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.
