for paintings purchased for its different arts galleries.

He announced a grant of Rs1 million for the Mehran Arts Council and directed that it should function on modern lines.

He also announced cash awards of Rs25,000, Rs20,000 and Rs15,000, respectively, for the first three paintings.

Above 70 noted painters from Karachi, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas have displayed 200 paintings in the exhibition which would continue upto November 10.

SAVE EDUCATION: The Sindh chapter of the Islami Jamiat-i-Tuleba has announced to launch a country-wide "Save Education-Save the Country" campaign against alleged secularisation of education, setting up of Agha Khan Board, ban on teachers and students unions, copy culture, corruption, increase in fees and other educational issues.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Friday, Sindh IJT Nazim Haris Masood, Hasaan Bakhtiar, Zamir Hussain Laghari and Asim Shaikh said that since the inception of Pakistan, education had never remained on the priority list of any government as a result the entire educational system had been destroyed.