The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, by agreeing to be the Chairman of the Board of Management Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, convinced the board of his commitment to the cause of continuing the legacy of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Board of Management (BoM), Quaid-e-Azam House Museum (Flagstaff House) – Institute of Nation Building constituted under Sindh Government Notification dated 06th April, 2021, has been authorized to carry on various activities. The Board is constituted of notables and leaders of their field. This was shared at a press conference held at the Quaid-e-Azam House Museum, Karachi.
Commodore (R) Sadeed A. Malik, Secretary General BoM, in his welcome address, introduced the Members of the Board of Management appointed under Government of Sindh Notification dated 06th April 2021. He said that on the conclusion of the events from 17th to 19th March other events will follow.
In his address, Mr. Liaquat Merchant, Senior Vice-Chairman BoM, shared with the audience some of the activities that will be planned as per the notification. These included establishment of a public library to be called “Jinnah Library”; an audio-visual centre which will display films / documentaries on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Pakistan Movement and other leaders of Pakistan movement; expand the Museum, which will house the relics and belongings of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Heritage site will be preserved and maintained by the Sindh Government.
“We will arrange and hold educational and debating-elocution competitions / programs for senior school students; hold art exhibitions; arrange seminars, talk shows and other similar literary events for the benefit of the citizens and younger generation on the aspects leading to creation of Pakistan”, added Mr. Merchant.
Mr Ikram Sehgal elaborated on the Auditorium and stated that a State of Art Auditorium behind Quaid-e-Azam House Museum (Heritage site) is under consideration and the Board of Management awaits approval of the Technical Committee, Heritage Commission of Sindh for carrying out soil testing after which building plans for an underground Auditorium behind Quaid-e-Azam House Museum will be submitted for approval to the Heritage Commission under the Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994 and Rules of 2017. A Concept Paper relating to the Auditorium was prepared and submitted by Syed Akeel Bilgrami Karachi’s reputed architect.
After more than a decade the annual popular event for Karachi school students is being resumed by the Board of Management, Quaid-e-Azam House Museum.
Mrs. Ameena Saiyid who heads the Education Programmed Committee said, the Jinnah Declamation Competition 2022 will be held on 17th, 18th and 19th March, 2022 at Quaid-e-Azam House Museum. Invitations to participate have been issued to 45 Karachi based schools. The elimination contest will be held on 17th& 18th March, while the Final event will be held on 19th March. The topics for students to speak on are: Jinnah’s Pakistan, Pakistan and the Muslim World – Inter-action and Benefits and Pakistan Resolution 1940. Attractive prizes will be given to the first three winning students. Other programmes which will contribute towards Nation Building Exercise will be organized and held on a regular basis.
Judges for the final on the 19th include, Mrs. Nadira Panjwani (Panjwani Charitable Foundation & Trust), Mrs. Naseem Merchant (The Jinnah Society), Mrs. Ameena Saiyid (Lightstone Publishers), Dr. Huma Baqai (IBA, Karachi) and Mr. Arshad Saeed Hussain (Oxford University Press, Karachi-Pakistan).
The event is being sponsored by Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited, The Jinnah Society and Karachi Council on Foreign Relations.
