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Artists’ Endowment Fund Allegedly Withheld: Strong Protest Against Culture Authority in Peshawar
Staff Reporter
Peshawar:
Senior artists from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have strongly protested the non-disbursement of the Endowment Fund and demanded immediate government intervention. Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club under the leadership of social figure Zubair Elahi, President of the Artists Welfare Association Ahmad Sajjad said veteran artists are being sidelined and subjected to “economic victimization.”
Ahmad Sajjad stated that nine years ago, during the tenure of former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Rs. 500 million were released for an Endowment Fund, and an additional Rs. 500 million were later announced. However, the entire amount was transferred to the account of the Culture and Tourism Authority. Initially, some artists received Rs. 30,000 each, but afterward, the payments stopped completely.
He said that Pakistan Television is currently airing old dramas while artists remain unemployed. At Nishtar Hall, there is complete silence — no stage dramas are being performed, nor are artists being invited to radio programs. “The stoves in artists’ homes have gone cold,” he remarked.
According to Ahmad Sajjad, favored individuals are being granted funds at the Tourism and Culture Authority offices, while senior artists are being told that the fund has been deposited and will only be provided in cases of serious illness or death. He demanded the immediate release of the funds and a comprehensive audit.
Speaking on the occasion, Zubair Elahi urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government not to ignore senior artists. He said the fund is already available with the Culture Authority and must be distributed transparently among deserving artists. He added that Peshawar is a historic city that has produced prominent names in arts and politics, yet its artists are now being forced to make repeated rounds of government offices.
Renowned stage and television actress Nadia Khan and other senior artists were also present at the press conference. Nadia Khan called for a proper scrutiny committee to oversee the distribution of the fund and demanded that unrelated individuals be removed from the Culture Department.
The artists warned that if their demands are not met, they will expand their protest movement.
National
Food prices climb ahead of Ramazan
Lax oversight drives seasonal price spike
TARIQ KHATTAK
Islamabad:
Business leader and former president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shahid Rasheed Butt, said food prices have risen sharply across major markets ahead of Ramazan, with retailers in several cities ignoring officially notified rate lists despite repeated warnings from local administrations.
He said the seasonal spike, driven by stronger demand for dates, cooking oil, gram flour, sugar, fruits and vegetables, has once again exposed weaknesses in price enforcement mechanisms.
Under provincial price control laws, district authorities can impose fines, seal shops and initiate cases against violators. However, enforcement has often remained inconsistent, with inspections tapering off once the fasting month begins.
Shahid Rasheed Butt cautioned that direct cash transfers by the government may not fully offset inflation if retail prices continue to rise unchecked. If enforcement fails, the real value of assistance erodes quickly, reducing the intended relief for vulnerable households.
He noted that higher food costs disproportionately affect families that spend more than 40 percent of their income on groceries. Each year, prices of key iftar essentials climb, squeezing already tight household budgets. Consumers argue that when notified rates are prepared with input from trader bodies that later fail to comply, public confidence in the system weakens.
For low-income households, rising fruit and edible oil prices often mean cutting back on protein and overall nutrition during the fasting month. Small restaurants and street vendors also report shrinking margins, as input costs increase faster than customers’ purchasing power. Wholesale traders, meanwhile, attribute the price increases to higher transport charges, storage losses and currency-related pressures on imported goods.
District administrations say monitoring teams will intensify inspections during Ramazan and publish daily price lists to improve transparency. The effectiveness of these steps will depend on sustained enforcement and visible penalties against repeat violators.
Market analysts say durable relief will require stricter oversight at wholesale markets, transparent publication of compliance data and swift action against profiteering. Without credible enforcement, seasonal inflation risks reinforcing perceptions of weak market regulation and undermining broader efforts to stabilise prices under the ongoing economic reform programme.
